Messages

All,

Could anyone help me please, I'm looking for photos of the top face of a suitcase amp, and if possible the underside of a suitcase Rhodes 88 MK1.

There are plenty of photos online of the piano sitting onto of the amp, but I'm looking to improve the 'docking' mechanism between the amp & piano & check the correct position of the folding legs.

Ideally a photo of the amp with the legs folded back would also help.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Kind regards
Julian

Finally, the original manual & pictured in good company!

And a few more photos of D6 S/N 806220

A Couple more photos of D6 S/N 806220

Dear All,

Great idea Tim, thanks for starting this thread. I have a D6 that I believe is completely original and untouched, apart from the hammer tips which I carefully replaced after the old orange tips turned to sludge. It came with the original legs, handbook and perspex music stand. I can't see any signs of any work having being carried to on this fantastic instrument. I understand it spent most of its life stashed under someones bed in darkest Wales!

It plays really very well, I use it with either a Fender Twin re-issue or run it thru my Rhodes Suitcase (Janus).

Is there a way of finding out the manufacture date from the serial number?

Model: D6 Wood
Serial: 806220
Pre-amp Position: Mounted to rocker switches
Transformer Model Code: TBC
Transformer Manufacture Code:  TBC
Estimated Hohner Manufacture Date:  not known
Modifications: None
Current Location: UK

Kind regards
Julian

Agreed, looks great, very appropriate!

Gents,

Thanks for posting. I'm a huge admirer of 'the Hawk'. Agree with you entirely TJH392! his portfolio of music is staggeringly excellent, I would have loved to see the KPM Allstars. I can seriously recommend his book, 'The Champ, the Hawk Talks'.....

https://www.alanhawkshaw.com/store/the-champ-the-hawk-talks

Kind regards,

Julian

Steveo, Busking is street entertainment 

Shayneorok, A wurlitzer or VV vintage piano would be a lot lighter than a Rhodes & perhaps easier to carry around.....

Kind regards
Julian

Gents,

I find the stereo tremolo effect is intensified tremendously when using headphones, but not in a nice way.... The effect is very defined with headphones, especially if it's just the Rhodes you are listening to. It's probably not so bad if you are playing along t a backing track.

Personally I find it's almost mind bending, but hey, some cats may really like the intense ping pong action!!

Kind regards
Julian

I agree it would be an interesting project, & it may well improve the players experience. I notice, however, that the Dynamat product has an aluminium foil covering. Could this potentially cause any electrical noise issues? I assume also the high price is due to its ability to adhere to the complex curves associated with car interiors.

I have used a 'felt' sound deadening material on a car restoration. http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1384-sound-deadening-felt.aspx

The felt is quite heavy & is available in differing thicknesses. If you are thinking of doing this mod to a MK1 then the lid is a fairly simple shape internally & the felt may be a cheaper option. A MK2 lid may however prove more complex?

Just my 2c worth!

Kind regards
Julian

Superb in every respect... looking forward to Sept 9th!

Julian

OK, the drawing came from this thread http://ep-forum.com/smf/index.php?topic=4666.0

Kind Regards
Julian

Hi Ackleberry,

To me it looks like you've put the miracle mod in at the wrong end of the pedestal.....

I'm sure some of the more knowledgable forum members will confirm if this is correct.

I hope this helps,

Kind Regards

Julian

Hi Nfoel,

When replacing the damper felts, did you take note of the direction of the 'grain' in the felt?

Regards,
Julian

  You had to post this the day I received my Small Stone Nano. 

Which, by the way is beautiful!  I'm really loving it.

Agreed! I've also just purchased a Small Stone & am very very pleased with it 

I have to admit, personally I'm not a huge fan of pedals or effects of any sort, as I really love a 'pure' Rhodes for its natural tone... *but* the Small Stone definitely adds a different kind of 'loveliness' 

Regards,

Julian

Interestingly, I had exactly same issue with my 1974 stage 88 after I lubed the felts with silicon spray. When re voicing the piano I noticed that on just a couple of keys, if you played really hard the note would sound 'dead'.

Further investigation revealed that the hammer stop lock position would be higher following a 'hard' key hit & thus the escapement was reduced, stopping the tine vibrating freely. It only affected a few notes, mainly in the lower register. Overall the action is very light & am really pleased with it.

I found that by lowering the individual tine slightly with the escapement screw the problem was cured.

I am not an expert by any means, but I wonder if a pedestal felt freshly lubricated with silicon spray may be just a little 'too slippy' until it's had chance to 'bed-in'? & when combined with a slightly larger escapement this may allow the hammer to 'over-throw' itself, allowing the heel to dig into the felt.
You may find that in day to day usage you won't hit the keys 'that' hard, unless you are a *very* exuberant player! Also I would concur with Max & Steveo, when your harp is in place the hammer may not travel quite as far vertically because it will of course strike the tine.
I hope some of the above may be helpful.

Kind Regards
Julian

All,

I've just finished installing a full set of new damper arms, felts & bridal straps to my 88 (phew!) & just wanted to share the results.

I can honestly say the work has completely transformed the way the piano plays. The damping is spot-on & not even the slightest hint of a 'chirp'. The action feels much, much lighter & infinitley more responsive. Prior to fitting the damper arms, I've been right thru the action & replaced all felts, fitted the miracle mod, new hammer tips, grommets, springs, & set all dimensions according to the Rhodes manual. I've used silicon spray lube on all the felts & bushings.

Out of all the work I've done on the piano, the damper arms have made the biggest improvement, by some margin.

Thanks to Christian at Electric Keys for the excellent products.

Kind Regards,

Julian

Just wanted to say many thanks to Christian at Electric Keys for really great service & super-fast delivery. Owning & maintaining a Rhodes in the UK has never been easier!



Kind Regards

Julian

My progress so far. I'm very pleased with the results, but would welcome any comments, advice or opinions....

Gents,

Thank you for your input, I'm busy renewing all 88 bridal straps, together with the damper arms & felts.

Bending the prong sounds like good practice, however the vinyl part of the bridal strap is too long to allow this. The straps seem very secure tho...

All,

After the Bridal Strap is fitted over the prong in the damper arm & the strap is pulled down to the base of the prong, is it necessary to use a dab of glue to secure the bridal strap in place on the damper arm?

If so what adhesive should be used?

Thank you in advance for any advice !

Kind Regards

Julian

How would you go about rectifying this problem? Is it simply a case of replacing the key bed felts.?

Thanks in advance for any info!

Kind regards

Julian

Hi Christian,

That's great news about the single damper arms, I'll keep an eye on your website! I'd love to replace the damper arms and bridle straps on my 88.

Kind Regards,
Julian

All,

I'm just thinking aloud here, has anyone tried changing the 'square' damper felts for ones with a 'V' cut, as per the bass strings on an acoustic piano?

Any ideas or opinions very welcome!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grand-Piano-Damper-Felt-Single-Note-Dampers-27-5-strip-/110588007500?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bf8f144c

I agree, the Rhodes sounds at its very best with no effects added.

However I'm finding that the Rhodes get 'lost' in the overall band sound, despite the volume being quite high. I wonder if this type of pre amp would give the Rhodes more 'prescence'?

Kind Regards

Julian

Has anyone tried one of these?

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/ep101-echoplex-pre

Just curious :0)

Kind regards
Julian

Hi Christian,

Thanks for the link, I have to admit I was not aware of the felt grain when I originally replaced the damper felts & I guess this May be part of my problem.

It may be overkill but my current thinking into replace all the bridle straps & damper steels together with new felts.

I'll keep an eye on your new products :0)

Kind regards
Julian

Hi Bjammerz,

Your posts are a great help, thank you!

The problem is definitely more pronounced in the lower third of the keyboard but you can just hear it in the upper register too.

With regard to the 'grain' in the damper felts, is it critical that the grain is horizontal?

Kind Regards

Julian

Thanks Bjammerz,

I was hoping you would chime in!

I have spent much time correctly setting the damper escapement & followthrough.

I have got a small upward bend in the dampers, right next to the mounting screw. I figured this would actually increase the tension of the damper.

Do the damper strips loose some of their 'spring' over time? could it be possible this is just an age issue?

Kind Regards
Julian

Fellow enthusiasts,

Re my 1974 '88 stage piano, I have recently spent a lot of time carefully 'blueprinting' the key dip, escapement, tuning and timbre adjustment according to the dimensional standards in chapter four of the Rhodes manual. The many hours have paid off and my piano feels & sounds far, far better!

However I am struggling with the damper settings. The main problem being a 'chirp' when the damper comes back into contact with the tine following key release. I believe I have eliminated the possibility of hammer bounce as a possible cause, as I get the chirp even with a very slow key release.

My bridle straps have a small amount of slack in them when all is at rest, is this correct?

Secondly, the felt damper blocks are 'parallel' with the tines, however in diagram 4-1 the felt is shown at an angle to the tine, is this relevant?

Thank you in advance for any ideas or opinions!

Kind Regards,

Julian

Hi Voltergiest,

Interesting video, thanks for taking the time to post.

With regard to the C note that you play at 3:10 in the video, you make comment to a 'ringing' sound. Do you think the ringing sound is caused by a bad tine?

Kind Regards
Julian

I would love to try one of those:

http://www.rockshop.de/en-es/products/21250?department=keys&category=accessories&subcategory=monitors202f

I have a motion sound kp200s. It has a fantastic tone & works exceptionally well with the stereo pan effect, really 'wide' sound.

Well worth giving one a try......

Regards
Julian

Looks very impressive, but unless I'm very much mistaken it has no inbuilt electric piano sounds.....

Julian

Trengag,

I wouldn't want to confuse the issue but it might be worth considering a Motion Sound KP200-S. Ive been using one for a year or so & am really pleased with it. The KT 80 is a mono amp with a tube preamp whereas the KP 200s is solid state stereo amp.

I use an ART tube pre-amp (about $30) with a 1972 Fender Rhodes 88 & get a nice clear sound. TBH I find it a bit easier to set-up than a tube amp. The stereo 'effect' is particularly good if you use an 'auto-pan' effect.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards

Julian

Thank you Gentlemen for your replies, very informative!

Your replies are very relevant, as I have felt that the keyboard is far more 'clanky' than I expected. I had put this down to the acoustic nature of the instrument, but maybe replacing the capacitor would also help to reduce the 'clank'?

Kind Regards

Julian

All,

Was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the way my pickup wiring has been altered? As you can see from the enclosed picture, a number of pickups have had additional connections soldered on. TBH they all sound fine & work OK, but it just looks a bit 'scruffy' to me. Why would anyone add these extra wires?

Secondly is there anything that can be done about pickups that amplify too much? I have a couple of keys that are way louder even tho the pickup is adjusted to the maximum distance from the tine?

Thank you in advance for any input!

Gents,

Thank you for your input. I've spent a bit more time experimenting. I found a hot air gun helps to soften both the glue and the Tolex but it still didn't hold particularly well.

I'm sure that the Vintage Vibe glue is probably the right stuff, in my experience their products are good quality & they give a great service, but the glue comes with no instructions, no label on the tin & the only info available seems to be buried in this forum!

I'm sure Vintage Vibe frequent this forum, maybe they could chip in with some supplementary info in addition to their excellent you tube videos.?

Kind regards

Julian

All,

Have just started re-tolexing using Vintage Vibe Tolex & glue. I've searched their website for instructions but found nothing, altho I found a few threads on this forum, perhaps someone could help with some advice please?

Do you coat both  the wood and the underside of the Tolex with the glue, or just one surface??

I left it to dry for 30-40 minutes before bringing the surfaces together but it's really not sticking very well at all. It seems to adhere to the Tolex but not the wood. If I try to reposition the tolex, the glue pulls off the wood in a 'rubbery' fasion... what am I doing wrong?

I would have thought that a contact adhesive would bond much better on contact??

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

Kind Regards

Julian

All,

I am partway thru re-furbing my Stage 88 & am wondering about the case latches. My piano has four latches on the lid, two on each end of the case.

The Complete Hardware kit from Vintage Vibe comes with two latches, presumably to be fitted on the front??

I'm a little concerned with the weight of the 88 lid that two catches might not be strong enough to hold the lid shut. What is the norm on these pianos?

Kind Regards

Julian

Thank you Gentlemen for your replies.

I tried the keys again with the Harp in place & Didn't get the 'CLICK' on all but a few notes. I'm grateful for your help, much appreciated!

Kind Regards

Julian

Hi All,

I'm partway through refurbishing my 88. After re-fitting the hammers & testing the keys I noticed a loud knocking/clicking noise, especially on the top octave. After some closer inspection it became apparent that the end of the damper arm is hitting the back of the wooden hammer.

One of the vintage vibe videos suggests simply snipping a sixteenth of an inch off the end of the damper arm. However on the higher notes, the damper felt only just touches the end of the tine & if the damper arm was any shorter it wouldn't reach the tine at all!

I figured one option might be to shave the back of the hammer away, but then I came up with the idea of gluing a small piece of felt to the underside of the damper arm, which acts as a little cushion and stops the annoying 'CLICK'.

I'd appreciate any ideas, comments or opinions on this! Thanks in advance!

Kind regards

Julian

Hi Robin,

I would agree with Sean's comments, especially going down the route of a small PA. I agree stereo is probably not significant in a live situation, however for home use or small gigs the stereo adds a lot of fullness and depth. You get a more 'hi-fi' sound if that makes sense,

I recently purchased a Motion Sound KP200s.

http://www.motionsound.co.uk/stereo-keyboard-combos-2/kp-200s.html

http://www.motionsoundamps.com/product.php?name=kp-200s

I use it for my Nord Stage, and I'm really pleased with it. It certainly gives the piano sounds more realism than any other amp I've tried and the stereo gives a tremendous depth to the sounds, especially the auto-pan effect & synthesiser sounds. I've previously tried a number of valve amps & a couple of PA's & I've found the motion sound much easier to get a consistently good sound.

There is also a 100w or a 500w version. I find the 200w is fine for small pub gigs and plenty for home use. It's got XLR outs so you can go direct into the PA.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards

Julian

Hi Everybody,

I've just registered with this great site, I'm from North Devon, UK. I've recently adopted a very well used Mk 1 88 Stage piano. Whilst it plays OK (ish) It's had a hard life & appears (to my uneducated eye) to have been repaired/fixed many times. I'd really like to give it a full resto but not sure if I have the skills or time. I'd be really grateful for any feedback or opinions!

If I may I'd like to ask some specific questions about this piano, should I start a seperate thread?

Thank you all in advance.

Kind Regards

Julian