customizing rhodes bass

[lifeofbirds]

So, Here is a quandry.

I'd like to customize a rhodes bass so it plays the two octaves around middle c rather than the bass pitches that it is meant to play.  Can I just replace the tines to do this, or are there other things that would need to be changed?  Pickups, hardware etc..?  

Any thoughts would be welcome.

[Fred]

I have done that mod to my piano bass and it works great. I used the C above the low E as middle C. It is a lot of work. Here's what I did...
First of all I had a spare harp board. The curves of the tone generator rail and pickup rail change along the range of the piano, so I had to cut the midrange sections I would need from the middle of the two rails. Next, I mounted the existing pickups on my "new" pickup rail. They needed to be rewired in the series parallel configuration found in the standard piano (see online Rhodes Manual in the Supersite). Then I removed the tines from the tonebars, clipped them to the appropriate lengths, and bolted them to the appropriate midrange tonebars. ( had those lying around too.) Now with the mini midrange harp complete, the hammer tips had to be changed because the bass registers have a softer tip. Then, I had to replace the first 12 or so dampers as they were shorter to dampen bass notes. Finally, I realized that the nameboard was wired in a way that filtered out some of the harmonics, so I replaced the pots and wired new ones in the same manner as a stage piano.  With the Rhodes now back in one piece, I tuned and voice it in the same manner as a full width Rhodes. Hope this helps...let me know how you make out!!!!

[hrees]

Yes it's a lot of work. I left the pickups all in series though. Adjusting escpament and strike line is difficult: I removed both shims on the harp supports to get satisfactory escapement. Ideally you should replace all the dampers with those from the correct range as the tension is a lot higher in the bass register and will make the touch heavy and springy in comparison to the midrange of regular rhodes.

[Fred]

You may want to try rewiring those pickups...I noticed a lot of the high frequencies where filtered out with the series configuration. I started at the bass end and did the groupings of three, but I had to alter that pattern at the end to boost the signal of the highest notes. I think I had to make a connection where there would normally be a break, but I don't have the piano in front of me right now. I had to make a similar alteration to the pickups in my 61 note chop.