Recent posts

#1

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: i could use some help/tips...

Last post by spave - Yesterday at 04:42:23 PM

It's hard to tell from the photos but based on the build date of your piano, there's a chance that your keys have the marcel pedestals that don't require the miracle mod.

See here for a picture of what the Marcel looks like: https://www.vintagevibe.com/products/fender-rhodes-key-curved-marcel-pedestal

See here for what the regular slanted pedestal looks like: https://www.vintagevibe.com/products/fender-rhodes-keys-vintage-slanted-pedestal

Also, if you do have the regular slanted pedestal it is still possible to add the miracle mod.

#2

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Reproducing Suitcase Vibra...

Last post by sean - Yesterday at 04:41:19 PM

I suggest buying the powered PA speakers, because you can get double-duty out of them.  They can work at home, and they can work at a gig.

I think that when you start looking at the price and the size and weight of the speakers, you will choose either 10" or 12" woofer diameter.  Most of the Rhodes cabinets had 12" speakers.  Keep in mind that the suitcase speaker drivers were very close together, so you will get a very different aural experience depending on how far you separate your powered speakers.

You also can experiment with the variety of tremolo, chorus, ping-pong, and vibrato effects units too.

Sounds like fun.

Sean

#3

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: i could use some help/tips...

Last post by sean - Yesterday at 04:33:15 PM

You should be able to sneak the bump in there even on those sloped-front key pedestals.  But I agree that it might be perilously close to the slope.  Lots of experimentation and fiddling, I suppose.

For encouragement, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4keFGrcQSwQ

Sean


Also, I had always wondered if the action was placed too far back, but I sold my 1973 Rhodes.  So now I can't experiment with that.

#4

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: i could use some help/tips...

Last post by phaedrus - July 08, 2025, 01:29:59 PM

i think im ready to start putting the felts on the back of the keys. the question i have is, can i install the miracle mod on this style of key? ive watched the videos from VV and the slope on these keys make it look like there's no room to install the little bump. see the pic below:
You cannot view this attachment.

any thoughts would be appreciated!

thanks

#5

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: i could use some help/tips...

Last post by phaedrus - July 08, 2025, 01:19:51 PM

any tips on how to fix sticky keys?

#6

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Reproducing Suitcase Vibrato P...

Last post by WurlieNewbie - July 08, 2025, 11:26:38 AM

Hi guys. I have a Mark 1 Stage in a home setup and I'm looking to recreate that beautiful lush panning vibrato sound associated with the suitcase rhodes. Currently, my piano goes into a preamp (with stereo vibrato) and then into a mixer (so I can play with headphones). My question is: from the mixer, should I then go into a pair of powered speakers or powered studio monitors? What's the difference (I'm staying away from guitar amp options as I've gone down those before). Is there a particular size of speaker/monitor I should be looking for? Any recommendations? Thanks!

#7

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: i could use some help/tips...

Last post by phaedrus - July 07, 2025, 07:37:40 PM

I ended up using a random orbital sander to tak eoff the old glue. Soaking in naptha for 3 days did nothing

#8

The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Need an amplifier for a ‘7...

Last post by kevinplaystheblues - July 04, 2025, 06:52:07 AM

I've not been here in a while, but I didn't have an answer back when you posted anyway. I recently got a UAD dream 65 (Fender Deluxe Reverb modeller) and it is.....amazing.

#9

Other Keyboards & Software Synths / Hohner Pianet L simple preamp ...

Last post by AlfredoMeister - July 03, 2025, 05:36:23 PM

I have an old Hohner Pianet L, one of the ones with built in speakers and a little solid state amp circuit. It's got terrible 60hz hum (already grounded the key shafts, no dice), and a pretty low output. Somebody modified it in the past and added a line out, seemingly tapping from the preamp. The whole circuit is on ancient tagboard and lord knows what's wrong with it, so I was wondering if there are any simple preamp kits or prebuilt boards that I replace the circuit in my Pianet with to provide a clean line level out? thanks.
(maybe a Pianet N or Combo board?).

#10

Parts, Service, Maintenance & Repairs / Re: low output on vox continen...

Last post by mikeydee77 - July 03, 2025, 09:59:42 AM

When you say the output is low, are you referring to the output of a particular key or from the F# board?  Or do you mean the output of all the keys? (If the latter, there is a gain trim pot on the preamp board.)

Alan

Thanks for the reply Alan.   In fact the output of all the notes is a little low to my ears but as I have no experience with these keyboards this could just be normal. 

Yes I was aware of the pre-amp board and even did check all the resistors on the pre amp board and quite a few of the carbon ones had drifted north in value more than 20% so I thought it wise to replace those effected.  This did improve the output a little, but even with the preamp gain control set to maximum the output was still a bit lacking. I subsequently started wondering whether those transistors had lost their mojo but of course they are difficult to obtain being germanium. 

Would you be able to help me out and measure the voltage coming out of one of your own keyboards and let me know the voltage of a certain note at max volume?   If I have that figure then I will have a normal figure as a baseline and I believe be able to figure it out.