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I'm not a keyboardist, but my friend who plays grand piano and fender rhodes in jazz quintet told me that Rhodes needs another approach - you have to play less notes in harmony due to that the jazz voicings "designed for piano" will be sounding too thick on a rhodes.

I checked the screws, they are completely straight. The tonebar which moves when hitting the key is the "E" tonebar. It turns left until it hits the D# tonebar.

I have problem with two of my tonebars - the D# and E in the highest octave are touching each other, and I can't solve that... I tried changing,  tightening and loosening the screws, changing the grommets, adding tonebar clips... nothing helped. When I'm trying to slightly adjust the tonebar in its socket, it stays loose, and returns to previous position after 6-8 key hits.

Any help will be appreciated.

Anybody tried this :?: I gig a lot and $200 for that box adapted to European 220V + horrible shipping costs (from USA to Poland) and a looooooooong time is just not for me ...

Regards

Thanks a lot, I'll email them today.

Ben

Hello,

Finally I've got all of the missing parts for my Rhodes mounted and prepared for adjustments. Due to that there is nobody in my country who adjusts rhodes pianos I'll have to do everything by myself. Could anybody can write me what should I include in my rhodes checklist except of cleaning (done), tuning (done) :?:

One more question: is there this possible to make my suitcase able to play without speaker cab AND WITHOUT buying the Speakeasy Power Supply for $200 and HORRIBLE shipping costs without losing the vibrato :?:
Maybe somebody has the schematics for the DIY power supply for suitcase preamp :?:

Thanks in advance
Ben

www.speakeasyvintagemusic.com

www.majorkey.com

So, I have an 81 markII suitcase and I recently discovered it has plastic keys. I was unaware that such terrible things could happen to musical instruments when I bought it. It was completely new however, so I gues thats good.

...

I may be wrong, but I think that the MOST important thing for the (Fender) Rhodes piano is the sound... and various operations like swapping the plastic keys for the wooden ones are unnecessary... Imagine that you're searching for a Rhodes piano for 5 years like me... I really DON'T care, which type of keys mine have... maybe that's because I'm not a pianist, but a saxophonist, but the guy who plays keyboards in my band never complained about this piano... so I think that every operation which doesn't affect the sound and changes only the way it looks is not necessary...

The only mod, which I would be able to accept, could be "Lightweight Mod" because as we all know, carrying Rhodes is a pain...

My '1981 Suitcase had something similar to your - when the vibrato switch had been set to "off", the "Intensity" knob was turned to 9 and "Speed" was set to 3 there was noticeable effect of little vibrato on single notes; when I tried to play whole chords - there was no "false-vibrato".

Regards
Ben

As far as I know, Wurlitzers (like a Rhodes) were manufactured about 20 or more years ago, and it's almost impossible to buy a brand new one... I've seen only "Brand New Fender Rhodes Mark V" on ebay - but it came from 1980 (?) and was still in a box... so I don't think that the brand new Wurlitzer is available now. But I may be wrong...

Regards
Ben

I repainted my harp cover to a navy blue ... I cleaned the surface with alcohol and then just used the navy blue spray can... worked really good for me, I'll try to post some pictures when I'll be able.

To use your preamp with all of the controls (equalizer, vibrato) you have to use the power supply, because of that the Power Amp Cable is also power supply for the preamp, and when you use Accessory 1/2 outputs you get only raw signal from the pickups. In other words, if you don't have speaker cab or power supply, the preamp isn't powered and you can't use "special effects"

Hi!

Oscillator :?: Did you mention the vibrato on/off switch :?:

I think I can help you. Mine 1981 suitcase had the same problem - there was "tup-tup" sound exactly as you described in your post, but mine also had this buzz & "tup" noise when vibrato was turned off, but the noise was more quiet than if switch was on, and had lower frequency - (If i set the speed for e.g. 6, the "tup" sound was quicker in the "on" position than in the "off" position).

How did I get rid out of this problem:

1) Check your power amp cable for loose plug-in. Mine had loose connection plug, and that resulted in all that noises. I had to push the plug in the floor (down) direction to be sure that everything connects. If not -

2) Get your preamp electronics inspected by professional electronic technician (on www.fenderrhodes.com => service => manuals are the electronics schematics for preamps, etc. Mine had broken (fried) speed control knob

I'm not electronic expert but that helped my piano

Hope that helps

Regards,
Ben

but my experience of amps is that they need to 'see' a certain load (impedance) depending on the design of the amp

I'm not an electronic technician, but - I tried to unplug front speakers when I had to test some things in amp and preamp (electronics in my preamp was almost completely fried, as the technician told me). I've been playing on only rear speakers for a month - when I connected them after preamp repair, they're working very well, so everything seems ok.

Regards
Ben

[barbarity]

First of all, ask him for indemnity for silencing your rhodes :wink:. (Personally for me, unplugging a half of your speakers is a barbarity) You'll also be unable to use your stereo vibrato... are you sure you want to do this :?: If still yes - do these operations as follows:

When you'll take a closer look for the panel where are the input jacks and power amp input, you'll notice that the panel is attached to the speaker cab by 10 or some screws. You have to unscrew it from cab (don't forget to plug out from the mains - it can electrocute) and when you'll put out the power supply you'll notice that on the right side are 2x 1/4" jacks, with plugged speaker cables. You have to select the one which is attached to front speakers and plug it out. Then, secure the cable to prevent circuits which can broke off amp. Re-attach the power supply module to cab by screws. That's all I think.

Regards
Ben

Hi, mine 1981 Suitcase 73 had the same problem - the buzz was appearing during playing, even in a concerts and rehaersals. I finally got rid of buzz when I:

1) Changed suitcase power amp cable for new
2) Changed the fuse for 3,5 and then 4 A, but be careful: I don't know if that could damage the amp when the fuse is too strong. My piano specifications are 120V 60 Hz 300W and Fuse 3A, so - do it at your own risk . I had to convert the voltage for 220 V 'cause I live in Europe.

I think that the 3A fuse might be too weak, 'cause it almost always were breaking off when I was turning on the piano switch. And - I can't explain it - When I've changed fuse to stronger, buzz disappeared.

The buzz happens only when I set my volume knob @ 10 (Full), but it disappears when I set it to 6-7.

Regards
Ben

One of my favourites:

Dave Douglas - The Infinite

Uri Caine on a Fender Rhodes... very nice :!: :!: :!:

Check the http://www.fenderrhodes.com/service/manual.php - I found there some schematics which allowed me to repair my '1981 Suitcase preamp and amp which have been standing in the attic of the jazz club for 15 years... fried electronics, yeah :wink:, but I'm not sure if the 54 electronics schematics are there...

Regards
Ben

Yeah, I prompted for it and they said that they'll do something about it - maybe even "custom made" screws to match the originals , so I keep my fingers crossed.

Yeah, I know, but If you don't live in the "fender-rhodes-are-popular-keyboard-instruments" region (like me) the shipping costs for such a thing like a couple of screws or one-two-three tines are KILLING :!:... also international banktransfers have extremely high transfer fees...  

Hello :!: I own a 1981 Rhodes 73 suitcase. As we all know, the amp cabinet is heavy and very impractice to carry, so I decided to make my Suitcase usable with the other amp, but I don't want to leave unused the equalizer and vibrato. No after the time and money which I utilized to make it working :wink: . I'm just going to have 2 in 1: A suitcase for rehaersal & studio use, and stage - only the top on a special stand w/ pedal and power supply for gigs. And now is the question: Does anybody have the power supply schematics and complete list of parts :?: I looked on ebay worldwide but there's nobody who sells that complete module.

Any help is appreciated.
Regards,
Ben.

Does anybody know what type of screws do I need to mount tines to tonebars :?: There are 4 missing ones and I can't mount tines properly.

1x 9 volt Philips Super Baterry (still working)
1x guitar-pick
1x candy packing
1x set of screws

...and dirt since 1981

...but no any leaves :wink:

Maybe he mentioned "Amp Cable Input" (looking from the amplifier side), not "Rhodes Output for Amp"...  :wink:

Ooops, sorry: I meant F#-C#-G#-D#-A#-E#-B#. Just a difference in naming of the sound. In Poland and Germany (as far as I know) we use H instead of B and B instead of B flat.  

huh... you had only one missing tonebar... but my '1981 Suitcase 73 Rhodes had missing four - probably somebody wanted to use tines from my piano, but didn't know exactly how to disassemble it and took away whole key-tone generator...

I think that's some kind of power supply "designed" for the controls. If it's a stage piano, maybe somebody who owned this piano before you didn't have a proper guitar amp, and used standard keyboard amplifier, which didn't supply enough power to the tone controls and pickups :?: I think that's like when converting suitcase piano to stage piano - you need to have special power supply for preamp. Otherwise, you'll not be able to use equalizer, vibrato and volume controls, only raw signal from pickups.

F#-C#-G#-D#-A#-E#-H#. It could be in C sharp Major, or A sharp minor.

If it's a suitcase without the speaker cabinet, I think you'll have to buy power supply for the preamp - in other way you'll probably (but I may be wrong) not be able to use any of the preamp controls such as volume, equalizer or vibrato - only raw sound without processing. Also, you'll need the stand for it.

www.majorkey.com - that should be good place to buy the sustain pedal i think.

Regards
Ben

:shock:  :shock:  :shock: WOW :!: :!: :!: Looks great :!: :!: :!: Do you have any recordings or samples of it :?:

Now, I think that I'll leave keyboard "as it is"

My Fender Rhodes 73 have been stored on the attic before I bought it. Because of that, my keys (which have been black & white a long, long time ago) have the old-yellow colour. Does anybody know how to clean them safely, to prevent the damage of the keyboard or wood :?: Could you recommend me some kind of detergent which can clean them :?:

Thanks a lot,
Ben.

But when I connect suitcase amp through 1/4 Accesory output to "Power amp input", the amp is working, but the preamp and all of its controls not. That's because of no supplying power to the preamp section. I don't know, maybe it's because I had to make cable by myself? I looked at the original cable (supplied with only one plug - there was no cable on the second ending of the wire). And I noticed one strange thing: in original cable there was 5-wire cable, but the middle one was disconnected from the original - so I decided to do this in my home-made cable. When I disconnected it - the amp doesn't working, only produces "pop" when switching the vibrato, but preamp section works (I think) properly - except producing sound. When I connected the wire again, amp is causing a loud buzz, but no sound. Also when the middle wire in cable is connected, preamp section doesn't working - the lights doesn't appear, and there's no sound - only buzz.

Maybe something's wrong in the preamp section?
P.S. When I was buying the voltage converter, I looked for converter designed with the parameters: 220 => 110V, 50 Hz, 300W, so - except the voltage, they are exactly as written on the suitcase amp.

Regards,
Ben

I recently bought a voltage converter from 220->110 V to use with my Suitcase 73, but I have troubles (probably) with the preamp: when I connect the cable to amp and turn the piano , the lights starts to go on, but there is no sound, except one event: when I switch the vibrato from off=>on and on=>off there is some kind of sound reminding a loud "pop". The amp is working when I connect the Accessory 1/2 output to preamp input jack on the amp. Any ideas what broke down?

Any clue is very aprecciated

Regards

Ben

Is here anybody who has the additional tonebars for Fender Rhodes Suitcase 73 and comes from Germany/United Kingdom :?: The tonebars which I need are: 8, 9, 21, 23...

Please help :!:

Thank you very much, you saved my Rhodes from complete destruction :!: :!: :!:  :wink:

Hi everyone,
I've just bought a Fender Rhodes Suitcase Piano - but it's in very bad conditon... there are missing 4 tines, and 5 tone bars, and a sustain pedal is completely broken off. Also several dampers aren't working as they should. Does anybody know, where is possible to buy all of these parts in Europe :?:

Greetings,
Ben.