The Rhodes piano

metron · #1 03-22-2007, 02:19 PM

Or Fender Rhodes. Just scored this one for a reasonable price and its in nice condition. Anyone play one? I think they sound great!

metron · #2 03-22-2007, 02:21 PM

Trough a borrowed twin reverb.

tplyons · #3 03-22-2007, 02:22 PM

Nice a Rhodes Mark I Stage 73! Do you have a year on that one?

I'm itching to find myself a Mark II Suitcase. I'm just plain in love with those.

RWP · #4 03-22-2007, 02:24 PM

Man I remember those, they weigh a TON but sound great. Good score!

jady · #5 03-22-2007, 02:26 PM

Love the sound on those!!!!

MakiSupaStar · #6 03-22-2007, 02:29 PM

I've played with a dude that had one of those. Friggin' awesome.

iamthebassman · #7 03-22-2007, 02:41 PM

I hope you have a strong friend or two to help schlep it to gigs.

anderbass · #8 03-22-2007, 02:42 PM

I just bought a Rhodes at a yard sale for $20.
It's got a couple stuck (down) keys.
Would anyone venture a guess about the remedy for this problem?

metron · #9 03-22-2007, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anderbass

I just bought a Rhodes at a yard sale for $20.
It's got a couple stuck (down) keys.
Would anyone venture a guess about the remedy for this problem?

Yeah all you need is a tool to widen the key notches for the guide pins or whatever they are called. There is a special one made for piano keys. It could be any of the two on each key that is tight or sticking. Pop off the lid as well as the front rail. They keys can be removed at this point. You will see where the red felt is around the notches. Very carefully widen the spaces but beware the keys crack easily. I think they can be widened too much too so its probably best to do it incrementally.

$20?!?!? Thats a throw away price!

metron · #10 03-22-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamthebassman

I hope you have a strong friend or two to help schlep it to gigs.

Ill just stick to bass in the band! Actually its going to sit at home for a while. I only know basic chords but I bought it to learn some stuff, chords etc to further my bass playing and possibly for recording with the band. Someone else can play it then!

metron · #11 03-22-2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

Nice a Rhodes Mark I Stage 73! Do you have a year on that one?

I'm itching to find myself a Mark II Suitcase. I'm just plain in love with those.

Its a 77. The suitcase pianos are real nice but IMO not as good as the stage with a Twin Reverb. My buddy (whom Im borrowing the twin from) has a suitcase with the vibrato circuit thats pretty much all I would want one for. I think the company Major Key is making a rail circuit for stage pianos thats very similar to the suitcase circuit with the addition of a BBE sonic maximizer. I read that Harold Rhodes loved the sound of the pianos through the BBE SM and felt they should all have one.

jonathan_matos5 · #12 03-22-2007, 03:28 PM

i want one

Mark 7 is available in the fall!!!

markjazzbassist · #13 03-22-2007, 03:29 PM

one of my buddies has one. MY FAVORITE KEYS OF ALL TIME!!! I love the Rhodes. It's got such a beautiful tone to it. ENJOY!!

anderbass · #14 03-22-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metron

Yeah all you need is a tool to widen the key notches for the guide pins or whatever they are called. There is a special one made for piano keys. It could be any of the two on each key that is tight or sticking. Pop off the lid as well as the front rail. They keys can be removed at this point. You will see where the red felt is around the notches. Very carefully widen the spaces but beware the keys crack easily. I think they can be widened too much too so its probably best to do it incrementally.

$20?!?!? Thats a throw away price!

Thanks for the the info, you just made my day much better...

Matt Till · #15 03-22-2007, 04:06 PM

Oh man! That's awesome.

thumbplucker · #16 03-22-2007, 04:15 PM

my wife used to play one.. we put it through the house amp though
as well as a hammond M3 (with full Leslie)... but.. it just got too much to lug around...

metron · #17 03-22-2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anderbass

Thanks for the the info, you just made my day much better...

No problem. After buying a Rhodes for $20 I wouldnt have thought that possible! I spent 35 times that...

I love the mellow tone of this piano but to me the barky sound they can be set up for is where its at! Ive adjusted it for that a little bit already. Im mildly embarrassed to admit I have this album but Chick Corea on "Light as a Feather" defines the tone I want to get. If you can get past Flora (nothing wrong with Flora just not my bag) listen to Chicks solo on Captain Marvel 2 or 3 minutes into the song. He is on fire! Burning!! Oh yeah Stanley is a monster on that recording too!

FYI for anyone wanting to get into one of these but is concerned about maintenance its really not bad, just time consuming. For me the most difficult part so far is getting good key to key consistency in volume and tone. Adjustments to hammer alignment, action etc seems like it would be more difficult but luckily this one doesnt need much of that.

evertalbers · #18 03-22-2007, 04:35 PM

I'll never forget running into my keyboardplayer 30 minutes after he found a Rhodes Mark I on the street while letting out his dog. He hauled it home, and found that it was fully functional. It is an understatement to say that he was slightly excited. He still owns both the Rhodes and the dog.

It pays to live in a rich neighbourhood.

bongomania · #19 03-22-2007, 04:45 PM

Man, I love the Rhodes. It is my favorite keyboard sound EVER, and I love the action of the keys, too. I especially like the ones that have been used and tweaked to the point the keys have a loose, mushy feel, and the sound is dirty and slightly overdriven. Funk-E.

Basshole · #20 03-22-2007, 04:52 PM

I have a 73 Suitcase. Sounds wonderful. I had an old 73 Stage, but I sold it years ago because it was stiff and too bellsy. My suitcase is great. It needs a little TLC, if I get a chance I'll send it to have a slight tune-up (although the tuning itself is good, it needs stuff like pots and sliders cleaned).

I also have a Wurlitzer 200A, which is like the Rhode's dark evil twin. A lot of what you may think is Rhodes on older recordings (including some Brother Ray, and all the Supertramp stuff) is actually Wurly. The Wurly is the real star...but I love them both.