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Loud tapping sound coming from keys

Started by bloke66, September 13, 2017, 02:00:39 AM

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bloke66

Hi
I have the Rhodes that no one wants......1981 model Mark 11 73 key Suitcase model with Plastic keys.
But hey......I'm still going to perservere with the restoration of this piano untill I can get it to sound as good as I can.
From key B51 right up to the end of the treble section on Key E80 there is a loud tapping sound when the hammer hits the tine.
This corresponds to a change of hammer tips. B51 to C64 have harder rubber tips and C#65 to E80 have a wooden hammer tip with a thin cover of rubber...the tapping sound being louder on these keys.
All keys from B51 down to the bass end have softer rubber hammer tips and don't make the tapping sound.
I'm not a musician...I just like restoring things....so this is the only way I can describe this possible problem.
Do I have to live with this noise and just turn the volume up.....or is there a solution???
Cheers


Tim Hodges

Unfortunately you have to live with that.

Due to the tines being shorter in the treble area more force is needed to hit the tine to make it resonate so they have to have wooden core tips.

It's just one of the idiosyncrasies of the Fender Rhodes that after a while you get used to.

Tim

Bristol Electric Piano
UK

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pnoboy

I hope I'm not being pedantic, but it's not more force that's required at the treble end, it's the necessity for the force impulse to occur over a shorter amount of time that dictates the harder hammers.

Tim Hodges

Quote from: pnoboy on September 13, 2017, 06:32:37 AM
I hope I'm not being pedantic, but it's not more force that's required at the treble end, it's the necessity for the force impulse to occur over a shorter amount of time that dictates the harder hammers.

I thought about re-writing it after posting  :D but yes you're entirely right.
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UK

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bloke66


Ben Bove

Can you check the piano with a set of headphones plugged into your amp?  You're describing the mechanical noise as mentioned above, and through a decent set of headphones that cover your ear, you should not be able to hear that mechanical noise.

However, if you notice a very hard attack difference between Bb50 and B51, then you may want to replace the hammertips between 51-64.  Those are the first to develop an impact point in the rubber, or a groove.  After years of tine strikes in the same spot, the rubber becomes compacted and harder at that strike point, and thus can create a stronger attack sound.  This wouldn't be strictly mechanical noise, and you'd hear a strong difference in attack sound when using headphones.
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