I purchased an mk8 in 2023 that was faulty.
It had a signal failure while powered on at unboxing that lasted 20 minutes. It had poor to no dynamics and sloppy action. I complained immediately and the Unit was inspected by Leeds head of production by skype.
The inspection did not include any signal analysis or checking escapement or the action response definitively. At that stage I was a touch unfamiliar with Electric Pianos and did not complain. The manufacturer suggested the unit was in order and although they had dismissed an intermittent signal fault as not important I trusted them and they left having declared the unit up to specs.
I own a Yamaha yc73 and a Kawais mp11se. I really couldnt understand the action being so sloppy and the single to double level volume increments in total as the units dynamic capability. I had stood before the inspection team and played a single key at various attack velocities. The volume hardly changed.
I ended up not playing the unit for nearly two years at which stage I decided I thought Rhodes may have made a mistake and contacted them again.
The hood at this stage showed to be a problem also. It is too low for the harp and makes contact with the harp under light pressure.
Sadly it has been now a two year endeavour to get a working and playable unit. Rhodes denied claims from the beginning.. Where Ben Bove suggested my unit (which arrived and powered on but did not produce signal for twenty minutes during unboxing) appeared to have " a number of serious issues none in the least insignificant or imagined" Rhodes responded that my sloppy action and non existent dynamics were classic Rhodes. My unit had a triple stroke key return action on most keys. Also significant lateral movement at the balance pins on some keys. Also I had a harp that hit the hood.
They suggested I had not powered the unit up properly, and that the action and dynamics were normal.
Nearly two years later I complained again and they put me through the wringer for three months and denied all claims pretty much despite damning evidence. Finally they cut me off from facebook groups and from email contact or any contact or request for specifications I needed to do repairs.
Yesterday I realised I have next to no white keys with a uniform width {key spacing width. Also half of the keys are tapered nearly a millimetre and have thin spots near the pedestal. I have key width values on the white keys ranging from 11.6mm to 14.0mm.
Rhodes is refusing to respond. I am really upset and tired and just want to fix my piano.
I know Rhodes were aware they sold me an inferior product, I just want them to allow me a way to fix it. I have achieved most of the action and other repairs myself, but I can not fix this. Also I feel ethically obliged to react to this. It is cruel and unusual behaviour.
I had also been told my unit was midi capable and only waiting on a firmware upgrade to be ready to use. This proved untrue, however Rhodes would not honour the recommendation the Australian distributor had made.
The distributor has refused refund and Rhodes will not contact me. Actually that is not unusual, the first time I contacted Dan he blocked me on facebook for no reason I could guess.
Video as supplied to Rhodes of my Unit is available on the facebook group "Rhodes mk8 factory faults"
This was my first piano (or supposed to be). It is still a work in progress and in repair despite having paid twenty thousand dollars for it.
I have also been cut off from the Fender Rhodes restoration group on facebook and my posts removed with no explanation. The same thing happened on gearspace.
Regards
Brett Chinnock.
It had a signal failure while powered on at unboxing that lasted 20 minutes. It had poor to no dynamics and sloppy action. I complained immediately and the Unit was inspected by Leeds head of production by skype.
The inspection did not include any signal analysis or checking escapement or the action response definitively. At that stage I was a touch unfamiliar with Electric Pianos and did not complain. The manufacturer suggested the unit was in order and although they had dismissed an intermittent signal fault as not important I trusted them and they left having declared the unit up to specs.
I own a Yamaha yc73 and a Kawais mp11se. I really couldnt understand the action being so sloppy and the single to double level volume increments in total as the units dynamic capability. I had stood before the inspection team and played a single key at various attack velocities. The volume hardly changed.
I ended up not playing the unit for nearly two years at which stage I decided I thought Rhodes may have made a mistake and contacted them again.
The hood at this stage showed to be a problem also. It is too low for the harp and makes contact with the harp under light pressure.
Sadly it has been now a two year endeavour to get a working and playable unit. Rhodes denied claims from the beginning.. Where Ben Bove suggested my unit (which arrived and powered on but did not produce signal for twenty minutes during unboxing) appeared to have " a number of serious issues none in the least insignificant or imagined" Rhodes responded that my sloppy action and non existent dynamics were classic Rhodes. My unit had a triple stroke key return action on most keys. Also significant lateral movement at the balance pins on some keys. Also I had a harp that hit the hood.
They suggested I had not powered the unit up properly, and that the action and dynamics were normal.
Nearly two years later I complained again and they put me through the wringer for three months and denied all claims pretty much despite damning evidence. Finally they cut me off from facebook groups and from email contact or any contact or request for specifications I needed to do repairs.
Yesterday I realised I have next to no white keys with a uniform width {key spacing width. Also half of the keys are tapered nearly a millimetre and have thin spots near the pedestal. I have key width values on the white keys ranging from 11.6mm to 14.0mm.
Rhodes is refusing to respond. I am really upset and tired and just want to fix my piano.
I know Rhodes were aware they sold me an inferior product, I just want them to allow me a way to fix it. I have achieved most of the action and other repairs myself, but I can not fix this. Also I feel ethically obliged to react to this. It is cruel and unusual behaviour.
I had also been told my unit was midi capable and only waiting on a firmware upgrade to be ready to use. This proved untrue, however Rhodes would not honour the recommendation the Australian distributor had made.
The distributor has refused refund and Rhodes will not contact me. Actually that is not unusual, the first time I contacted Dan he blocked me on facebook for no reason I could guess.
Video as supplied to Rhodes of my Unit is available on the facebook group "Rhodes mk8 factory faults"
This was my first piano (or supposed to be). It is still a work in progress and in repair despite having paid twenty thousand dollars for it.
I have also been cut off from the Fender Rhodes restoration group on facebook and my posts removed with no explanation. The same thing happened on gearspace.
Regards
Brett Chinnock.