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Thank you spave, for noticing our new action! We have finally made the announcement that US11410635 is a reality. Hammer height at rest as well as in stop-lock are now easily adjusted, allowing for proper regulation of key dip, hammer throw, escapement, and overall braking characteristics. The effects that result from any combination of capstan adjustments offer a flexibility in the Rhodes-style action never before attainable.
As for a retrofit into vintage units, anything is possible...
 

@wurl it up - the feedback we received is that he is very inspired by the tone and feel. It has been observed that he is moving around the compass much more than his previous instruments, where the main issue was reportedly the feel of the action.
That is our Console model, but the piano is run direct into the house and monitored externally.

@Dave - We will not be at NAMM this year, but Vintage King will have our piano at their Burbank location for a Pre-NAMM open house. They will be hosting our 73 Deluxe Console, with the new Variable Voice Control.

@wurl it up - Sounds like you enjoyed the show! It is an honor that Donald Fagen has chosen our piano as his instrument of choice. He is currently touring with two 73 Deluxe Consoles in tow. One of them is the absolute first  prototype of our new action (I cannot imagine a more thorough trial run!) and the second being the production model.   

Thank you, Cormac! 
I am really excited for this advancement to see the light of day - It has been in the works for quite some time! There is some more in-depth info about the new control in our own video on the Vintage Vibe Youtube page, as linked to by spave above. As regulation of the Rhodes style simplified action has been a passion of mine for years now (more than I'd care to admit!), my goal was to offer timbral flexibility, while not affecting regulation of the piano action in the process. The results are very engaging...
I've always had a love for the beautiful fundamental tones that the piano is capable of. Today, this tone is often sacrificed for "bark" and "bite". The trade-off is that fundamentals are lost (The truth is, with proper setup, a Rhodes-style piano is capable of both - I've always favored voicing a strong fundamental with just a hint of overtone upon a light touch. Subsequent heavier playing then introduces more overtone, decaying back to fundamental with sustained notes/chords, for a very dynamic response). With the new Voice Control, the musician can now dial in their own tone/response, or enjoy an excursion to either end of the spectrum!   

You are welcome, Sir : )
Thank you for the update!

I believe it has to do with the relatively large footprint of the solder pyramid, necessary for bringing the lowest of the #3 reeds down to the proper pitch. The F in question requires the largest counterweight, and in my experience, is most prone to this problem (the adjacent F# being a close second).
We know that upon being struck, a reed is bending in the shape of an arc. If adhesion of the solder is lost toward the fixed end of the reed, it suggests that a portion of the solder counterweight is located on a portion of the reed that exhibits some bending upon heavy blows. A slightly shorter, slightly taller pyramid may help reduce the chances of the problem reemerging. 

It is the solder slightly separating from the reed that causes this, usually at the edge of the pyramid closest to the fixed end of the reed. My belief is that the footprint of the solder counterweight is so large that it encroaches on a part of the reed that flexes under heavy blows.
To remedy this, remove the solder completely. File the end of the reed in the shape of the footprint for the solder pyramid. Tin the footprint, then rebuild your pyramid.

As Cinnanon stated, the bump WILL eventually wear a groove into the hammer cam felt. This will inevitably cause a sticking sensation when keys are depressed - it is only a matter of how much time that takes to happen. The PROPER setup here is to have the smooth, polished surface (such as a properly cleaned hammer cam) glide across the felted surface. The original setup is far from optimal in terms of functionality, as nylon plastic can be made smoother than the wood used for the pedestal (reducing friction), and with a bump present, the aforementioned groove will develop in the original scenario. 

The felt on the hammer cams is thicker than the felt supplied with the Miracle Mod kit. The original cam felts' thickness (too thick) is another source of the vagueness one feels in a piano with cam felts. Due to this difference in thickness, the location of the bump on the pedestal will change depending upon which felt is used in conjunction with where the felt is placed. So, to set up a sample area without removing the cam felts could result in having to relocate those bumps should you decide to proceed with a proper setup. Also noteworthy, such a test area will feel different than the proper setup of bump-modded, felted pedestals with smooth cams. 

Level your keys first, and do the mod as recommended, or, leave the action setup as is if you are looking to avoid spending the time. Most of all, have fun, and good luck!

This is actually quite common in that area of the piano. In order to get proper adhesion, you will end up melting the whole "pyramid" of solder which will then require reshaping. To prevent separation in the future, remove all solder from the end of the reed, file the area of the reed to receive the solder (to provide a surface for adhesion), and tin that area of the reed. THEN begin building and shaping a new solder pyramid.

Protek is a very good lubricant. You will need to thin it (or silicone) with alcohol to treat a sluggish Wurlitzer "electronic piano" action. 8 parts alcohol to 1 part Protek or pure silicone.
NOTE: this solution is much too aggressive for shrinking actions of acoustic pianos, as the weighting and balancing are different, and there is usually a desired degree of resistance in acoustic pianos. 
You can use denatured alcohol or 190 proof (95% alcohol) grain spirits as a substitute for naphtha. The purpose of the alcohol is to compact the fibers of the cloth bushings in the action centers, thus allowing free movement of the pins. The lubricant mixed within the solvent will leave a trace on the felt and the pin ensuring free movement.
It is recommended to treat ALL action centers to ensure an even effect across the keyboard.

I don't think we're talking about a particular Rhodes here, rather, the concept of adding weights to make the action heavier found in an early Fender Rhodes owner's manual that Alan found.

All kidding aside, perceived weight in an action and articulation are two different things. Because of the design of an acoustic piano (jacks with let-off adjustment, hammer weight, action center drag, etc.), it is possible to have an action that offers an increased resistance while more accurately assuring that a note will sound when the key dip bottoms out.
In the simplified Rhodes action, the absence of a bump, or addition of weights on the keys, can both adversely affect acceleration of the hammer. This can result in a less articulate playing experience.
Action is very subjuctive, however. I most often see clients go for the lighter, more defined feel of the bump, but I do have a fully regulated, flat pedestal '74 on the floor for demonstration. There have been a few that prefer it.

Seems like they were taking a "things can always be worse" approach to the vague response of flat, felted pedestals and excessive escapement...

What Steveo said, BUT...
The FiftyFour is wired in series, so if one pickup goes, they're all out. Use an alligator clip to jump pickups until you isolate the faulty connection and/or pickup.

Also, make sure none of the lower tone bars are touching pickup poles or bus wires while you're at it.

Damn.

based upon your description, your 112 sounds nothing like a donor, especially on account of missing reeds (a consumable component).

Also, I noticed in your video that there is some sort of white residue on the treble pedestal. My guess is it's either a dry lubricant or superglue residue, neither of which you want present on your pedestal felts.

1973 is a prime example of a piano with "great bones", but could most certainly benefit from a bump mod.
Based on your first video, the positioning of the bump looks satisfactory, possibly a hair too close to the hammer's fulcrum on the bass end.
You should shoot for at least 3/8" dip.
The "overshooting" will be a non-issue once the harp is in place and the hammers have the tines to rebound off of.

Place your mic a few inches further away from the speaker than you might normally be inclined to do. Problem solved. ; )

Definitely are a few inaccurate statements in there. As far as I've read/been told, JPJ used a Hohner Electra Piano on the recording, but toured with a Rhodes.

I believe that's a typo and "CBS" is what was intended. If Peacefrog35 is who I think, then I have sent some decal pics that can hopefully help...

I too remember reading something where Wurlitzer was cautioning against something as it could "damage the protective coating". I think it might be in an earlier manual, something along the lines of filing the reeds "unless expertly done" - which is a whole other can of worms ; )

In Wurlitzer's series 200 and 200A service manual it is stated that for notes with a short ring time, the base of the reed should be inspected for foreign material, and that the base of the reed (the part of the reed underneath the reed screw) can be cleaned using a very fine grit emory paper on a flat surface and polishing both sides of the reed head until metal shows through. It is further stated that the reed base is also an electrical ground, and loss of ground means loss of volume.

As for "fine grit emory paper", 1000 grit sandpaper will polish the reed head to a very smooth surface. Keep in mind scratches, such as those that can be introduced by heavier grit paper, create areas for moisture to collect and cause tarnish.

My late '68 Silvertop has an early generation Peterson pre. Etched in solder on the board is "Peterson c 1967".

Buy or make two cables: 1x RCA male to 1/4" male (harp RCA to effects pedal/chain "in") and 1x 1/4" male to RCA female ( effect(s) "out" to preamp rca cable). If you get thin enough cables (like Monster) you can drape them over the left side of the piano and even fit the harp cover back on. This way, you won't have to drill through the name rail to add accessory jacks.

Or, as someone who replied to this idea on a FB thread said...

"This is pretty much where I landed. The only change is that one cable is RCA male to 1/4" female. This way when not using pedalboard I can plug the two cables into each other and effectively be straight from harp to preamp without opening up the lid. When using the pedalboard I just add the additional patch cable... I'm sure I've introduced a tiny bit of noise, but negligible. Tx!"

the alleged Pianet in "Let it Be" that I'm referring to is in the final mix of the song. My guess is that it was added as an overdub. I know there is alot of footage and photos of Preston on a late model Silvertop piano, but having collected them and specializing in their restoration, I do not believe that is the electric piano heard in that section of said final mix. I wasn't there tho ; )

Another anomaly in that recording is perhaps a mistake on the piano. In the last verse, under "Mother Mary...", it sounds like Paul blows a chord. The best approximation I've come up with for live Beatles Tribute shows I've played is B half-diminished over A. Intentional? Could be an honest clunker while attempting to hit Am, and from what I've read, Macca likes leaving in mistakes. Thoughts??   

Thanks for the great pics, David!

The Rhodes Billy Preston played is the 1st generation of the Peterson stereo pre amp - dead giveaway there is the hard-wired power cable on the name rail.

I believe that is a Pianet N on the rooftop, not a T. I'd put my money on the "N" being played in the "Let It Be" (F Em Dm C etc.) descending line.

The Pianet T uses electromagnetic pickups (similar to a Rhodes). The earlier N uses an electrostatic pickup (similar to a Wurlitzer).

https://www.vintagevibe.com/collections/fender-rhodes-parts/products/fender-rhodes-harp-bracket?variant=899467779

They're not that expensive if you can find one local. Perhaps looking around would be less hassle than fabrication

I have some but I do not know what VV charges for them, nor can I set prices for shipping or taxes. You're welcome to one if you cannot find a more cost effective option, tho it sounds like you may be pretty far off from the Northeast...

Not all parts (especially used parts, as there is an ever changing stock) are listed on the website. Give them a call. If they don't have one, I should be able to dig one up and bring it to them.

You're welcome Oliver

Yes, that is correct.

No. Cut enough material out of the tip so that it's bottom surface makes full contact with the hammer between the two lips.

Good Luck!

Hello Oliver

Use the industrial adhesive on all but the wood core tips, and always have the grain running horizontally. For your piano, you will have to notch the felts to fit around that second lip. They can be cut off (which would indeed facilitate installation of new tips in the future, felt or neoprene) but the best way to do this would be to remove the hammers from the action rail and set up a jig on a band saw to run them through. Failing that, hand tools are a bit more tedious but could do the job. I would still remove the hammers from the action rail however, as you'll be able to exercise more care in the removal of the lip, and you won't chance stressing the hammer nipples and flange.
What you have however, is a pretty rare first run of the "hybrid hammer". Whether or not you detract value by modification imo lies only in the quality of the execution.

You got it - Good luck!

Make sure the bridle straps are tight within the slot of the hammer.

CAREFULLY apply thin super glue carefully to the rounded interior of the slot in the hammer. Remember, the super glue provides a mechanical connection as well as an adhesive connection. Once the glue dries, it's shape simply cannot be pulled through the slot without breaking (glue or hammer) apart.

Be careful not to apply to much! you don't want excess glue dripping all over the place, like the flange or pedestal in particular. You also don't want excess glue wicking up the bridle strap, making it stiff.

I may be affiliated with VV, but I can objectively respond to this as I am not compensated in any way for Damper Arm Sales...

The early single piece damper arms where made of an aluminum alloy that does not have much "memory". That is, it does not take much pressure to bend the part into a "new" shape, different from the form it was designed to return to. The result is loss of tension and thus stopping power over time, especially noticeable in the tenor and bass sections of the piano. This can be remedied by "reverse bending" the damper arms, but tension will decrease again over time due to the composition of the damper arms. The reverse bend is also just about as much work as replacement considering you're replacing the damper felts anyway, so you're only saving the cost of the new arms themselves as time invested will be a wash.

Another issue with the original, early design damper arms is the amount of flex that takes place between the bridle strap and the free end of the arm, where the felt is applied. The new arms have a chamfered design which prevents the damper arm from flexing at this point and reduces, if not eliminates, the damper felt blocking the tine, especially upon heavy blows, and especially in the tenor and bass sections of the piano.

The bridle straps only need replacement if they appear excessively frayed, stretched, or are damaged during separation from the old damper arm. It is a good idea to have a few bridle straps on hand just in case. While you're at it, I'd also recommend re gluing whatever original bridle straps remain, as the old glue could allow the straps to pop out of the hammer over time. 

Sounds beautiful!

That would have been my next suggestion.
As Ben mentioned, you can also adjust the spring further away from the damper arm flange. Not only will this take out slack, but it will also increase the travel of the free end of the damper arm. Too much of this however will result in an unpleasant feel, as resistance will progressively increase with depression of the key.

Is your sus pedal adjusted just to the point of eliminating lost motion ( slack between the pedal and actuation of the damper bar)? I ask this because in your picture there are almost a dozen bridle straps pictured and they all have excessive slack, which could be a symptom of the pedal adjustment (top rear of the speaker cab) unscrewed counter-clockwise too far ...

On aluminum framed models, securing the harp to the frame is another way to ensure grounding the harp. Even if shims are present, the screws themselves provide sufficient contact.

Other grounding points I've found handy over the years do include harp to damper bar (as it can act as a shield), as well as running lines from the damper bar to the frame, and from the frame to the name rail. We currently install all these points on the Vintage Vibe piano, as well as all damper arms, and lid (a wire running to the lid hinge on the chassis, which in turn grounds the lid's aluminum banding).

Thank you for sharing!

Hey Alan!

I have adjusted tone bar height by the screws, but only as a quick fix. If the piano is being completely set up, then I try to adhere to the specs (whatever there are) available in the manual. Also, I set up the harp visually using a generator block as a feeler gauge under the tone bars. Once the harp is mated to the action, it is easier (at least for me) to shave the harp supports rather than re-set all the tone bars. Usually, removing shims does the trick, but it's not too uncommon to shave the supports on the early '70's pianos.

levdave

I would expect the response under a light touch to improve with the Miracle (or bump) mod, but if there is an extremely large amount of escapement, the effect will be minimal at this point. In any case, if your action is satisfactory to you in terms of feel (proper key height, stop lock, dip, etc.) go ahead and zero in on escapement.

Hello David

The last sentence is key...

"The critical dimension was the distance from the hammer tip to the tine at the end of the stroke. Adjust it close, and you could play a very soft note, but if you played loud, bouncing would occur. If the gap was adjusted to be large, loud notes sounded clear, but it was impossible to play soft. Good tuners learned to compromise between the two extremes."

Does your piano have it's original '74 flat key pedestals untouched? A properly placed "bump modification" will increase response under a light touch (there is plenty discussion of the mod on this forum). In addition to reducing friction between the hammer cam and the pedestal, a properly placed bump will establish a much more precise "stop-lock" position (the relation of the hammer cam and pedestal upon depression of the key). You will notice that with unmodified, early '70's flat pedestals, when a key is held down, additional pressure allows the hammer to creep up toward the tine. This is called "after touch", which makes zeroing in on escapement much more difficult as a good stop-lock position is not present.

If you decide to install a bump mod, do this first and then proceed to lower the escapement. I shoot for 1/4" in the bass, and 1/16" to 1/8" in the treble - This can often require removing the harp supports and shaving them down on a table saw. Keep in mind, lowering escapement will result in damper and strike line adjustments.

A properly set up piano can play very well under a light touch and still bark with the best of them.

Good Luck!

I can see the logic in some of the points listed above, but I totally "get" the idea of a Suitcase amp. Sure, the speakers are pointed at your knees, but in a home, the piano could be placed against (and spaced a couple inches from) a wall to help disperse the sound. You'll also have an appropriate looking, self contained unit without additional wires, amps, speakers, etc. littering the room.

I have done this with an 88 Stage and love the results. I left the leg flanges on, and as long as you're ok with some slight indentations in the top panel of the speaker cab, all is well (I forget if the amp glide locations are overlapped by the leg flanges - I just never bothered with the glides as it's a home use only rig. Also, you will need to remove the sus rod guide cup and lengthen the sus dowel as Ben mentioned.)

Tone is subjective, but I've always loved the tone of the Peterson Suitcase cabinet. If you get a namerail drilled for the effects loop, then any stomp box you desire can be plugged in and run through the stereo cab and the piano will appear totally stock, except for the eagle-eyed observer who might notice the thicker bottom panel of the "Stage" piano (dead giveaway is the spacing of the amp corner in relation to the top of the key slip. Big deal...).

Avoid using compressed air at this point. It can be handy in the initial stages of reed bar cleaning (such as when the reed bars are removed from the piano, and followed by complete vacuum cleaning), but at this point, blowing air around in the piano runs the risk of moving debris from one place to another.
Blown air has to go somewhere, and often the problem particles don't quite clear all surfaces of the pickup - a fragment causing a short may just be blown into another area causing another short. Also, in an instrument where even dust can cause all kinds of problems, the compressed air can actually introduce more problem-causing particles from the source itself or from inside the piano.
If you stick to the vacuum, you can at least be sure you're not chasing your tail...

Tru-dat!!

I believe your damper combs to be correct for your piano. We do sometimes mod this vintage with another midrange comb (so only 12 short damper arms in the extreme bass) to allow better clearance for the tines in the tenor section (this is where the "pre-mid" damper felts come in). Your piano appears consistent with the factory set up for that year.

Hello Worlddrum13

I just saw your pictures. Your '77 may have an excess of escapement, but you do need an additional 9 bass damper felts, as your piano has 2 short-length damper combs. Unfortunately it is Saturday, but I have contacted Chris and the bass damper felts will be sent out to you Monday AM.

Re: Escapement...
We shoot for about 1/16" in the treble and 1/4" in the bass. Using these dimensions as starting points, the goal here is to set up the piano to respond well under a light touch, but not choke under heavy blows.
The fiberboard shims are "factory", but Rhodes pianos often left the factory with too great an escapement (among other "out of spec" dimensions). They can be removed, and it is ok for the harp to rest on bare harp supports. As Chris mentioned, adjusting escapement will necessitate strike line and damper adjustments. Set up your harp for the tone you're looking for before attempting escapement adjustments. This would include setting your harp escapement screws (tone bar mounting screws closest to you as you sit at the piano) to provide 3/8" from top of the harp surface to underside of the tone bar. You can use a tine generator block as a feeler gauge to set this. Tip: use the same orientation of the generator block across the harp when setting harp escapement - These blocks are often not exactly 3/8" x 3/8".

Usually a manufacturer will want to re-use a design for other similar applications, but anything is possible.

There is a mark on each bushing to indicate direction. That said, as key leveling, spacing, and tightness should all be addressed and adjusted when re-bushing a key bed, you'll be just as well making adjustments as opposed to disassembling the work already done, as those adjustments will most likely be necessary anyway.

Our head "Vibanet" / Clavinet restorations tech uses the pre-lubed bushings on all new builds and restorations. It may be necessary (and indeed, commonplace) to adjust the metal insert in each key to obtain proper movement with the smallest amount of play possible.

As Ben suggested, you may use needle nose pliers to open the clasps. You may find it easier (and have a bit more control) by inserting a flat head screwdriver into the slot and GENTLY twisting to open the clasp.

Individual adjustments will be necessary to achieve optimal results for each individual key, but the end result will be a keybed that plays as new.   

I would think they are referring to this:  https://www.amazon.com/Wurlitzer-Piano-Service-Manual/dp/B01BA30IQQ

Given the similarity of the EP's action to that of an acoustic piano, I  think they're just telling a tech to use the same procedures he'd use on an acoustic piano with the same issues.  (Easing keys, shrinking action centers, etc.) 

(Maybe some acoustic piano techs on the list can chime-in here.  Steveo?)

That's the one, Alan.

Wurlitzer EP's really do benefit from the ol' 8 to 1 ratio, as the action components are so small and people seem to stash these pianos in the strangest (or hottest/dampest of) places. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you ever do dive into the acoustic realm (esp. grand pianos), you do want *some* resistance (larger parts, gravity, etc.) and 8 parts shrinking agent to one part lube is way to aggressive in the shrinkage dept.