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So weird...I just happened to go on Reverb.com, clicked on keyboards and the big banner photo at the top was a pic of the exact keyboard I was asking about.  After poking around I found out it's a Farfisa Professional.   

Now, does anyone know what LA Woman song it may have been used on if at all?  Texas Radio or Hyacinth House?   

I was rewatching a clip of the Doors on Youtube playing Crawling King Snake in their rehearsal space for an Australian TV program.  Ray is playing his Gibson and Piano Bass but next to him was a keyboard I'd never noticed before or seen in any other Doors pics - it's not his Vox, although it appears to have reversed color keys, nor is it his RMI, Rhodes or Hammond. 

Here's a link with some times when you can notice, barely, the keyboard.  The last shot of it you can briefly see a logo on the back but I can't make it out.  Perhaps I could see it better on the DVD release it originally appeared on. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9nQKTfzthM

1:55
2:09
3:25

Have at it Keyboard Colombos. 

This isn't an isolated track but an interesting outtake (take 10) form the ROTS recording session. There's a few minutes of tuning and jamming at the beginning - maybe your ears can pick up a clue somewhere in there....?   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z3lZC4NUpI

Also, some cool pics of the LA Woman sessions accompany the audio.

Chris

I've come to the conclusion that Ray's first Vox was most likely a British Vox despite getting it from the Vox factory in California.  Time for me to start hunting again.

Gold Sparkle top piano bass for sale on Reverb site.  $3500...yikes.

https://reverb.com/item/17346441-rhodes-fender-piano-bass-1965-sparkle-top-gold-vintage-just-like-the-doors

If I didn't have one I'd probably make a lower offer but I just can't justify it.  Now if it was the exact Ray model with the output jack in the right spot...

Good luck someone,
Chris

Great story about the finding the new bass. I love hearing that you can still find gems like that in an old antique store.  Seeing it in person and deciding to buy it right then and there is a better story than "I bought it unseen from some dude on Ebay."  Just when I thought I was set...well, I have something new to hunt for.

I have an RMI too but for some reason it's overall output is super low even after dumping $150 worth of repairs into it.  Did it come with a pedal that's needed for it to sound right?  I'm also missing the legs.

Yeah, the Jordan Boss amp took years to hunt down.  I'm not sure why they're so impossible to find but I couldn't even find a photo of one on the entire net except for pictures of bands and advertisements in the 60s.  Originally I thought maybe they were junk and got tossed but mine feels solid and sounds LOUD.  One turned up on Ebay 2 years ago and I jumped on it.  Now I'd like to get the slave unit that would feed off the amp like the Doors had but have yet to find one.   Also need to get the Acoustic 261 cab to go with my head.  The guitarist I play with has one so I play through his sometimes.    My favorite set up is the Vox and Gold bass coupled with the Jordan and Fender Bassman which seems like Ray's standard setup from around March to Sept. of 67.

Thanks for the kind words on the keyboard / Doors vids.  I want to get back to making more but the real world keeps me from getting back to it.  I did get a chance to play with Riders on the Storm a couple of weeks ago when Ryan wasn't available so that gave me a reason to brush up again.

Wow, new piano bass (and the RMI) look spectacular.  2 gold sparkles basses....crazy, CRAZY!!  Dare I ask how you came upon the new one?  Also, I never noticed that Ray's bass had the output jack further left than most.  What's the story behind that?  Was that a feature of the '65 model or just an occasional random anomaly? 

Anyway, Congrats.  Very Cool!

Chris

Alan

I've taken off the top black cover many times and carefully poked around but for some reason I never went in through the bottom aluminum cover.  To be honest the Gibson has been so rock solid for the 11 years I've owned it I never had to.  Even if I had I wouldn't have known to turn the pusher to extend it's reach.

And yes, I am that Chris with the Doors pseudo-tutorial / gear fetish videos on Youtube.  It's been a while, I'd like to get back to making them, just need to think of an interesting angle that's actually doable...hopefully soon now that Gibson's back up to snuff.

Chris

Hi guys,

I gently pulled back the thin contact rod, rotated the plastic pusher twice which lowered it and it worked.  That was several days ago and since then it sounds great, the note is solid every time.   So thank you for the tips, you probably saved me $125 at a repair shop if they knew what to do at all.

Thanks again,
Chris

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot tonight.  I'll keep you posted.

Hi all,

I'm having a minor problem with a Gibson key that I'd like to figure out before it gets worse or spreads.  The second to the highest B key sometimes has a delay or weak start when it's pressed.  Not all the time, seems like when it hasn't been struck for a few seconds it happens but in rapid succession with other keys not so much.  I took it apart, sprayed out under and behind the key with compressed air but no difference.  Nothing looks out of place or loose with the "B" card not that that means much.   This is the only B that has this problem.

I've made a link and posted it so you can have a listen:   https://youtu.be/9JjzTt5F5q4

It's not terrible, just bad enough to "B" annoying.  There's a lot of Doors song in E minor counting on that note.  Anyone experience this or have any suggestions? 

Thanks in advance,
Chris

It does, bottom left corner from the audience point of view.

In case you're still collecting info, my G101 is #5381.  I opened up the top recently and I was poking around trying to fix a problem (more on that later) and noticed all of the tone generator cards were stamped G101 except for one  stamped K101.

Chris

I noticed it's been over 3 years since anyone's had anything to say about the Gold Sparkle Piano Bass.
Here are a few Youtube vids I made utilizing the bass for Doors tributes / tutorials.  Maybe this will spark some more conversation or drum up a few more owners.  Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTx4csVOIzg&list=PLZhQCzxV7ye1R0LtGWEY9I9YUOjyNADCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-SoPq6dxbY&list=PLZhQCzxV7ye1R0LtGWEY9I9YUOjyNADCS&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH2P0vUSTeQ&list=PLZhQCzxV7ye1R0LtGWEY9I9YUOjyNADCS&index=4

Had a couple of Rhodes sightings on TV this weekend:  Chapelle show (the "what type of music makes different races dance" episode) and IFC's Portlandia (episode where Fred & Carrie write a theme song for Portland). 

Yeah my kids love that show.  I have to admit it's pretty funny.  Speaking of kids shows, didn't Billy Joel play a Rhodes while doing the ABC song on Sesame Street in the 70's? 

There's one in an episode of the kids show iCarly on Nickelodeon.  If I remember correctly it's  red and sitting on a beige amp.  Very cool.   Also spotted a tilted back black face Fender Bassman in a different episode. 

Okay, finally got a chance to take some quick photos of the gold top.   I wonder if the one in the Doors movie is an authentic or a reproduction?  It looks real.

Hi Peacfrog,

I just purchased the Gold Sparkle Piano Bass that was recently listed on Ebay.  I'd mentioned this in the "buying" category where you were discussing it when it was listed but then I saw your production survey thread.  I've been trying to buy one of these for about 10 years and was starting to think it would never happen.

On the gold label under the cover the model # is BA 0196  but under the harp it's rubber stamped "9 66."  I'm assuming that means the 9th week of 1966?  The keys are wood under the white plastic ( which is different from the all plastic keys of my silver sparkle from the same year), the blocks are wood.     I'll get some pics of it up within a day or two.  I'm new to the forum but once I purchased this I had to tell someone who cared.