Messages

1

For Sale / D6, Rhodes Mark V, Mark I

« on: July 02, 2019, 12:19:56 AM »

Selling some stuff that isn't getting used much lately

Hohner Clavinet D6 - $2000

See pics and info here: https://reverb.com/item/19993605-hohner-clavinet-d6

Rhodes Mark V - In great shape, with lid - $2500

Rhodes Mark I Suitcase 73 with amp and speakers (all working properly) - not sure on the pricing for these, but let me know if interested.

I'm in Columbus, Ohio - local certainly preferred but let me know if you are interested and we can discuss shipping

Thanks!

2

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Microtonal Tuning for Rhodes?

« on: December 06, 2017, 11:45:58 AM »

You might also check out a Boss PS-6 Harmonist

It can do detuning in 5 cent increments (+/- 5-20 cents). It also has a whammy-ish pitch bend mode - I use that with my Rhodes a lot.

3

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: New Vintage Vibe Electric Pianos

« on: September 12, 2017, 04:49:46 PM »

Old thread, but there isn't much info out there from regular owners so I thought I'd offer my experience FWIW.

I bought a VV64 Deluxe used, but it was basically unplayed. The original buyer had to flip it for financial reasons. For reference, my other rhodes are Mark V's and a Mark I.

My main takeaways so far:

-the VV is ridiculously light and portable. not just a little better like the 54's and the Mark V's.  way way better. like, carry it under one arm with something in the other hand, better. for some gigs that might make the difference in whether i would bring a EP or something like a Nord.

-the action is excellent. nothing at all like the Mark I (mine is pretty much stock, and very spongy). the VV is super fast and snappy, with a very defined stop at the bottom of the key travel. it feels like the overall key travel is shorter than the mark V's, though I haven't measured. i'm pretty used to the mark V as my reference for good rhodes action, so i wouldn't necessarily say the VV is "better", but it's certainly not worse. excellent, but a different feel.

-very clean sound (little/no hum)

-i had a bad pickup when i opened it. maybe that was just a fluke or it happened during shipping. but i've had a lot of rhodes shipped to me and never had one arrive with a broken pickup. again could be a fluke, and VV sent me a replacement very quickly. it was easy to install and has been fine since.

-the sound is a little tamer than my mark V's. when i just play it by itself, it sounds beautiful and I have no complaints. but when i've had it side by side with the mark V's, the VV's high end seems almost dull by comparison.  I spent a little time trying some different pickup placements and adjustments to the tines but couldn't capture that extreme clarity I get from the V's. but that's not to say it might not be possible. and again, when i just sit down and play it i never feel like it is lacking anything at all. so it's very much a taste thing.

-i'm interested to see how it holds up physically. i'm pretty careful with my gear. other than the pickup it has been fine. but there's that ironic suspicion of whether something so much lighter will hold up as well.

-i wish the lid were flat, as (just like the mark I's) it makes putting other boards/effects/etc on top tricky. maybe they make a flat option? i've seen some comments about the lids not holding as much weight as the rhodes (introducing buzz on keys), and the VV material does seem to have more give. i usually stack a D6 on my rhodes without any issues, but i'm not sure i'd be comfortable doing that with the VV. but lighter stuff seems fine.

Finally, FWIW, here is a recent set where i used the VV. it's a more experimental set overall, but there is some cleaner playing in the middle and towards the end

https://youtu.be/0NffbWrxtLU?t=14m30s

4

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: Tone Bar support blocks

« on: March 13, 2016, 01:41:27 PM »

Old thread, but I'm looking at the same issue on a Mark V.  Does anyone make a replacement for the support blocks?

5

Preamps, Modifications & Upgrades / Re: Modding Rhodes for weight saving

« on: June 24, 2015, 12:02:10 PM »

Curious if there is any update on this?  I switched from gigging a Mk1-73 to a 54, and now to a MkV.  A little better each time, but overall it does seem like there should be a way to mfg an aftermarket case that you could use in place of the original wood...

6

For Sale / Rhodes 54 - Ohio

« on: February 19, 2015, 03:19:38 PM »

Selling a Rhodes 54.  I've replaced the tine bar screws and grommets, and a few hammer tips where needed.  All keys and electronics work properly, and it's been recently tuned.  The only issue at all is on the lid - I put some braces around a corner that had a crack when I bought it (see pics).  It's rock solid and I gigged with it for several years with no issues.

I'm in Columbus, Ohio.  Would prefer a local deal, but open to shipping if the buyer covers the cost.

$900 local.

7

For Sale / Re: Affordable Vintage Vibe Tine Piano

« on: August 12, 2014, 10:37:26 AM »

did these go into production?

8

For Sale / Re: Rhodes in Columbus Ohio

« on: August 12, 2014, 10:36:14 AM »

bump

9

For Sale / Re: Rhodes in Columbus Ohio

« on: March 27, 2014, 01:30:49 PM »

bump

10

For Sale / Re: Rhodes in Columbus Ohio

« on: December 12, 2013, 11:06:10 AM »

54 still available

11

For Sale / Re: FS: Brand new Vintage Vibe Wurlitzer Pedal and Ken Rich Pull-Sustain mechanism

« on: November 05, 2013, 03:28:31 PM »

is the sustain pedal cable the normal length for a wurlitzer w/legs?

12

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Mark V Lid Alignment Issues?

« on: October 31, 2013, 02:08:56 PM »

Thanks - I'll try to get some pics up.  The channels look clear and relatively straight, and the joint is secure.

Interestingly, two of the lid latches on the back (left and center) are broken.  I suspect that at some point when the lid was off it got bent (though that would take some force), and then someone broke the latches trying to pull it shut even though it was out of alignment.

Also interesting, the harp cover was also out of alignment when I bought it.  Someone had tried to mount it OVER the faceplate instead of sliding behind it and - surprise surprise - the cover wouldn't seat properly on the left side (same side as the broken latches).  I re-mounted it correctly and now its happy.

Thankfully, the piano itself is in great shape - plays beautifully, in tune, very clean inside and out, structurally very solid.  And the lid does stay on (it's close enough that  4 of the 6 latches will close securely).  I'd just like to fix it properly if possible.

13

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Mark V Lid Alignment Issues?

« on: October 31, 2013, 10:33:42 AM »

Has anyone ever had any issues with a Mark V lid (the outer case/cover, not the harp cover) not fitting?  Mine fits fine on any three corners, but won't connect in the fourth corner, almost like the lid is too small.  The steel rim around the outside is very strong and not something I could easily bend, and I was hesitant to go pounding on it with a hammer.

Just thought I'd check here if anyone else has had this issue and if they had any good tips for fixing it.  Thanks!

14

For Sale / SOLD - Rhodes 54 in Columbus Ohio

« on: October 31, 2013, 09:47:36 AM »

Rhodes is SOLD

=========

I'm selling a 54-key Rhodes piano. Much lighter than a 73 or 88 key Rhodes.

The 54's were only made for a relatively brief period, and by that point they had incorporated some changes in the action that make it much better than the older Rhodes. This one plays more like a wurlitzer or piano.

I've replaced all the dampers, hammers, grommets, and screws, and it's been tuned recently.

Case is in good shape for the age - see pics below.

Price is $900 local to Columbus Ohio. I'm open to meeting if you're not too far, and maybe even shipping if you pay the cost. Thanks for looking!

15

Other Keyboards & Software Synths / Clavinet Replacement Pickups - Opinions?

« on: October 16, 2013, 05:20:27 PM »

I was curious to hear about any experiences and in particular comparisons regarding the three clav pickups that are on the market

-Vintage Vibe (single coil, set)
-Clavinet.com/Lollar (humbucker, set)
-Ken Rich (appears to be single coil, and only the upper)

Are there any other options?

I'm doing a restoration for a gigging clav and both the pickups are cracked.  I managed to glue them back together so that they work again, but I don't really trust that for gigging.

I'm leaning towards the Clavinet.com ones since they are humbucking, but was curious how different that might make them sound.  I'm familiar with the difference in single coil/humbuckers in guitars, so I can guess, but thought I'd see here if anyone has any firsthand experience comparing them.

Thanks!

16

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Fender Rhodes Mark II vs. Software vs. Nord Comparison

« on: October 16, 2013, 04:46:54 PM »

I just got a Nord Electro 4D and really like it.  The Wurly it came with was better than the Rhodes sample.  Nord just made a new Rhodes sample available.  Here is a link to the Electric Piano Sample download page:

http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Piano_Library&clplib=Electric_Piano

Hmm, I don't see a new Rhodes sample - just the same six that have been up for a while, with the Sparkletop being the newest.  Is that the one you were referring to?  (Thanks for the head's up either way.)

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Other Keyboards & Software Synths / Re: Question re Clav (D6) HUM & Wiring

« on: October 16, 2013, 01:03:02 PM »

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have some good wire that I use to make instrument cables, and thought about replacing all the audio wiring in the clav with that.  But it looks like it's all original wiring so I was hesitant to tear it out unless it would actually make a difference.

And I guess if I'm doing that it'd be easy to separate the power wiring.  Maybe just run it in its own shielded tube.

18

Other Keyboards & Software Synths / Question re Clav (D6) HUM & Wiring

« on: October 15, 2013, 11:50:52 AM »

I'm restoring a D6 with the intention of making it as hum-proof as possible for gigging.  I know about the options for the preamp (shield box or clavinet.com replacement) and the clavinet.com humbucking pickups.  I was curious who has tried either of those and what their experience was.

Also, the power and audio lines in the D6 are literally tied together and run across nearly the entire board,  Normally, at least in other applications, you don't want audio and power lines running parallel as the power line will introduce noise & hum.  I was curious if anyone had re-wired a clav to address this and if they noticed any improvement from doing so.  I'm not sure I want to put another hole in mine, but in theory, you could put the jack all the way over on the left by the preamp and avoid running the power across the board entirely.  I was instead thinking of just un-bundling the power & audio lines and separating/insulating each of them from the other.  But I thought I'd check here before doing so.

Any thoughts are welcome!  Thanks!

19

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Tuning The Mighty Rhodes

« on: October 02, 2013, 01:52:27 PM »

Why are some of you saying stretch tuning vs. equal temperament?

You can have both in the same tuning. The equal temperament is one octave. Usually F below mid C to F above. Stretching the treble is a personal preference. Ours ears tend to hear treble as being flat, so some stretch the notes to sound more pleasant. The same is true in reverse in the bass, to some degree.

True, one is a tuning, the other a temperament.  I assume in these types of threads that by ET people are talking about non-compensated tuning to the ET standard vs. compensating the low & high end to make it sound more in tune with itself.

And you raise another point, which is you can also compensate for how the human ear hears pitches in different frequency ranges.  That's in addition to compensating for inharmonicity in the tone generator.

20

Other Keyboards & Software Synths / Re: Do the new Hammond clone modules measure up to the xk-3c/

« on: October 01, 2013, 11:35:01 AM »

you'll get a ton of responses over on the keyboard corner or the clonewheel forums.  you won't get a ton of agreement on which one is the best, but most people (myself included) seem to agree that the major clonewheels today (Hammond, Nord, KeyB, Mojo) are all very good.  IMO the biggest differences are in (1) their layout, and (2) their leslie simulators.  The Ventilator has largely leveled the playing field in the latter respect.

21

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Tuning The Mighty Rhodes

« on: October 01, 2013, 11:31:07 AM »

Others may differ, but streetch tunning a rhodes is pointless because its own nature, not being an acoustic instrument it couldnt show inharmonicity, lets say all the sounds come from the very same spacial location -the speaker- so there couldn't be a different perception of frecuencies because of a different placement of the "strings". Being that said, some people strech tunes rhodes just to match any other instrument on stage.

Not trying to argue, but I believe this is off on a couple points. 

First, a rhodes is an amplified acoustic instrument, not a electronic instrument like an organ.  There is an actual moving piece of metal creating the sound and the electronics just make it louder.

Second, stretch tuning doesn't come into play because something is or is not an "acoustic" instrument.  The need for stretch tuning arises when the fundamental frequency of the tone generator is out of alignment with its overtones.  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inharmonicity for general info, though there is a lot more and better info on the web.)  This is a phenomenon of both with struck strings (piano) and with a struck piece of metal (rhodes, wurlitzer).  The effect of inharmonicity is that if you were to tune the fundamental of every note according to ET, then the lowest (and loudest) overtones of one note (the octave and the 5th) would not match the fundamentals of notes higher up on the keyboard.  So even though the fundamentals are in tune and the notes would sound and register as in tune by themselves, the notes would sound out of tune with other notes on the same keyboard.

Third, the goal of stretch tuning is not to make an instrument in tune with other instruments on the stage - it's the opposite.  Stretch tuning makes an instrument sound like it is properly in tune with itself, but it comes at the expense of making it in tune with other instruments.  Stretch tuning is deliberately MIS-tuning the fundamentals of some notes away from ET to make the instrument sound properly tuned.  So a properly stretch-tuned piano (or EP) will be out of tune compared to other instruments that were tuned perfectly to ET (the higher and lower you move away from middle C, the more out of tune it will seem).  That doesn't come into play as much in practice though because you are much more likely to notice an instrument being out of tune with itself than compared to another instrument.

22

For Sale / Re: Hammond SK1

« on: February 24, 2013, 10:22:55 PM »

You're right - it's Hammond's move into the Nord market.  It has a great hammond organ sound, and comes with a section of other sounds (rhodes, clav, wurlitzer, acoustic piano, misc strings, etc.).  Hammond is also building a sound library (like Nord) so you can download new sounds for free.

You can read a lot about it over on the Keyboard Corner forum:

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/forums/18/1/The_Keyboard_Corner

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For Sale / Hammond SK1

« on: February 19, 2013, 11:05:04 PM »

I thought I'd put this up here just in case anyone's interested.  It's in great condition, comes with the original box & accessories, etc., latest software version.

I'm asking $1500 shipped and paypalled.

PM or email with any questions - thanks!
~chris

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The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Effects pedals for suitcase piano

« on: July 24, 2012, 08:30:49 PM »

I agree that it can be tempting to grab some of the really cheap fx that are out today.  Some of them are quite good, but a lot are junk that you'll be hard pressed to sell if you don't like it.  So you have to be careful with that.

The moog stuff is great but pretty expensive for the most part.

Most of the stuff I mentioned is mid-level price-wise but is honestly the best stuff I've found for my tastes.  The Mad Professor pedals I mentioned can be had for under $150 if you buy used and get the PCB versions rather than the hand-wired ones.  The BearfootFX pedals run about $200 or a little less used, and the Neunaber pedals are under $200 used.  The Teese Wah's run a little over $200.

Most can be found over on The Gear Page emporiums pretty regularly.

25

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Effects pedals for suitcase piano

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:25:36 PM »

I regularly gig a Rhodes.  It's a 54, so no on-board effects, but I have been through a number of effects boxes.  I currently only use 4-5 pedals due to pedalboard space, but here's what I use and some notable ones I've tried

Wah

I use a Teese RMC8 (Eqwahlyzer).  It's a very flexible wah, and the on-board eq is a nice touch.

The RMC3-FL is also a great wah, though it takes a little more tweaking.

A Q-tron sounds nice on the rhodes, though I didn't use it enough to justify the pedalboard space.  I like the Q-tron+ for the extra tweakability.

Overdrive:

BJF Honey Bee.  This is a really great overdrive.  It's not fizzy at all.  It's very thick and crunch, and very responsive to playing dynamics.  The original BJF is a bit expensive nowadays, but there is a virtually identical version made by BearfootFX and a similar one made by Mad Professor.  There are also a few "unofficial" clones by Zink and others.  I've been through a lot of overdrives and this is by far my favorite.

Chorus/Trem:

BearfootFX MGMV (Mint Green Mini-Vibe).  This is also based on a BJF pedal, but it's smaller.  It's somewhere between a tremolo, chorus, and uni-vibe.  I almost always leave it on, as it adds a nice presence to the sound, and I just turn down the amplitude when I don't want the pulsing sound.

Some other good chorus/phaser type pedals are: Sweet Sound Ultra Vibe (or Mojo Vibe), Mad Professor Tiny Orange Phaser, Red Witch Moon Phaser (very flexible and great sounding).

Some good tremolo pedals are: Mad Professor Mellow Yellow Trem, Red Witch Pentavocal Trem, Moog Ring Mod, GigFX Chopper (it can either do tremolo or a great choppy, stuttering sound).

Delay:

Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay.  Has a very tape-ish quality.  Very compact.  Will self-oscillate at extreme settings for crazy feedback.

The Skreddy Echo is another very good tape-like delay.

Reverb:

I use a Neunaber Wet for reverb.  You can get a touch of feedback or thick virtually endless walls of shimmering sound.

The T-Rex Roommate is also a great sounding reverb pedal, though it won't do the crazy extreme sounds.

26

Amps, Effects & Recording Techniques / Re: Amp / Pedal Effect

« on: July 06, 2011, 06:11:33 PM »

A very simple trick to doing this voicing is to untighten the inner screw to that the tine is above the pickup tip and then play the key hard repeatedly as you tighten it. Just when you reach the overtone harmonics (you'll hear less deep sound and higher octave harmonics from the note), untighten it a very small bit to bring back the more fuller fundamental tone. You're more or less at the ideal spot then. If you play the note gently, you'll get nice Rhodes warmth and then a little harder should deliver the bark.

This is a great tip - I wish I had read it a few months ago.  I ended up doing basically the same procedure and had great results, plus it's much faster than trying to look around and visually align the tips.

27

Amps, Effects & Recording Techniques / Re: What amp should I use with my Stage Piano?

« on: July 06, 2011, 06:05:55 PM »

another thought regarding guitar amps & speakers is that they can struggle with the low end.  the coloration from the amp is one thing, but the speakers are a separate part of the equation.

amps like bassmans (my preference) give a nice coloration to the sound.  they give you a smooth dynamic from clean to a nice grind.

but I did some comparing with the bassman into a variety of guitar speakers and the differences were dramatic.  some didn't have the low end at all, others tried but mushed out, others held together great (EVM12Ls in particular).

that kind of gets back to the PA v. guitar amp dilemma.  there are a lot of ways to navigate the middle ground between the two.  You could go guitar preamp into a powered PA kind of power section.  or you could do a guitar amp into a more full-range PA-type speaker.  or all PA preamp & power amp with pedals for coloration.

28

Amps, Effects & Recording Techniques / Re: What kind of amp do you use with your Rhodes?

« on: July 06, 2011, 05:56:46 PM »

howdy.  just joined this forum, but thought i'd weigh in.  i've been using my rhodes with a tweed bassman for a few years and it sounds excellent.  they have a good amount of headroom and a relatively balanced tone.  they aren't as scooped in the midrange as twins, so it's a different kind of sound.  but it sits well in the mix with a band.  (they're also a lot lighter than a twin!)

the later silverface bassmans also sound nice, but they break up much sooner and are also a little more scooped sounding.

just ran across my own post ...  I've actually switched to blonde bassmans &/or showmans over the past few months.  i use them with a hard truckers cab with 2x EVM 12L's.  The blonde bassman sits between the tweed and black/silverface versions.  It's not as grindy as the tweed, but not as scooped as the black/silver.  It's just a nice fat, dynamic sound.  the bassman gives more breakup, and the showman will stay cleaner if i need it.  I use modern versions of both made by Gomez.  Very good builds, and I don't have to worry about lugging around a vintage amp (the piano is enough for me ....)

the EV's were a recommendation from Steve Kimock.  They are a full-range PA kind of speaker, so they really carry the low end clearly.   the hard truckers cabs are also great for stage work - they are very non-directional, so you can pretty much put it anywhere and it will sound about the same.

the only problem is the weight.  the cab is a beast and the amp is not exactly lightweight either.  i'm considering going to a blonde bassman preamp and then something like a JBL eon. we'll see.

29

Amps, Effects & Recording Techniques / Re: Reverb pedal / unit?

« on: July 06, 2011, 05:45:15 PM »

Hi,
Has anyone tried the ehx cathedral?

I tried it.  It has a lot of options, but I found it a little digital sounding - a slightly phaseyness to the sound.  Some people swear by them though ... that's just my experience.  The roommate and WET I found to produce a much richer and more realistic reverb, but if you want a more crazy out there kind of effect the cathedral might be better for you.

30

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Clav on Rhodes?

« on: February 25, 2011, 01:19:19 PM »

I use a small tye-die sheet folded over a few times between the rhodes & clav.  Looks decent and prevents scratches & sliding.