Messages

Your eyes are not deceiving you.
there was a shim on at the time this picture was taken. I was experimenting. It was not fixed in place and was removed before I started the impossible escapement topic.

some more pics of keylevel en keydip.
and the "hollow"harp supports.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/6QKZNARPrFYXAXFT9  (how do i attach the pivot links to this ?!)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/scCR2YJG3F5w6q6e8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pBsCP5BrBYA5W3zV9

escapement:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/y8cDpB3P5ndutWvp7


harp support :
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6v267MZ1yy8nDr857

thanks!

Are there wood shims on the top of the harp support on the left side?  You can lower the harp by removing shims.

Are your new hammertips a different size than the original hammer tips?

Did you remove a ton of felt or paper punchings from the balance rail when you played with the keylevel and keydip?

Is your key dip too small?


I hope that you have the thick factory-installed shim on top of the harp supports.  If it is glued on, try heating the glue to get it to release cleaner.

Is this a stage piano with wooden keys or with plastic keys?

Sean

Thanks for the reply.

Sadly there is no shim on the bass side of the piano to remove.
I didn't mess with the balancerail punchings as the keys are perfectly straight/alligned and keydip was within standard spec. (If it ain't broken don't fix it).
The piano is from '83 and has plastic keys and aluminum harp supports.
replacement hammertips are exactly the same as the ones i took off.

also, to add to my confusion. the harp pivot links were missing so i ordered a couple to make working on the piano easier, but i can't for the life of me figure out how to connect them.
My aluminum harp supports are "hollowed out" if that makes sense? ..

i will try to post some pictures asap..

thanks in advance for any help

hey guys,

I'm restoring a Mark II stage piano from '83. I've done all the usual things.
new felts, new grommets, new hammertips, keylevel, keydip, strikeline etc.
Now i am getting to set it up and i can't get the escapement right.
As a reference, i have tonebar 41 escapement screw cranked all the way down and it still leaves me with 6 mm from tine to hammertip.. any ideas?
if i leave the tonebar at 3/8" as stated in the manual i get around the 2 cm (0.79") of escapement .

absolutely wonderful instrument!
here's the Eels live on letterman in 2005
trouble with dreams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0UIP6N9B7E

i've been gigging my rhodes for about a year now,
I've only tuned it ONCE...

sounds like a deal to me,
but i'm in Europe and prices seem to vary a lot depending on your location.

I'd love to help out with a comparison.
anything to keep bjammerz's database growing and understanding more of the instrument we all fell in love with..
I've got an FR7710 amp/cabinet
I'll open it up, check the numbers on the speakers
and we'll go from there.

any more volunteers?
sign up here!

Bjammerz,
you never cease to amaze me.
This man's got knowledge!

Thanks for all the input.

i guess getting it fixed is the easiest solution.

thanks for all the reply's
my mkII has a dyno my piano eq preamp that doesn't work anymore.
so i took it out and now i'm left with a huge hole where there should be a preamp.
so what i'm looking for is the original preamp (for the mkII)
2 knobs and an "input" jack.
so that it looks the part again.

Is that on the website?
i can't find it.

Hi,

I'm looking for a MKII stage piano preamp.
does anyone know where I can find one?
in Europe.

Thanks!

nope,
the pins fit the holes exactly(or vice versa), so there is no room to put any felt..

I've got a 1981 MK2 suitcase with plastic keys.
I have found that turning up the volume to around 8 eliminates all key noise

Do you mean the sustain pedal is making that noise?

if it's the sustain pedal in your suitcase bottom
unscrew the audience side grill to get in and see what's going on.

a little lube goes a long way..

try tapping the pickups (the ones that don't get loud)
with a screwdriver.
is there a loud 'thunk!' ?

you could have some dead pickups  (if there isn't a loud "thunk!")
that would explain the not getting loud part..

neighbouring pickups will amplify the tine with a dead pickup
so there will be sound but not as loud as you would like.
also changing the setting of the dead pickup would result in , well ..
no change..  not getting loud, no bark/growl..

see where i'm going at?

good luck!

There's no fix for broken tines that i know of.
you'll just have to order yourself a brand new one.

lucky I subscribe to the vintage vibe youtube channel!

I hope this helps solve your problem.
(you should be thanking the people at vintage vibe   )

in some suitcases
the "vibrato" never completely switches off
take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n749BZ8S_Kk

on second thought jus is probably right.
you can pick up a suitcase almost any day.
An EK10 is a much rarer find.

Awesome! thanks for taking the time to do this.
I can already see that the possibilitys are endless.
really love that freeze/glissando thing, specially with the turboflange..(stepsequence)

I play in a sort of 'radioheady' band so i'm always looking for crazy sounds and/or textures.

check us out here:
http://www.myspace.com/avantlalettre


love to see some more of those rhodes-hog videos..
Thanks again!

EK10 with "some problem about electronic board"
sounds to me like your entering a world of pain.

mk2 suitcase however..
i've got one and i love it
Yes, I even love those plastic keys!

You think your paying top dollar for Rhodes piano's.
try finding one in The Netherlands.
the cheapest Stage i can find right now is 1000 Euro's (that's about $1400)

When I got my MK2 Suitcase (from Germany) I paid 2500 Euro's
(thats's $3500)
And that's not even counting the 1000KM (620Miles) I had to drive to get it.

Bjammerz is probably right.
(I wouldn't dare question his expertise.)
But,
before you take it apart and start fiddling with strikeline adjustments
I would check and see if the hammer IS actually hitting the tuning spring
when in tune.
just to make sure this is the problem.
if not:
bend the spring.

have you tried bending the spring ?
so that the spring has a little angle in it.
this way it will have a tighter grip on the tine.

now that's one good looking see-through suitcase.

Thanks for posting!

i'm trying to get some synth like lead tones so if the hog will do that for me i'll be happy..

thanks!

yes I do have the "knobs"..
that's why i thought it was weird because i'm not touching any metal.
it's the sort of noise you would get touching one end of a jack when plugged
into an amp.

they do crackle a little when sliding them..
guess i'll try the contact cleaner to see if it helps..

thanks.

Hi there,

When I touch my suitcase (MK2 '81) tone sliders I get a hum..
I'm not even sliding them.
Just barely touching them results in hum..

any idea's  ?


thanks in advance.

Good luck!

don't forget to post some pics when it's all done..

sounds like a dead pickup.
as the 54's pickups are wired in series (like christmass tree lights)
having one dead pickup will result in no output at all.

check out this thread:
http://ep-forum.com/smf/index.php?topic=5180

I was thinking of buying an Electro Harmonics HOG or POG
to get some strange synthesizer-like sounds from my rhodes.
I thought i'd ask here before lugging my rhodes to the nearest guitar shop
to try them out.

has anyone ever tried one of these pedals with a rhodes?

Don't know if it's the greatest ever but it sure is impressive...

I have no ambitions of taking that path

I have a stage and a suitcase
and am very happy with that.
My only regret is i don't have more arms/hands so i can play
them at the same time.
Both piano's get played very regularly.
So from the piano point of view. neither have to be jealous.
They both get equal amounts of my time and lot's of love..

I know people with entire Moog catalogs
that never play any of them.
Shame on them!

be good to your instruments and your instruments will be good to you!
I live by this rule.

thanks!

Great site.
Amazing collection!

I've read about the mark3,
I've seen pictures of it, but i've never heard one..
I'm really curious what all those added electronics etc.
sound like.

Does anybody have any soundclips of a MK3 EK-10 ?
or is there a Mark3 owner out there willing to record some?

the sustain pedal is completely mechanical, so there are no wires attached.
there's (supposed to be) a rod that comes out of your piano bottom that goes in the hole on the bottom of the piano, physically pushing the damper release bar when you push the pedal.


(Check the manual here: http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/manual/ch2.html#2-1l   )

number 35 indicates where your push rod goes into the piano.
on a suitcase this should align with the rod coming out of your suitcase bottom.

hope this helps..

Great playing!
and a great sound to go with it.

Super.

why didn't I think of that?
(preamp out -> mixer -> poweramp in)

thanks everybody!

this doesn't seem to work for me..

when i plug something into the preamp inputs (channel A or B or both)
it kills the output of the Rhodes..
so i can't play my microkorg and Rhodes through the suitcase at the same time.

?

Hi,
I wanted to use my microkorg through the suitcase amp of my 1981 MK2 suitcase piano.
connecting it to the preamp inputs on my suitcase bottom (5pin-FR7710)
works fine for the microkorg, but this 'kills' the output of my rhodes.

It's either the Rhodes or external gear (microkorg) through preamp inputs.
Does anyone know a way to combine the two ?

I'm looking for a way to play the rhodes AND the microkorg through the suitcase amp at the same time.

Thanks in advance!

wwhhhooaaa.

that was scary.
instant reply.


Thanks!

oh,

just noticed this thread is about 2 years old.
haha.

It would be fascinating to see a comparison of the same note, same strike dynamic, but with the tine/pickup intonation adjusted between the extremes of "more overtone" and "more fundamental," to see visually how the harmonic content changes with this basic Rhodes adjustment.

I'd like to see that too!

I once recreated my '81suitcase mark2 in Native Instruments FM8 for a school project.
Analyzing the amplitude's of the different frequency's over time
using a free program called SPEAR (Sinusoidal Partial Editing Analysis and Resynthesis).
In spear you can also solo or mute certain frequency's,
which means you can completely dissect it.
which could help you find a harmonic/overtone in your rhodes which you like or dislike.
Or just give you a better understanding of what your rhodes sound is made of.
you can download SPEAR here (for free!): http://www.klingbeil.com/spear/

"All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians."      ~Thelonious Monk

what a beauty!


nice job
enjoy.

Is there a thread related to this topic?
as i'm trying to get more bark and less bell from my mark2
ideally Mark1 tone.

I'd like to get my hands on a Mark II stage so I could find out for myself how close I can get to Headhunters tone with that era of piano.

I'll be glad to loan you my Mark II untill you get it to sound like headhunters.

Welcome xibalba,

I would start with the history and models section of this site.
and you can try scanning youtube for some rhodes piano's.
with the models section in mind you can recognize the piano's and listen for yourself. (though the soundquality would not be great.)