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Over the past few months I've had to restore a few Dyno preamps with damaged faceplates. As a result I've decided to remake the range of them for future repair work. I still need to make a few revisions but if anyone is interested please feel free to PM me for more details. Pricing for the Pro Piano and Pro EQ faceplates are £25, Tri-Stereo £30 and the Chorus £15.

MK1 Pro-Piano (looks black but is actually dark blue)


MK2 Pro-Piano


Tri-Stereo Tremolo


Pro-EQ


Chorus


More Images

Bought some parts a while back and the seller threw in an old scanned paper copy of the parts list.

I've scanned it, cropped what I can and rotated it if anyone is interested.

It contains a list of parts for 200 series pianos, schematic and board layouts for 200a (including wiring) and a guide showing the tuning of reeds over the keyboard by cents which I haven't seen in the existing guides.

Wurlitzer Service Parts List

After a recent discussion about some tines for a 1971 piano it made me think about the production dates of the different tines.

Can anyone add some more insight?

1965 - Raymacs (Un-tapered)
19XX - Raymacs (Tapered)
1970 - Torrington (Un-tapered) ??
1971 - Torrington (Tapered)
1977 - Singer (Tapered) - Started Mid 1977
1978 - Schaller (Tapered)

Tim

I'm mid restoration of an early 1973 Fender Rhodes which has had a pretty chequered past.

It was involved in an argument between a husband and wife and the wife decided to use a claw hammer on the keys  I was then given it from a friend of the owner.

As it stands its missing one key (B flat), 14 sharp tops and 2 full skirted keycaps (A & an E) not to mention that someone used powered black graphite on the pedestals so they're looking quite dirty.

The rest of the piano is perfectly fine (luckily) and over in the UK early Fender Rhodes are seldom seen so rather than part it I want to get these keys sorted.

I have a 1975 keybed which I could modify to accept the action of the piano but I'd rather not do that and instead keep it with a skirted key set.

So does anyone have preferably a 1973 keybed with skirted keys which they'd be willing to sell? I noticed that one sold on eBay only recently, I wish I managed to get it in time!

Thanks

Can anyone tell me the weight / dimensions of a 4 pin power supply for a suitcase?

Looking to buy one and I need to sort out the shipping.

Thanks!

This months task is a D6 I've recently acquired for a good price.

Prior to 1984 someone stripped all the tolex and painted the case black. Plan is to restore it back to it's original status with proper tolex and original re-plated hardware.

First question though do I leave it's interior black or sand it back down to the wood. I can't decide! Thoughts?

https://flic.kr/p/CwAxt2

Here's the rest of it:

https://flickr.com/photos/85013700@N00/sets/72157689967693724

Hello all,

Due to the good work put in by Steve (Paleophone) on the Wurlitzer dating and Ben's stage survey for the Rhodes I thought it might be a good idea to try to put together a resource to date and track Clavinet changes over the years.

If you could fill out the following 1 minute survey that would really help.



Hohner Clavinet Production Survey

Hello all,

I'm after some original hardware for a Clavinet D6. It looks like the previous owner did their own restoration a few decades ago and it's looks a bit rough to say the least.

Main things i'm after are the corners, the white button for the mute, possibly the handles (though I can source some similar ones and any of the hinges.

I know it's a tall order as these are getting rarer by the day. I'd like to get them from Chris and Fred but the P&P to the UK with taxes would make it a bit too expensive.

Thanks!
Tim

I figured you might be interested in seeing the progress I made on restoring a preamp I purchased as broken a long time ago.

Here it was before any work was done on it. It was missing it's 100k volume pot, the RCA cable had been cut off and the case was corroded.



Inside was just as bad, someone had attempted to repair it with new caps and had used pretty cheap ones, some caps were missing and one was broken and had it's leg re-soldered to fix it.





There was lots of trace missing, pads had been lifted off and there were cold solder joints all over the place:





I began by fixing the missing trace and re-flowing it with new solder:





The original diodes were replaced with modern versions:



All the cheap radial caps were replaced with high quality Nichicon Japanese axial caps, I used their MUSE series for the bi-polar caps (10uf and 1uf).



A lot of the transistors needed replacing so I matched a load and used them in the board (the vibrato ones were fine.)

Christian from Electric Keys provided me with a replacement 100k volume pot and the later concentric knobs.





I took the case to Avon Electro Plating here in the South West and they cleaned up the case and gave it a new zinc with yellow passivate finish just like the original, only cost £17 too.





Replaced the black preamp cable with a Van Damme XKE high quality cable in grey just to finish it off.

Only thing I need to do now is to add the effects loop see here and also find 3 3/8" C Clips in the yellow zinc finish like the original. Unfortunately I can't seem to get them over in the UK. Is anyone able to help with those?

Hi all,

Can someone clarify which mono 1/4" sockets I need to build the effects loop?

From the Vintage Vibe video it says they've used a closed jack (aka tip shunt.) Is it required for both of the sockets or just one?

Thanks

Tim

A while back I sold a promotional leaflet for a Wurlitzer 200. Before I posted it I scanned it just in case if anyone was interested in having a copy.



Front



Back

I'm looking to re-paint the wooden base, does anyone have any suggestions as to what paint to use and any other advice? (I.e. Sand it down completely and methods to recreate the mottled effect)

I've read somewhere about using an oil based satin paint due to it being hard wearing, but any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks
Tim

Does anyone have the specs for the front 3 screws which hold the lid down by the keys?

Thanks
Tim

Hi all,

I'm in the process of restoring one of the early student models with the white pinstripe down the base of the fishtail. I've got the power amp with a local amp tech and he's having difficulty finding the right schematic (the one on the Supersite is for a 1968 version which is apparently different)

The 1968 Schematic

Does anyone have the schematics for a 1967 model?



The amp model number is "KB 1273"





The problem with the amp is that there is some noticeable crossover distortion, he's replaced the CC resistors which have drifted out of range and the ruptured electrolytic caps but it still persists. My suggestion is that both of those TO-3 transistors need to be replaced with matched pairs as I'm guessing this design is susceptible to it.
After doing a bit of searching around one of the transistors is a Motorola SJ6357 (TO-3), it's a Peavey part number assigned to the more commonly known MJ15003. So I'm hoping that if he matches a pair of MJ15003's the problem should be fixed.



Thanks

Tim

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this.

When matching transistors for Fender Rhodes electronics. Which is more important to match?

• HFE?
• VBE?
• Both?

The posts I've read elsewhere have say that it depends on the use of the transistor. In this case these will be the ones used in the power amp and also the preamp (not model specific).

Thanks

Tim

I've just started servicing a Fender Rhodes student model (Jetson's avocado green) and the neon bulb out of the front preamp is missing. Is it still possible to find replacements? I've had a look and can't find them anywhere (no surprise)

Anyone have any ideas? They're also used in the Satellite speaker panels too (as pictured in my avatar)

I've included a photo which shows the panel, the large hole next to the power switch is where the neon bulb should be. I've also noticed a hole near the metronome, what should be there? Another bulb for metronome speed?

https://flic.kr/p/Jfz5vk

Came across this on YouTube, it's taken from an LP about studio instruments. Shows the Fender Rhodes with examples of the tone, vibrato and other effects and how it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFqXaYw75c&index=38&list=WL

The annoying beep seems to be when to turn the page with the accompanying book.

I'm currently working on a 1974 88 which has all of it's case screws missing from underneath it. I'm wondering if anyone could tell me what size they were?

From the look I'm guessing they were #8 wood screws but I'm unsure of the length and the size of the accompanying finishing washer.

Thanks

Tim

By any chance does anyone have 3 I can buy? (2 lower register, 1 yellow) Unfortunately I'm missing two on my 1974 and it seems like overkill to buy an entire set!

Thanks
Tim

I'm guessing there's not much in it, but would you say this is an improvement on the current damping felts being offered?

Premium Felt Tine Dampers for Fender Rhodes - 73 Keys

I'm curious to know what everyone thinks, I remember the old pianos used to use them. Can't remember when Fender stopped using the grooved felts.

Tim

Hi all,

I finally managed to scan my Rhodes service manual (good to have as whenever I need it I can't find it!)

All the pages are high-res (600dpi) and I've also used OCR (optical character recognition) so the entire document is text searchable if you're after something in particular.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/kf8gyg

The PDF is 70mb so it's pretty hefty but it's worth it. I've also included all the schematics including the layout of the PCBs too.

Hope you like it.

Tim

I recently found a few of my Rhodes brochures / owner's manuals and replacement parts catalogues whilst having a tidy. I've scanned them all in 600dpi and put them up on my Flickr account if anyone's interested.


https://flic.kr/s/aHsjpw2pjR - Super Satellite Owners Guide

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk5B8R7Q - Super Satellite Instructions Manual

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk8sNZAt - Inside Rhodes - Promotional Brochure

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk5BWoMk - Rhodes Replacement Pars Catalogue

Hope you enjoy them!

Tim

Hi all,

I had a question for some of the electrical folk on here. I want to change the transformer on my US satellite slave from 110v to UK 240v. Ideally I'd like to find a suitable replacement, worst case scenario I'll just put a step down converter in the box and wire that in but I'd prefer not to (makes it heavier, another link in the chain to go wrong, bit of a botched job etc).

Here is the transformer in my UK Satellite (so I'm after another one of these or a suitable equivalent) but after having a search around I can't find anything about it:





Here is a schematic of the amp:



Does anyone know of a model of transformer I can use to replace the US version? Perhaps a Twin Reverb transformer?

So this kit is designed to replace the old bulb vibrato system in your Peterson Preamp with optocouplers instead (like the Haigler 5 pin preamp)

I installed this last Thursday and only got round to testing it yesterday with my Master Satellite amp. Soon as I fired it up I was grinning for ear to ear, this is a great piece of kit and makes my life easier knowing that I don't have to go finding those GE bulbs anymore.

Installation was pretty simple, remove the Phillips LDR's and the original bulbs (including the holders) replace 4 resistors on the board and drill a hole in the ground of the PCB.

I think in total it took about 10 minutes to do.

It sounds exactly the same as before, really smooth and buttery, in fact better as previously I had that popping problem that would occur whenever you engage the vibrato (and would pop to the speed of the vibrato) now that's disappeared so I'm glad that's been fixed too. I'm buying another one of these kits in a couple of months to put on the other piano.

All in all highly recommended!

Any chance someone has a hi-res photo of a dyno faceplate?

Pro Piano MK 1 or Pro Piano MK 2 or Percussion Pedal would be great.

Thanks

Tim

I'm trying to purchase a few screws and washers from Albany County Fasteners:

Finishing Cup Washer 410 SS - 1/4" (#14) Qty-100


Phillips Flat Head Wood Screws 18/8 SS - #8 x 1-3/4" Qty-25

Phillips Oval Head Machine Screw 18-8 SS - 1/4"-20 x 2" Qty-25

But because I'm in the UK they want to charge $60 for postage when at best it should be $20.

Would it be possible to have the order sent over to someone on here then simply forwarded on? Or can anyone suggest another retailer with a better price for international shipping.

Thanks!

Tim

Does anyone know what Eddie Reynolds did to the preamps of the Rhodes he worked on? I remember seeing the photos of the E and how that was upgraded



Leeds Rental E Piano


In the slide show on this page you can see an additional board with some components. Any idea what they could be?

Eddie Reynolds Suitcase

Thanks

Tim

George Duke Dies Aged 67

A long shot but I guess there are no photos of Michel Legrand's 92 key Fender Rhodes about?

I spoke to him when he played in the UK and asked what happened to it. Apparently he sold it sometime around the late 1980's so somebody's got it (and obviously not willing to part with it considering who it's from)

Just wanted to see if anyone had any info.

T

Hi all,

I'm just about to buy a Hohner String Performer in about a weeks time. The other sounds work except for the strings (which were working recently until a jack was placed into the output)

Anyway it runs off 18v, does anyone know what type of adapter I need to run this?


Thanks

I'm going to be adding a miracle mod to a 1977 Rhodes (pre-pedestal felt mod) and I wanted to know what everyone's opinion was on the following:

When applying the miracle mod should I leave the cam felts in place and just leave the plastic bump bare on the wooden pedestal

or

Should I buy pedestal felt and apply it on the bump and remove the white cam felt instead.

Any insight would be appreciated, I've already done a miracle mod using the first method so I'm curious to know if it's better the second way.

Tim

In an act of stupidity I plugged in the wrong power source for the Clav and I could smell the damage I can't see any visible damage to the components but I could definitely smell something acrid.

I noticed Ben's preamp went a while back on his E7, they share the same board. What do you think are the likely components I'll need to replace? I'm dreading the thought of it being the barrel input transformer (sitting right next to the  C & D switch)

Anybody have any ideas how to get this up and running again?

I've attached an image of the board



Failing that, does anyone know somebody in the UK who can fix these?

Hi folks,

As you might have seen on the restoration thread I'm in the midst of restoring a client's Rhodes and the time has come for me to buy quite a few parts from VintageVibe. To help save on the shipping does anyone else in the UK need anything? I was thinking about pooling our resources together and getting a batch of stuff to help us all save a bit of money. I'll probably be buying the parts at the end of June (when I get paid) so if anyone's interested just let me know by replying on the thread.

Thanks

Tim

From another angle





How should I fix this part of the lid? (only this small section is affected)

Any suggestions?

Tim

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me what the case screw / bolt dimensions are for the stage piano?

The two I'm after are:

1) The bolts which attach to the harp supports through the bottom of the case (with a countersunk washer)
2) The screws (possibly #8) near the front glides which attach to the bottom of the cheekblocks.

If you have any links to eBay auctions that would be great.

Cheers

Tim

Part no 4528 - Dimensions A (1.75") and the thread type 1/4-20


Knurled Plastic Knob

Unfortunately this company will only accept orders of 1000 so fingers crossed I can find them elsewhere.

Tim

Wurlitzer Piano Case

Potentially a stupid question but I'm going to go ahead and ask it.

I'm going to get roughly 150 tone bars replated, leg flanges, legs, harp frame, preamp case etc.

Anyhow I was wondering whilst I'm at it, are there any potential side effects to plating tines?

It's purely for cosmetic reasons but I thought I'd run it through a few of you folks before I do anything. I know that they weren't originally plated (only the tine generators were) but could it have an affect on the tone? It's only going to be light plating but I'm curious to know.



Tim

Hi folks,

Does anyone have a spare leg flange about? I'm sceptical about paying $30 for one, I don't mind if it's rusted. I have one at the moment which appears to be warped (causing a problem when i try to screw in the leg)

If you have one about, could you let me know.

Thanks!

Tim

Described as mint, look at the pictures and see for yourself, definitely not $5000 worth...

eBay Auction

I can't seem to find much information about previous conversions (I know they're here somewhere!)

I'm giving some serious consideration to modding that 88 I bought a while back to a Rhodes bass, now usually I wouldn't do this but that 88 has got over 50 dead pickups and a fair amount of rusted tines which now look like twiglets.

At the same time I've sold 4 good pickups to some friends but I feel it would be a very costly restoration project to get it back to the standard I'm after (with all the tines and pickups sorted)

Here's the thread if you forgot what it looked like:

When I first bought it


On the plus side I can sell the speaker cabinet which I know somebody on the forum was after (it's in perfect condition, unlike the top)

What do you guys think?

T

Any ideas what this is? a phaser or chorus??

Picture of complete rail, the white cable was a power cable which somebody has cut off at some point, this goes straight to the transformer and then into the circuit board.



This box houses another circuit with a potentiometer and a 1/4" socket on the front, the brown cable leads to another 1/4" socket on the rail.

I guess that I'd probably plug a cable from the "output" of the Rhodes into the boxed circuit then use the socket nearest the transformer as the output to the speaker. Correct? I just want to check before I wire this up and burn down the house.









Cheers!

Tim

Just checking does anyone have a spare MK2 88 Stage rail about?

I need one as the existing one looks like swiss cheese

Cheers

Tim

So after a while of pondering I took the step and had the lid ban sawed. Now the plywood section of the lid of course can't support a synth or clav by itself so I need to purchase an L aluminium rail.




However what does the rail attach to? Is it direct to the plywood?

This is the way I assume it to be, can someone clarify

?



If anyone could show me the inside of their dyno lid or shed some light that would be great.

Cheers

Tim

Does Chuck still have this or has this gone the way of the MK4?


http://ww3.sunnyday.jp/dmp/studio4000.html

Sounds like the ultimate Rhodes.

Click Here


Yep I know what you're thinking, ch**st there's nothing left of it!! Well that's the fun of it

I plan to get this bad boy up to the condition of my other 1975 Stage Rhodes, literally I'm going from the ground up on it.

For more pictures check out the link:

http://s717.photobucket.com/albums/ww171/jukedock/Fender%20RHODES%20on%20ebay/

Hello folks

It's been a while since I was last on here and recently I've come across a problem with a preamp I recently bought.

When the preamp was connected to my master satellite the volume was exceptionally low, this doesn't appear to be a problem with the satellite as I usually plug in my iphone and play music from the send jack input without any troubles.

When I say low you have to be right near the speaker (about a foot) to just hear it. Anyhow a couple of days ago I plugged the amp again and I'm now not receiving any audio whatsoever. I've opened up the preamp and turned on the amp, both vibrato bulbs still light and are responsive to the vibrato control but there's just no audio output.

Finally another piece of info which might be helpful is that when I could hear the audio I believe that the transistors running the vibrato circuit need replacing as when I turn on the vibrato it "clicks" with the speed of the vibrato. With no audio output I can still hear the clicking when I turn on the vibrato just no notes from the piano.

Oh and I can confirm I have output from the harp so the problem is definitely located within the preamp.

Any ideas what it could be?

Thanks!

T

My master satellite is currently set to run off a 1/4" jack (until I get the 4-pin preamp)

As a result would it be possible to use a Jordan preamp in conjunction with that master cab? (I have the ability to get one at the moment)

My concern is the difference in watts, i.e the 4pin is 80w and the Jordan is 60w, but as I'm running the master cab through a 1/4 jack will that power issue pose a problem?

T

Ok this question has been on my mind for about a week or so, what is the main instrument being played in the track? Initially I thought it was a harpsichord, but then I realised it must be electronic from it's sustain. Any clues?

Return From The Ashes

Thanks

Tim

Hi folks

This is one thing I could never get my head around so I figured now that the keys have been rebushed on the Rhodes I'd set about sorting out this issue (which I've put aside for some time)

Basically the keys all sit far too high, I know a couple of board members who say the keys should appear to sit with the front of the caps appearing rectangular, this doesn't seem possible without the keybed felt below the pedestal being far thicker than the original I've got on there.

The felts on the balance rail aren't stacked up in a crazy fashion, so I'm not really sure what to do, any ideas?

Here are some photos to help explain in a better detail:

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/tjh392/?action=view&current=DSCF3608.jpg

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/tjh392/?action=view&current=DSCF3611.jpg

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f243/tjh392/?action=view&current=DSCF3609.jpg

Thanks in advance

Tim