Messages

Our older amplifiers were very akin to the originals with respect to output wattage.

Drew,

It's quite possible that it isn't a missing ground that is the issue, but a ground loop between the Wurlitzer and the piece of equipment that you are plugging the aux output into.  I say this because you are able to remedy it by putting a DI in-between with a ground lift applied; hence, you are breaking the loop.  This is a very common issue when interfacing equipment together.  You are going about resolving it in a smart and efficient manner; it is also safer than using a cheater plug, for instance.

Best Regards

Hi Steveo,

We designed our new amplifier to be as loud as feasible without undesirable distortion or damage to the speakers based on a range of possible player dynamics.  I would estimate the output into 8 Ohms to be about 15W under reasonable dynamics and with the main output trim set to the maximum position.  When we install units into restoration pianos in the shop we don't even turn the trim pot all the way up and are quite satisfied with the volume.

Best Regards

Hi, I just read your post. So the .009 strings have nothing to do with the issue you are having. The difference between .008 and .009 is very small, not enough to feel yet enough to keep from easily breaking like the .008  It sounds like your escapement is too high meaning the key frame height should be lowered on the treble side. But the more I think of it that would not cause tension only an increased key dip, unless it's set too high for the hammer to properly fret.

Possibilities -
1. Clavigel is installed backward, this would cause tension on downward key stroke
2. You somehow have the upper strings sitting too high
3. Key Frame is set too high

If you send us some pictures inside or a video or both we can really get a handle on what's holding you up.

As always when it comes to a vintage Vibe product, we support and will help you solve your issue. You should contact us directly and we will help you solve the mystery.

Looks good, nice and clean- this is something we did about 10 years ago but stopped doing because it was too hard to cut the metal without the proper machinery like you have done. Your cuts look really clean better than what we had done, I bet it works well. These days, we have found that grinding the side of the tone bar is quick and very effective without any adverse effects.

Good job!

Excellent post Ben!!

https://www.vintagevibe.com/blogs/news/44637955-the-definitive-guide-to-vintage-vibe-hammer-tips

If you are unsure and would like to discuss further feel free to call up and ask for Chris.

You can also order samples and decide what works best then make up your own tip configuration based on your desired needs..

Graduated tips have the most attack
Angled tips and black square are a mid level attack
Colored tips have a slightly softer attack
Felt tips can be customized from very soft to bright attack

Watch out for bad advice- I've removed my comment and link-

 What Ben said!  Black Tolex to sell to the largest perspective audience.  Your personal tastes are that of your own.  If you plan on keeping it do whatever you like. If you want to sell it quick and for the most money go black.   

 Quality is something that should be taken heavily into consideration .  Purchasing quality parts from companies such as Vintage Vibe Ken Rich sound services and EP services who have been around for a very long time and continue to support all of their customers with information service and parts as part of their core business practice.  These are the companies that you want to build personal relationships with. These are the companies that are going to be there for you when you need it.  You could forgo this to save a couple bucks on a cheaper pedal but then ask yourself if it's really worth it .

Regarding discussion about Vintage Vibe grommets and screws; we have spent countless hours of research and development on both screws and grommets to ensure perfect pairing and performance.

We were the first company to offer screws and grommets jointly as a set because we were the first to appreciate how critical that pairing is. We felt strongly enough about this to make a video showing the results of mismatching grommets and screws. Since that time, it seems that the community as a whole has come to agree that one size grommet does not fit all. 

We have designed our grommets so that the outer diameter is a precise fit to the tone bar and, in kind, our screws are held to an extremely tight tolerance to mate with the grommet's inner diameter. We tested our grommet in a variety of different durometers and settled on producing two that performed best for their intended application. The first being the standard grommet that is used throughout the entire instrument to isolate the tone bar from the harp while providing stability and freedom for vibration. The second is our hard grommet. These are used in conjunction with a custom heavy spring to provide additional stabilization in the instance that a tine is showing excessive sway or oscillation. We call this our "Tine Stabilizer".

Our screws are produced to specifications utilizing Swiss screw machining and finished in a bright nickel plating just like the originals. In addition to proper mating with grommets, another reason for replacing screws is deformation, bending, etc. To date, with over a million screws produced, we have not found any issues with bent or deformed screws. It is of course possible when producing such large quantities that some defect can occur. If you are a customer of ours who has received screws that show such a defect, we would like to know so that we can address it and replace any defects.

Our grommets, screws and washers are installed into every single Vintage Vibe Piano as well as our many restoration and repair projects; the results of which have always been excellent and continue to please customers all around the world. We make what we believe to be the finest electric piano in the world and strive to only make and utilize the best parts. Vintage Vibe grommets and screws have met our highest standards 100%. We back our product completely and without question.

2012 Tone Bar Screw & Grommet Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUQMFdd69uQ

2016 Tone Bar Screw Comparison Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRabYzSZ4cc

Vintage Vibe has custom Fiberglass sparkle top lids for Fender Rhodes Bass Pianos now. Whether it be the smaller 1960's model or a 1970's model we have you covered. If you have a bass piano with a black ABS lid now you can upgrade to sparkle top city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQPGDd685t8&feature=youtu.be

Music by our very own Fred Dileone with his fiesta red bass

www.vintagevibe.com

http://www.vintagevibe.com/products/fender-rhodes-reproduction-piano-bass-lid

Ben's Rhodes pianos sound and feel right because he instinctively knows how to set them up. He has intuitive knowledge on the mechanics of Rhodes pianos. Being an excellent pianist he has a great ear and knows what a piano should sound and feel like. Vintage Vibe rely's on Ben and Retro Rentals to set up and maintain our west coast Vintage Vibe pianos. Ben's the man and the only one I trust to set our pianos up.

We'll be here when you need us :-)
www.vintagevibe.com.

https://youtu.be/HRabYzSZ4cc

Here is some solid info for anyone wanting to learn a little about grommets-

https://youtu.be/HRabYzSZ4cc

This video I hope will shed some light on misinformation out there about grommets/ screws and their application. There are some people that push grommets without the proper screw. Here is some insight on that.

Hey Maybe this will help you or anyone else to determine where to begin finding the issue. This is a basic procedure many overlook.

https://youtu.be/d_lduHVFsys

You could also send your pre amp to Vintage Vibe for quick repair, restoration or replacement.

www.vintagevibe.com

973-979-2178

here is a link to Vintage Vibe tines and how they sound on a Fender Rhodes-

https://youtu.be/Oo2XFoeFN1k


Here is just one example of our tone-

http://www.vintagevibe.com   just click watch- Stevie Wonder on VV Piano

Hi NFOL,
This is not a public form matter. You should direct this to us directly at Vintage Vibe. I will address your concerns here and any future dialog should be sent to VV for support.

The tube needs to be fully seated into the socket. The tube socket is very tight and will hold the tube extremely tight once properly seated. We include a new tube for the customer to seat properly, it's likely you have not seated it all the way.

In regards to sound, I am sorry you cannot hear the tube warmth it offers. The Tube Bomb or Tine Bomb offers huge amounts of clean tube gain. This is not to be confused with any type of eq.  If you A/B the Tube Bomb to your passive signal you will clearly hear the effect the tube Bomb has on your pianos output and what that also brings out of your pianos character.

The TB is a very popular favorite among Rhodes players and Guitar players-

Please contact us directly and we can take this discussion further.

Il try and read through your reply after work- in the meantime I have looked back through some of our videos and put a few together for the topic- another note I will mention is that Vintage Vibe replaces on average 10-20 tines per restoration with our new tines, they go into all years of Rhodes and there has never been an instance where one does not feather or blend in perfectly, undetectable from any given era of original tine.  This also holds true for any original tine. Again we are talking about a good tine blending with other good tines.

http://youtu.be/lS1b9VL28gI       -Felt tips on a Fender Rhodes 1974 stage

http://youtu.be/yNlmjK1dpO0   -  Original tines Fender Rhodes Stage  1974

http://youtu.be/Oo2XFoeFN1k   -  New Vintage Vibe  tines Fender Rhodes Stage 1974


http://youtu.be/QdiL9QiLIXw      - Restored Rhodes Suitcase original tines 1980

https://vimeo.com/138903754   - All New Vintage Vibe tines Rhodes Suitcase 1980

[PNOBOY- You are spot on again and your educated guess is enlightening.]

PNOBOY- You are spot on again and your educated guess is enlightening.

MAX BRINK- CHICAGO ELECTRIC PIANO says;

What do you feel is doing the heavy lifting in tone if not the tine??? What heavy Lifting are we talking about, tone?

1972, 1975, 1978, 1980 tines all have their own sound for sure and you are always going to be locked into that constraint even if you begin modding the hammer tips of a Rhodes. Not True, what is your background of analysis? Is this your opinion or a fact that you have come to determine?  PNOBOY is speaking scientifically which makes sense.

I keep tines separated for all of our restorations just to make sure that it is as period-correct as possible because every once and a while a tine with the wrong tonal colour will sour a lead line... If you keep your tines organized like that, that's great for your organization purposes, but it's not going to sour any notes if you mix your tines up. That's a Fact.

The '77-78 tines are by far the brightest tines produced...  Unsubstantiated and un- true

Sure you could setup a piano to play with a balanced harmonic output with itself but if you're sitting in front of a piano you'll hear a Mark II tine in a Fender Rhodes era piano if you are playing the notes individually. Again, this is simply false

It's sustain characteristics are very different from a '72 or '75 tine--even holding all other variables (signal chain, strike line adjusting, hammer tips, etc) constant. Sustain is not tone, sustain comparisons vary from note to note in any year piano. I even doubt your theory that later tines sustain longer than earlier tines. The recipe stayed fairly consistent over the years. Unless you have data to back this up I feel again you are incorrect.

A Mark II will not sound like an early Mark I unless you change its tines. Once again, untrue- At Vintage Vibe we have replaced all tines on a 1974 Fender Rhodes Stage with new Vintage Vibe Tines and it was overwhelmingly characteristic of 1974.   We even A-B'd it with our 1974 Sigma Sound Rhodes. There is a video of this somewhere, possibly youtube?                 

If you are familiar with guitar or bass the best analogy would be using your fingers or a pick as changing the hammer tips. Changing tines is analogous to having pure nickel, nickel plated, or steel strings... The range of brightness/warmth of a note is in large part due to the strings/tines and the darkness/chime of the attack is due to the tips. The analogy also works well for strumming in the "sweet spot" vs strumming near the bridge or near the neck... Apples to Oranges-True for guitars, not true for tines- Like PNOBOY said The Rhodes tine and tone bar is a Cantilever beam and creates a sine wave. A guitair string utilizes a standing wave or stationary wave.

The difference in sound between the tines is both in the ping, the sustain/decay of the note, the length of the decay, and the tonal colour (I don't know why but I just like using the European/Canadian colour spelling when describing sound). The taper is going to have a large affect the first three and the colour of the note

Where is your research coming from?  The taper does not have anything to do with any of which you have mentioned to my knowledge.


Any two batches of metals from the same quandary could likely sound different but I'd bet there's even more to the metallurgy of the tines to be explored since they were likely sourced from far different locations and I'd expect different techniques in manufacturing other than just focusing on the tapering differences.

This is speculation and understandably you might think this but none of this makes a difference. The same tine recipe was used for the most part for years and there is no evidence of any different. I have personally found inconsistencies but this does not mean anything but human error.


The attack of the note caused by the hammer tips is very different than the colour of the note. (Think back to the guitar pick/fingers analogy above because it is less abstract than Rhodes tips in some ways). A Mark II with cubed tips or a late Mark I with cubed tips will not achieve the earlier Fender Rhodes warmth but it will have a darker attack/strike.

A Fender Rhodes harp within a Mark II will get much closer (though there are still subtle differences in the plastic/hybrid hammers). It assume it has to do with the density differences of the metal as well as the metallurgical makeup on how that affects how the tine influences the magnetic field of the pickup. Also I'd expect other manufacturing differences in the way that it is produced to influence the way the pickup "sees" the tine.   Hammers make no difference whether they are plastic or not, this is an old misconception. your missing the real reason as well as the science. You also said the whole harp was in the MK 2 not just the tines- so there are variables there.  I'm not going to get into metallurgy and my knowledge of tine makeup although for discussion I have have tested dozens if not hundreds of tines from different eras and have compiled information -

Lastly, cubed or square hammer tips do not affect tone at all as you suggest, they do not improve nor make worse, they are merely shaped that way- it's the Durometer of the rubber that affects the initial overtone you hear. The harder the durometer the more of a ping you will hear. The softer the durometer the less clarity you will hear and thus less of an initial ping. The cube shape is not the point anyone should be looking at. Vintage Vibe has every tip you can imagine from soft woolly felt to softer square neoprene tips up to the hardest Dyno My Piano mod type tip including three different profiles from square to angled- Cube or square tips quite frankly are not something I would recommend over angled tips unless you just want the retro look.

To further  my points If I can find time I will post a demonstration video of tines soon-

Pnoboy- you are correct,  I should have noted that when I referenced harmonics of a tine, what I meant to convey is that a Good tine that vibrates and swings with a proper arc in front of a pickup will create harmonics, the better the tine functions the better the harmonic spectrum.  This initial attack of harmonics is the bark you hear. This is a good example of tone and what some believe to be tone.

For instance a Raymac tine has shorter dwell and a darker color to the tone. One reason that relates to this topic is because the tines does not vibrate as intensely as a later swaged tine. Like you said the tine is a sine source but how well that tine vibrates and how it is picked up and the signal path will determine the tone or color. The same can be said for a bad swaged tine, the loss of proper vibrations will adversely affect what's picked up.

[When it comes to the warm tones of the earlier model Rhodes a lot of that warmth in tone is from the tine. The attack of the hammer has a noticeable presence in the tone but the tines are definitely doing the heavy lifting. The late '77-79 tines are definitely the brightest tines that Rhodes ever put out and anything after 1976 is going to have a much longer sustain characteristic. Personally, I feel like Rhodes pianos should be embraced for the tonal period that they were manufactured but if you can't find one that already has the warmth you are looking for then there are ways to modify the attack... I would say that the Retro Linear hammer tips have been popular for mellowing out the bright chimey attack of that period--especially if you're looking for the deeper thump in the bass and low-mids from the Fender Rhodes era.]

Here is a video of a 1974 Fender Rhodes Stage with Vintage Vibe custom Felt Hammer Tips- You can hear for yourself the tone they produce .

https://vimeo.com/148672489

If you go to our website you can hear more audio samples of Felt hammer tips on our product page. You can also see the extended custom line of Rhodes Hammer tips available.

http://www.vintagevibe.com/products/fender-rhodes-hammer-tip-kit

As always it's great to hear from Bjammerz, Ben you rock! Always full of great factual knowledge.

Great question the originalpol!! I don't think it's so much you will get that 60's tone but what you will get is a warmer tone from your later piano. This is a cool idea and worth pursuing. Although wrapping felt over rubber is not going to do it, especially in the mids to uppers. It could help in the lower section. Felt hammer tips in the mids and upper are harder than you might think.


In regards to tines Max says-

When it comes to the warm tones of the earlier model Rhodes a lot of that warmth in tone is from the tine. The attack of the hammer has a noticeable presence in the tone but the tines are definitely doing the heavy lifting. The late '77-79 tines are definitely the brightest tines that Rhodes ever put out and anything after 1976 is going to have a much longer sustain characteristic. Personally, I feel like Rhodes pianos should be embraced for the tonal period that they were manufactured but if you can't find one that already has the warmth you are looking for then there are ways to modify the attack... I would say that the Retro Linear hammer tips have been popular for mellowing out the bright chimey attack of that period--especially if you're looking for the deeper thump in the bass and low-mids from the Fender Rhodes era.

I do not necessarily agree with this statement as a generalization--  This is a whole other in depth topic with many different reasons and causes for differences of tone. To simply say that  tines of the same dimensions but different years have discernibly different tones is not quite accurate. Yes all tines are different, literally every single tine like humans are all different in their own way, but generally speaking it's the variables that cause different tones. Note:  RayMac tines are not counted in this discussion for obvious reasons, we'll stick with swaged tines. When we are talking about tines with the same dimensions and formulas, except maybe for tapers, I find argument for this idea.

Different pickups, piano construction, passive/active electronic configuration, amplification, voicing and hammer tips just to name a few are among the many other tangible variables that cause tonal differences.There are hidden intangible reasons for different tonalities that align more with defects.   What do we all look for in a tine? Harmonic complexity with long stable dwell this is what all good tines have in common. The opposite is true for a poor tine.  With that being said, you can always find a mixture of good and bad tines with any year piano making comparisons difficult. So when comparing tines we must establish the fact that all tines must be equal in the above mentioned.

The color or tonal palate of any particular tine comes from not so much from the tine itself but all of the variables in any particular piano or experimentation. You might say "But  I have put other tines in and they sound different"  This may very well be true, but the reasons they sound different are not what you think, like being from a different era. At Vintage Vibe we can blend any known good tine with any year piano that has swaged tines as long as we are blending good tines with other good tines. I can take this example further and divide a piano up with an octave of good tines from 1972 and octave of 1975 and an octave of 1980 and being that the hammer tips and pickups and construction and amplification are all from one single source, the piano will sound uniformly original and even. I may have to really work the strike line ) but you get what I mean.

I have 6 years of R&D with a deep understanding of tines and manufacturing them as well as Fred does. It all comes down to a good tine vs.a bad tine and with that comes how a piano sings, along with proper set up. Harmonics, dwell and stability are the hallmarks one looks for in a tine, the tone is influenced by other visible and non visible variables. A tines job is to vibrate as steady and as long as possible at a certain rate to create pitch and to create the complexity of harmonics in front of the electro- magnetic pickup. As long as you have a steady tone source with proper dwell and harmonics the tone will thusly be shaped by variables from hammer tips on through the amplification and everything in-between.

In the end hammer tips are a good way to alter the tone out of your piano- If your looking for the characteristics of the felt tip 1960's pianos. Then go for it!! The Rhodes is such an interactive instrument, you should not be afraid to experiment. You only have knowledge to gain and tone to explore. Don't be afraid of changing hammer tips, it's a fun and easy thing to do!

Get Grooving!!

PS. Here is a cool Blog on Hammer tips
http://www.vintagevibe.com/blogs/news/44637955-the-definitive-guide-to-br-vintage-vibe-hammer-tips

All I will say is Good Luck Ken-

Hey Jezza, I saw your post and yes now we have 112 reeds in stock. We carry all notes, it's amazing to have access to these rare reeds. Even for us, we are thrilled!!

http://www.vintagevibe.com/collections/wurlitzer-parts-reeds/products/wurlitzer-112-series-reeds

We have seen the same thing here at the shop. We have a new metal container coming for our key post lubricant that comes with an application brush on the lid. In regards to the Fast action lube, I have never seen a glass bottle with the long needle needed for tight bushings. Perhaps we should sell smaller quantities for one or two jobs.

In regards to protek, protek does not address swollen wood that needs shrinking. From my understanding it serves as lubricant.This will not address sluggish action. Our head piano tech Fred may offer more insight into this. I know he has experience in both. We do not do acoustic pianos here at Vintage Vibe, Fred does personally.  We have over 20 years with the solution we use on Wurlitzer electric pianos as stated in the manual. It works like a charm every time. You can even adjust your recipe to more or less lubricant to shrink solution ratio. Again Fred can enlighten this subject.

Please read about our Friends James Garfield and Freddan Alders who founded the Fender Rhodes Supersite close to 20 years ago - It's a great story of the origins of the FenderRhodes super site and its founders.

http://www.vintagevibe.com/blogs/news/58392451-an-interview-with-fenderrhodes-com

Wow, a lot of smart guys on this post for real. For the rest of us dummies who are looking for the real deal tube clean boost, I can only suggest the best Clean boost available. Whether it be for the Rhodes (Tine Bomb) installed in the piano  or guitar ( Tube Bomb) in a stomp box  you will not find a better suited clean boost. To this day, I have never met anyone who did not rave about it.  It started out as Rhodes boost pedal but is quickly turning guitar players on all over the world.  We sell this at a very fair price, for those who do not wish to DIY with transistors caps and resistors-

http://www.vintagevibe.com/products/fender-rhodes-stage-tine-bomb-pre-amp?variant=899477483

Hey Oliver,
I think I have a full set of 67-68 keys and pre 74 Pratt and Reed keys. Both are still on Key Frames. I would just replace the whole key frame. Alternatly I could come up with a better price on a full set of individual keys to use on your existing key frame if that's how you would rather go. You do not need Marcel pedestals as replacements. By the way, I see you have felt hammer tips. I have been really enjoying the tone of the felt tips lately. We just did a 73 and 74 Fender Rhodes piano with them and the sound is unreal- so warm and rich. I'm getting addicted to the tone!! We have new sets of the felt hammer tips at Vintage Vibe  if you want to keep it original.

Our Vibrato modification was made out of necessity by our team of electronic engineers here at Vintage Vibe. At the time of inventing this modification there were zero places that stocked the #19 bulb. To this day, I still do not know a reliable source.

We designed our vibrato modification to be a dead on replacement of the incandescent bulb by mimicking the ramp up and down time of the bulb filament to produce the cat's eye waveform. Side by side tests show #19 bulbs to our Mod is indistinguishable. For those looking for an alternative to the original setup, our Mod is available in kit form for installation in older units, and is present in our Stereo Vibe pre amps and Stereo Vintage Vibe Pianos.

Hi David,

I admire your donations to St. Jude, keep it up- Vintage Vibe gives to St. Jude every month as well as a few other children's Charities. It's important to give back.

Peace,

CHris

CAE sells one- for the 5 pin

Vintage Vibe sells a unique power supply for the 4 pin- It comes in a Cheek Block- no external box needed- Just replace your existing cheek block- Dead quiet operation with two 1/4 inch outs included- we can even include effects loops and foot switch tremolo for you if needed.

http://www.vintagevibe.com/p-553-suitcase-cheek-block-power-supply.aspx

This is the smartest design out there for your Suitcase to stage conversion-

Plastic Tie wrap has been around for a long time, much better than using felt- Steve Hayes R.I.P use to sell them as his bump kit. If you get the right ones they are effective ,especially if you do not have a Miracle Mod handy .  I have used them in the past. Still you have to cut them by hand and your left with a piano with cut pieces of tie clips, it's time consuming and they never cut evenly. The Miracle mod plastic bump was made from a custom mold and they come all uniformly the same size with an accurate height. They are also a rounded surface that the cam rolls over easily into a brake position.  We had them made red so they blend with the red pedestal felt for a professional looking and performing job our customers deserve. One day down the road when the next tech looks in there he'll say to himself one of two things, nice professional looking work or, look at this dubious job- I would want my name on that piano to stand for excellence cosmetically as well as mechanically.

I am not sure why anyone would lubricate the Pedestal felts on a Rhodes? If you have a proper bump mod Like the Miracle Mod there is no need for lubrication.   The point of which you would even want lubrication on a felt is small, anything more will interfere with stop block or braking of hammer. Keeping pedestal felts clean and having all of your incidentals properly regulated is much more important.
Lubrication for key pins, damper rail pins, sustain pedal etc good- Lubrication for pedestal felts is questionable in my book- Lubricated felts attracts dust dirt and leads to a grimy pedestal.

Tines can go bad by metal fatigue over and over use of a tines will alter the structural integrity of the tine. If you take a tine and bend it by hand and then bend it back to it's original state- That tine will never sound the same again because it has been fatigued and now the composition has changed. Also, the Generator block can loosen over time from vibrations causing loss of vibration in the tine. If a tine is not seated perfectly within the block this will aslo affect how the tine plays and vibrates- There are inherently many tines that are born bad from the moment they are joined incorrectly for a number of reasons. The Rhodes Factory is famous for allowing many to pass into their pianos without proper QC. This is also the reason you see many Rhodes pianos with double springs in the bass - You can also get this type of oscillation from shorter tines but double springing is not an option in this case. This double springing keeps the wild figure 8 oscillation from occuring, at least it tempers them back to a usable sound. The fact is that these tines were inserted into the blocks with one or more variations not correct resulting in a tine pressed off center.

Dull tines can also be the victem of improper strike line due to hammers that are not aligned or hammer tips too soft. Could also be the escapement, improper lost motion of the damper will cause immproper lifting of the damper. Try that tine in another spot to see how it reacts. Does it have the proper spring on it? Is the end Square-

You say the pick up is good, but it could have lost magnatism, which will put out a low volume shallow tone. You can take a couple of very strong PM magnets and try to re charge the pick up. Make sure your polarity is correct first.

Good Luck- if you need a tine  www.vintagevibe.com

inquire @VV

The Vintage Vibe Hardware is now all reproductions of the original Fender Rhodes parts- handles, corners, hinges and latches- You will not find these parts anywhere else- We have also lowered the prices-

Not to mention setting up an action without the bump would be much quicker for them. A big wide open flat surface to line up the cam on.

Vintage Vibe sells a video on this - there may even be a free YouTube video on it. Voltage can vary with your line voltages . If everything is working you should be good. Check it on another line. It is within 20%

This off center relation from the Hammer cams to the key pedestals you are seeing is set from the factory- The factory was not a custom shop in anyway and often good enough was good enough for them-

The key bed was cutout and if the key pedestals were not cut out properly meaning spaced properly on center, then mis alignment will occur.  When installing the action rail over the keys this is where it should all be centered marked and secured to the key bed. Often times as a result from a loose tolerance of cuts on the width of the pedestals, there is a drift tolerance that over the span of the keys allows some dubious alignment. As long as the adjacent key pedestal is not rubbing the neighboring hammer cam then you should be good. It does however produce an uneven wear on the pedestal felt which isn't the greatest.

A lot of times you will see a shim on older Fender Rhodes between the Harp Support and the action rail- If the shims are there to allow shifting side to side that would mean that all of the action rail screws that secure to the key bed  are done by eye on each piano made which does not seem likely.  Another theory is the action rail was cut too short and the end keys would rub or interfere on the supports if the shim was not there or it would just merely not line up with template holes. It all depends on how manufacturing was done back then.

I believe the Key bed frame had pre drilled template holes and then the action rail was installed and centered over the pedestals and marked . The harp Supports and action rail were then clamped drilled screwed and set on center. If there were shims it was most likely for shortage of action rail length.

In conclusion- The action rail is placed as a whole including harp support over the keys, then centered on the pedestals including stop lock and then secured to the key frame and screwed through template holes. At least this is what makes sense to me and since I was not there in the factory, I cannot say for sure, but it seems logical.

The Vintage Vibe amplifiers are designed after the original amplifiers circuit- meaning the 200 and the 200A are direct descendants of the original boards, with each one have some minor upgrading to the circuits- The tone of our amps are designed for capturing the original tone of the instrument- Both the 200 and the 200A boards are a breath of fresh air to your vintage piano without having to worry if your piano will sound adversely affected by a new amp- We made sure the amps sound like the original did when it was first made, clean, airy and no noise. We also wanted to make sure it was affordable and at 225.00 for a brand new amp, I do not think anyone can disagree. We absolutely love our amps and at this point of writing we have sold over a hundred of each board, so they are all over the world now with no issues at all-

Good tip Steve,  They look like the ones use on the Wurlitzer 106P model- Thanks-

 Vintage Vibe Original Reeds -Simply, Love them or your money and shipping will be refunded- Guaranteed-

Vintage Vibe reeds are authentic reproductions of the original Wurlitzer reeds- Vintage Vibe reeds have been blue printed from the original Wurlitzer Reed drawings this ensures their authenticity.

We offer every Reed for 110, 111, 112, 112A, 140B, 145B, 200 200A , 200B- (not just one blank 21-42)- we also have a vast stock of original reeds..

  Hey we even make the only Rhodes Tine produced in the world- Reeds and Tines, it's what we do-

http://www.vintagevibe.com/collections/wurlitzer-parts-reeds/products/wurlitzer-200-series-reeds



Make sure it says Vintage Vibe on the package or you are not getting an authentic reproduction.

Very good Point Max- Humidity/moisture and lack there of wreeks havoc on these instruments- You may have your regulation set up and playing like Aces- then along comes rain and humidity or a cold dry spell to change everything you worked so hard at. Depending if you regulated the piano during a humid time or a dry time, once that weather changes wood swells or decompress' you are going to find changes in your lost motion and let off- That hammer rails is sure to rise and shrink with the weather. That is why so many touring bands who leave their gear out in the van over night have such issues- This is absolutely the worst thing you can do to a Wurlitzer. I wonder if  keeping a large Silica pack inside your piano will help regulate the moisture? I bet it would, especially if you changed it out ever couple months, they are cheap, so it's worth a try-

Setting the let off is subjective to how you want your piano to play and sound- At Vintage Vibe we do it by eye, feel and sound, no measurement devices- Before making any Let off adjustments you first want to set your key height, then level your keys, then you want to adjust your lost motion, just enough lost motion that the jack falls back on soft slow play or when the sustain pedal is depressed , and then you can begin your let off. This is assuming your action has all been tightened and you have no sluggish action parts and your keybed has been vacuumed and key pins have been lubricated.  To get the most tone or dynamic throw/responce out of any action/reed the closer the let off the better- Yes, this allows the hammer to hit the reed harder, thus dynamics. I have never had any complaints of broken reeds by our clients nor have I ever broken a reed on my pianos, not to say this can't and does not happen. Personally I would trade one or two broken reeds every once in a while for the right tone if I had to.

As long as the hammer tip is in good shape and does not need to be replaced and as long as the strikeline is optimal, having the least amount of let off without blocking the reed is how we voice pianos at Vintage Vibe- And yes the scale is a graduating let off from bass to treble.

Something of interest in regards to let off on Wurlitzers- Over the years and specifically on the different 200 models The size of the hammer butt and the size of the felt used governed or regulated the throw of the hammer- We often change this felt out to get more throw on our restorations- Wurlitzer was weary of having their pianos known for breaking reeds so they governed this to keep reeds from breaking. But we like them hot as they can be so we change them when and where needed-
Note: in regards to changing hammers out from another piano, this is somthing to consider as they are all not the same size and this will affect how your capstan adjustments are made- they will never look even if you have two different sized hammers in your piano- Instead of changing whole hammers, just refelt and retip your existing hammer-

Just saw this post- I know I am biased but I will offer an informed but non Hyperbole description-

The Vintage Vibe action - consists of all wood key with bump modification made into the key ( not added later)

Our action is lighter than any Fender Rhodes I have ever played or know of- The reason it is so light is the way we set them up. Attention to Cam hammer stop lock is first essential set up, Correct key dip is established, the lowest possible escapement is established to offer a light touch for the limited Rhodes action.

The Vintage Vibe piano's action can be adapted to an individuals taste-

We can offer the easiest action possible with the Rhodes design or we can make it heavier for those who play with a hard attack- We have found most players are really liking the easy action-
There was one client of ours who is a Wurlitzer player and wanted the action that light, we found out a lot about our pianos after working with this client, we learned how far we can go in regards to lightening up the action- Which was a great learning experience.

www.vintagevibepiano.com

Steve was an originator/pioneer in our business- He was one of the first to take parts to a new level- He had a very professional approach to his company, he ran it like a corporation. He was the head CEO of Speakeasy Vintage Music which was a company that was at the top of re manufacturing parts for vintage keyboards. He stepped up the industry with his tenacious ascent to providing the world with new parts for old keys. Steve knew what it took to make these parts, he sacrificed his financial comfort and always reinvested into his company. He worked with passion and a purpose for the old keyboards, he built his company and reputation and took no prisoners along for the ride.

I got to know Steve pretty well over the years, we had countless conversations about life, keyboards, the industry, customers and about manufacturing. I applaud Steve for all his diligence and hard work, the amount of effort, the stress money patience and belief that goes into doing what he did was amazing.  It takes a dedicated person not to throw in the towel when times are tough or when your health starts to slide. It is not easy to continue, but Steve always did and that is a testament to his character.
He was a leader in our field, he often came up with great original ideas for products- Back in the day, we would always try to out do each other with brilliant new ideas- The competition between us in the beginning was always great for business and the community as it always pushed us to be better and smarter- Later on Steve and I use to laugh about this on the phone, laugh about how we were like two school kids who use to fight for turf and then became great friends.

I will miss our talks and the help we use to give each other- He is a legend in the business and will not be forgotten-

Our true selves are never born nor do they die, like the universe we always were and will always be-Beginning less and endless. When our bodies or the form we have become attached to no longer can go on, we make a transformation and our   soul or our consciousness whatever you may call it leaves our shell and looks for a new body to enter. This is how life continues, we were lucky to have known the soul known as Steve Hayes- The soul is eternal and always at one with the divine-

Steve will be there in all who own his products, in all who are grateful for our business industry, in all who play a simple melody, in all who are reminded to be grateful for this extra breath we are granted- For this moment and this breath are indeed a miracle-

If you get anything from Steve's untimely passing- Get this - Every new moment and breath you have is a gift, everything is impermanent and nothing is guaranteed including your next breath- Live with contentment for what you have, realize you need nothing more to make you happy- Feel gratitude for all that you have and to everyone who has ever helped you,  never think about what you do not have- Offer Compassion to all living beings equally, realize that we all want happiness and all have a right to happiness.

Peace and Light Steve-

Chris and everyone at Vintage Vibe

If anyone wants Midi in their piano Vintage Vibe will be glad to retro fit midi for them- It does not affect key dip or after touch.

http://vintagevibepiano.com/jobs/


Please send resume- looking only for the best in each category-  -We welcome all serious candidates-