Rhodes mk1 suitcase

[Shaneb87]

Hoping to find/or get some advice about buying an mk1 suitcase in Australia. They seem pretty hard to come by here.

So far I'm considering hunting a good deal online and balancing that option against the price of shipping.

While I'd love to buy one in excellent condition, also thinking of committing to restoring one, given the right price/condition.

Does anyone know of any mk1's in Australia, or can recommend any good options for shipping one here?

Cheers,
Shane
(Melbourne)

[OZDOC]

Hi Shane
There is a reasonable supply of Rhodes pianos in Australia but they seem to change hands infrequently. And often they find their new owner without advertising. You could try ringing the keyboard salespersons in all of Melbourne's instrument shops. These guys often have lots of band contacts and may know of a potential seller. Otherwise it is a matter of keeping "saved searches' going on Ebay and Gumtree.
Importing one from the US may get you there more quickly if price is not a significant problem. The Australian exchange rate with the US dollar and shipping difficulties during Covid make this much more expensive than it has been. The businesses in the US that regularly sell internationally will often have the shipping contacts to reduce shipping cost and difficulty, but they are likely to charge top dollar for their keyboards. A good Rhodes bought in the US really shouldn't be more than $US1000 - but these days the shipping (air freight) may add $US2000.
David