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Post your Rhodes pics and its story

Started by Ben Bove, January 18, 2006, 03:29:12 PM

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d-rock

I picked up what I believe to be a 1975 Stage Mark I Rhodes a few months ago for a steal. Only catch was that it was in really rough shape. Always up for a challenge I've taken the last three months to restore it.

As I got her...


Mid-way through the process, here's the workstation I set up for myself in the basement with strict instructions for the kids to not touch anything  ;D


Restored...


There was obviously MUCH in between all this. I had to have a leg repaired at a local machine shop, replaced some broken bridle straps and one damper comb, screws and grommets, etc. etc. Still working on the voicing and will probably replace the hammer tips eventually. All told, it's been a joy to restore this old gal.

I've got a ton more photos in a Flickr album...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/85422586@N06/albums/72157691982101275

Alan Lenhoff

Great job!  Now there's one more beautiful Rhodes in the world...

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; 1983 Roland JX-3P synth; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

d-rock

Quote from: alenhoff on February 06, 2018, 03:56:28 PM
Great job!  Now there's one more beautiful Rhodes in the world...

Alan

Thanks!

bfrye55

#503
Hello - new to the Forum, but not to Rhodes ownership.. I'm the original owner of a 1979 Mk I Stage 73 Dyno Rhodes, recently tuned and regulated by Nir at FenderRhodesLA.com.  Proud to say that Nir, rated my baby as a 9.5 out of 10, it's an AMAZING instrument, superb action, incredible range of sound, showing minimal signs of age!

some additional views:



the quaint original Dyno sticker:



EQ controls close up:



And the harp:








The Real MC

Please use a source other than photobucket.  The pictures do not appear.

conroy

Quote from: d-rock on February 06, 2018, 07:51:38 AM
I picked up what I believe to be a 1975 Stage Mark I Rhodes a few months ago for a steal. Only catch was that it was in really rough shape. Always up for a challenge I've taken the last three months to restore it.
Great job! Congratulations. I can tell you put a lot of love into it. Very much enjoyed your Flickr series on the restoration. How do you find the final results in terms of sound and play?

Spookyman

#506
Yes...it's time for an update. I sold the Rhodes Stage Piano from 1978 (the blue one with the vintage vibe preamp), and ordered two other pianos:

- A Fender Rhodes Stage Piano from 1971
- A Fender Rhodes Suitcase from 1973

Both are in good conditions. The Stage Piano from 1971 needs a fresh voicing. But the internals are in good shape.

Here some pics:

The Fender Rhodes Stage Piano (1971)





I use it with a TRamp; it's a tube preamp that is built with similar circuits like in a Fender Twin Reverb with an added stereo vibrato.

And here the Fender Rhodes Suitcase (1973)





Absolutely classic, with Peterson Preamp and the matching cabinet. Was fully restored by Doug (KlassicKeysGB) and it sounds absolutely wonderful. And yes, it's a perfect pair with a Minimoog.

These Fender Rhodes Pianos are not alone in the room. There are some other vintage pieces of gear in my home studio:





Fender Rhodes Stage 1971
Fender Rhodes Suitcase 1973

Student Rhodes

Nice looking pianos.   Is that a Vintage Vibe sparkle harp cover, or did you do that yourself?
Ray

Spookyman

It's not a vintage vibe harp cover. It's the original lid that i gave for custom painting job to a Switzerland-based drum manufacturer.
Fender Rhodes Stage 1971
Fender Rhodes Suitcase 1973

thetrufflehog

#509


My first post on the forum!

This is my Rhodes. It was made in the 26th week of 1974. It was sitting un-used in my highschool, and I asked to buy it around 2003, and the music director said "take it home, it doesn't have all the parts." It was only missing the screw for the leg braces and the sustain pedal rod! So yeah, it was free plus like 25$ for parts. Back then there were fewer places to get parts, but I got them I think from now defunct Speakeasy Vintage, which is where I got the stereo vibrato preamp you see in the photo (GREAT piece of gear - with the motion sound it nearly cures my suitcase envy and weighs a whole lot less). I also think I got the repro MK2 lid from Speakeasy to make stacking a nord on top easier (the original lid is at my parent's house in New England). Incedently, the ARP I got a few years ago fits amazingly on the MK2 lid too.

Cosmetically, its pretty bad, but I kind of love that about it to be honest. It's got battle scars. Right around the time I got it, casters were bolted directly to the case and lid...if anyone has any constructive reasons why I should take the casters off (read: practical - save the handwringing about the sacred rhodes or cosmetic concerns), I'm all ears. With the casters, and the right car, I deal with this instrument entirely by myself (and I'm not a big guy at all). I have always gigged with it fairly regularly (less so these days, but still around once a month).

It plays and sounds wonderful. Big fat '74 tone with good dynamics and range between bark and mellow tones. Miracle mod was done recently which was pretty life changing, and I re-did the grommets but will probably re-do them again with retro linear parts because the ones I got from avion studios were so-so. I have learned to do my own voicing and have it where I like it. I also do my own tuning, and I have it stretch tuned which I prefer. I tend to run it from the harp these days rather than the "input" jack. There are lots of other little things I will do when I have the time and money like new hammer tips, damper felts, and replacing some weak tines, but it's very playable as is.

I've played some better Rhodes pianos and I've played a lot that were way worse, but I will never part with mine. It's been mine for too long and I love it way too much.
1974 Stage 73
Korg Arp Odyssey
Nord Electro 3
Mason and Hamlin Model 50 Upright
Motion Sound KP200S
Kustom Coupe 36
(Rhodes) Behringer C9 Comp > EHX Soul Food > MXR Univibe Kokko Space Reverb > Speakeasy Vintage Stereo Vibrato Preamp
(ARP) Donner Yellow Fall Delay

Student Rhodes

Welcome to the group. 
I've always liked the way that type of harp cover looks on the MK I pianos.
Nice to see Malcom again.
Ray

TimeAndTineAgain

Hey guys. Guess I'll hop in. Here it is

73key boogie


great pics!!

and nice keyboards

how do you find that Echolette? a tech told me to stay away from the due to parts rarity & maintenance issues, but I always dug the look of them

never had a chance to try one out though

Pbean

#513
Rhodes Kill is what happens when you run over an alligator with your Rhodes.
Bought this MKII in unplayable condition. Rebuilt from the ground up.
New Key tops and key bushings. New grommets hammers dampers and pedestal felt. Tolex hardware and painted a sparkle top lid.
Added preamp and that made a big difference. Fun to play.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OePwvpSPgVTQpkn_7IytsxU9gpTZS6gL/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16BNsqy1tHZGrY1t05R4j2BzCvE4o1tkV/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VbJNHhKVdVDZuK9GHTU3UHavouWIXUe/view?usp=sharing

Student Rhodes

That piano looks clean!
Nicely done.

sage

Hi, Thanks for having me! My first Mark V story: About 10 years ago bought a Mark 1 from Wheaton College in Mass. for 300. Got it home, didn't love it--sluggish action, dull, lifeless tone, just like my suitcase 88 from years before that I got rid of for said reasons. Sold the Mark 1 in  less than an hour for 400. Went back to Wheaton to try another one---a "damaged" Mark 5 for 350. The only damage was that the shell had popped of, which took all of one minute to re-secure it. I've been in love ever since!

Nelson 54

Hi - New to the EP-Forum. First time Rhodes owner (I had a Wurly years ago) and I gig with a digital piano and vintage Korg clonewheels (1981 BX-3 and CX-3). I found a Rhodes 54 on Guitar Center's vintage online site. Posted for under one hour, and I was one of 5 buyers in line (I was #2 and the first buyer fell through!). $1699 and $40 to freight it 1,100 miles!   Just got it this week and it's amazing.  Appears to have been restored some years back by "ursomyrhodes" (who has posted on this Forum).  Probably retolexed with new repro hardware, but in beautiful shape-no rips.  Inside it's minty fresh - all shiny, with red coil pickups now wired in parallel groups (probably restoration) and no rust or corrosion whatsoever on the tines, tone bars or other internal hardware, and a switchcraft 1/4" jack replacing the RCA connecction.   Plays like a dream - nice accelerated action - feels and sounds great, pretty much arrived in tune, and with good balanced output.  A couple of small issues - one latch is broken (new pair on the way) and the tone slider may not be working (need to check out further -- easy fix). I know these are hard to find in any shape and the GC staff vouched for the nice condition, but this is better than I expected.  Super happy to have it ... and to join the Rhodes club!
1980 Rhodes 54
2018 Kawai ES8
1981 Korg BX-3
1981 Korg CX-3
2020 Casio Privia PX-S3000
1965 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb
1969 Fender Deluxe Reverb (SF)
1966 Fender Princeton Reverb
1960 Maestro (Gibson) GA-2RT
1960 Bell (Maestro/Gibson) BA-15R
Motion Sound KP-500SN
Motion Sound KBR-M
Speakeasy Vintage Music - Tube Preamp (for Motion Sound/Clonewheel)
Neo Ventilator (original version)

Solomon

For many years I've been feeling a low-level but constant desire to get a Rhodes, and this month I finally took the plunge! It's a 1978 mark 1 Stage 73. I don't have any previous experience with actual electric pianos (though I've played lots of Rhodes patches on digital keyboards), so I have no basis of comparison but I think it sounds pretty great!

Check it out, here's my very first recording with it: https://youtu.be/Rns1GSf7MJ8

benjaminthe1st

I had a Wurlitzer 200 in my early 20's, and have missed having an EP for about as long.  I came across a FB marketplace for a 1973 Mark Rhodes Stage 88 needing "TLC."  The piano was originally used in a band, haven't found any heritage to, then acquired by a woman in the late 70's, she loved it, but a giving person and when a family member mentioned interest she let them have it, fast forward a few years she heard it was in the families closet, at which point she took it back.

All the pick ups work, about 4-5 play and stick keys, 4 slow refract keys and overall tone is nice, but pickups need adjusting for distance to regulate volume.  Nothing dodgy on the the pots bass/volume.  Original legs included, missing cross brace, and actual pedal (post was included.)  I'll load more pics apparently there was at least one coke that was sacrificed on bout the 70th -73 key where some keys stick, and there is moderate key height difference around there.  The tolex is shot (back of board is wood spray painted black missing Fender Rhodes badge, and the Eighty Eight is broke,  hardware needs swapping, but overall.... I'm very happy.

I would love to confirm what are the tonebars and harp raw material, I understand they are finished in yellow zinc, but don't know the base material.




LongAndWindingRhodes

Hi all,
I suppose this is my Rhodes Story post. I found mine on craigslist, first one there, and the same old story goes...the gentleman with the grateful dead skull taped to his front door answers and shows me his Rhodes. Says he never once played it since he bought it in the 90's. His house is carpeted and covered in dust, so I believe him when I open it to find not a single speck or dust. Anyway, I brought a little bass amp and didn't bring a cable because there was one pictured. I plug in- no sound. I took a chance and used it as an excuse to bargain the price down to $800. I could sort of tell without amplification that the piano was going to be in at least decent working order, and cosmetically it was beautiful. The hard top has almost no scratches which leads me to believe it really hasn't been used much. Nothing is jarringly out of tune, but I haven't yet made any adjustments to tines and bars. Eventually I might bring it to a place here in Tucson.

From my research, I believe the piano is a 1973 Fender Rhodes from the Satellite Speaker package.
It seems from what I've read that you can date the pianos by reading the four-digit numbers on the harp rack (is that the right term?). My four-digit number is 3443, which doesn't seem to follow that, unless for some reason they substituted '7' for '4'. I know that the story goes Fender dropped it's name so it could sell in more stores. That was reported to be around the end of 1973. Which would make sense, because my gold sticker on the inside just says Rhodes, but the name plates say Fender Rhodes. Before anyone says it's a frankenstein, or that someone replaced the plates-I don't think anyone replaced the plates on this piano. Not that kind of guy. My theory is that it was made in 1973, after they had decided to drop Fender, so manufacturing put the Rhodes sticker on it. However, if this particular piano headed to a Fender dealer before that, or same time, they used the fender nameplates simply because they could.  And what about these other stamps?
The hammers have rubber tips, and are half wood, half plastic. Coils have clear tape wrapped around them.
So a few questions I'd loe to have answered:
-Any knowledge or advice about year it was made would be super appreciated!
-It seems like this was made for the Super Satellite system, because of the amp, and that the bottom has places for legs to screw in to (going to have to buy replacements as there are no legs unfortunately). I haven't seen any photos of that integrated amp on the seventy three's. Only the stage eighty eights. thoughts?
- Since the satellite speakers are expensive and hard to come by, are there any other ways I can get that Left right effect with different speakers? I can play in to my fender amp with the accessory output but really hoping to get that satellite effect one day.
- Why no date stamp? And whats up with the other stamps?

I'm really happy with the Rhodes and hope to have it for years to come. Been enjoying the forums for a few months now, and just finally decided to get around to making this post.  ;D
ReplyQuoteNotify

LongAndWindingRhodes


Alan Lenhoff

#521
Your piano was "born"  on Aug. 21, 1974. That was a great era for Rhodes parts and assembly quality.

The 3443 stamp is its final assembly date stamp.  The code is:  week of the year (34); year (4='74) and day of the work week (3=Wednesday).

The transition to the Rhodes-only branding came in '73 for student pianos, but the other models made the transition in '74.  During that transition, they made a lot of pianos with Fender-Rhodes branding on the outside badges and Rhodes-only serial number stickers, just like yours. (I have a June '74 Stage piano that's also branded in that way.)  They were a frugal company: They must have decided to use up their supply of Fender Rhodes badges before making the change to the new outside branding, even though they had already moved on to Rhodes-only serial number stickers.

Another way to verify that it's a '74:  A '73 would have had keys with plastic "skirts" on the sides of each key, and slightly rounded tops. I'm betting yours has bare wood on the sides of the keys, flat tops -- and the front of the keys are more yellow than the tops.  These are the kinds of keys they were using in mid-'74.

It's subjective, but yours is in my favorite era of Rhodes pianos.  Enjoy it!

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; 1983 Roland JX-3P synth; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

LongAndWindingRhodes

Alan,
Thanks so much. I ran back to my post after finally running in to the FAQ page, and you verified what I meant to correct myself. Great info about the keys too. You are correct. I think I prefer flat keys to rounded so that's great. So great to have the date cleared up. I was a little jazzed about it a '73 seventy three, but hey '74 is a great year for songs with Fender Rhodes.

The only question I have left unanswered then would be if there are any speakers out there in the world besides the original satellites that could work with this piano to get that left/right stereo effect? Or, who wants to sell me some Fender Satellites?  ::)

sean

#523
LnWR,

Get yourself a 24-Volt power supply for that 4-pin Peterson preamp.  This is the VV cheekblock PS with the cable:
https://www.vintagevibe.com/products/fender-rhodes-4-pin-cheek-block-power-supply?variant=899468355

That is a $216 hefty investment, considering that you can't be certain your preamp is in working condition.  (You might have to get the preamp repaired, but maybe not.  Roll the dice.)  The cheekblock power supply will give you left and right outputs that you can run to a pair of guitar amps, or to a little [stereo] PA system.

If the leg mounts on the bottom of the piano are in good shape, you can buy the legs and cross braces from Vintage Vibe as well.  VV sells replica sustain pedals too (or you can easily build your own).

Sean



LongAndWindingRhodes

#524
Thanks for your reply, Sean. I should have known that VV had a solution for this. The legs and other parts I knew they made, but I wasn't aware of the PS. With a little luck, a can do all of this (as well as maybe a miracle mod) and have the piano on legs with sustain pedal and dual channel trem and vibrato for its 50th birthday. I have a couple years  ;D

Alan Lenhoff

#525
Quote from: LongAndWindingRhodes on November 19, 2021, 12:43:59 PM
Thanks for your reply, Sean. I should have known that VV had a solution for this. The legs and other parts I knew they made, but I wasn't aware of the PS. With a little luck, a can do all of this (as well as maybe a miracle mod) and have the piano on legs with sustain pedal and dual channel trem and vibrato for its 50th birthday. I have a couple years  ;D

If your piano was a 1973 model, the action likely would feel desperately heavy to you, and you'd definitely want to do a bump mod.  But after careful cleaning, lubing and adjustments, my 1974 Stage plays beautifully without a bump mod. Make no mistake: It plays like a Rhodes, not like a synth.  But you might want to get other things in order before you buy a bump kit.

BTW, this 12-year-old post by Sean is still, in my mind, the gold standard checklist for restoring a Rhodes:  https://ep-forum.com/smf/index.php?topic=5721.msg28106#msg28106

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; 1983 Roland JX-3P synth; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

John Brevik

I'd agree with Sean except maybe just to say that since you got such a good deal on the piano it might be worth it to rebuild the preamp anyway.

The Satellite speakers are basically impossible to find. There were the "Leslie 60" and "Leslie 70" speakers as well, but those are fairly rare. The power supply kit/stereo out will be a great investment. Back in my performing days I had that rig (with a different power supply) and loved the effect when the speakers were set wide apart!
John Brevik

1966(?) Student 73
Hammond A100 chop/Leslie 21H 2-speed

LongAndWindingRhodes

#527
Interesting. I've read that the bump mods are good for pianos built in this year, but with that being said, the action feels pretty good. It's hard to know if its at it's sweet spot when you don't have anything around to compare to. I was in a band for many years where a later 70's Rhodes owned by another member was used on a ton of songs. I even played it on a song. I lived with them and it was in my house, so I get that it's not going to feel like a synth. I don't mind it having the action that softer action, but it does sometimes take a little heavier touch to hammer the keys than what I'm used to. Maybe thinking of the more bouncy keys on the Rhodes that my friends own.  Like I said, it is in remarkable cosmetic shape. I wouldn't doubt if it was never used. Hardly a scratch on the lid, not a single bit of rust or even dust on the bars (no humidity in Tucson might help). The keys are level, and there are only a few keys that are minutely out of tune, but hardly noticeable when just practicing. I would bet that the preamp is in good working order, knock on wood. Maybe some people have suggestions about what monitors the Rhodes sound good through. For now I use a fender bass amp, but I also have a Fender Deluxe tube amp. I was once told that Rhodes sound better out of solid state than tubes. I never really understood why not. Too hot?
Great link to that restoration info. I will bookmark that immediately.
John- Thanks,  I will look in to those Leslies.
Oh side note, I search for Rhodes on craigslist as it is an addiction I'm sure everyone here relates to whether they have Rhodes or not. A Rhodes M1 student went up last week (only other one I've seen on CL in last yr) that actually had one Rhodes Satellite speaker that came with it. Rhodes and speaker for $1000. But the piano looked like it was really beat up. I emailed to see if I could buy just the speaker and never got a reply. Oh well. Which one of you got it??!!

(I edited later this to make more sense)

Alan Lenhoff

Passing along some words of wisdom I got from one of the nation's best vintage keys techs:  Don't replace anything on a Rhodes without having a good reason for doing so.  This isn't just to save you time and money.  There are a lot of bad replacement parts on the market that will change the character of the instrument.  (And for the record, this guy actually manufactures and sells replacement Rhodes parts, so he's speaking against his own financial interests.) 

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; 1983 Roland JX-3P synth; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

The Real MC

Quote from: Alan Lenhoff on November 20, 2021, 12:08:37 PM
Passing along some words of wisdom I got from one of the nation's best vintage keys techs:  Don't replace anything on a Rhodes without having a good reason for doing so.  This isn't just to save you time and money.  There are a lot of bad replacement parts on the market that will change the character of the instrument.  (And for the record, this guy actually manufactures and sells replacement Rhodes parts, so he's speaking against his own financial interests.) 

Alan

Truth.  Years ago I bought a remote power supply from CAE Sound for a Peterson preamp.  It caused 60hz hum in the preamp when I used it.  When I opened the power supply, I found out that it was unregulated - useless.  A proper regulated power supply will not cause 60hz hum.

CJMorgan

#530
Here's my Rhodes MARK I Seventy Three key 1979 piano. 
I found it from a gentleman who fixes electric guitars and resells them.  He had gotten this 73 from an estate sale, kept it in storage for a while and decided to sell it.  When I got it, the Tolex was stinky and moldy, there were paint splatters on it, some pickups didn't work and it was out of tune. I was going to have it professionally adjusted and tuned, but there would have been a 4 to 5 month waiting period and I was impatient to be able to play it.  It became my latest COVID-19 project, so I spent a lot of time reading up and watching videos on how to fix it up.

Now, its been cleaned inside and out; adjusted and tuned with new grommets, new pickups were needed, additional tone bar clips, etc.  I'm still tweaking the escapement to get it exactly right.  The top has been buffed and polished up. It got a facelift with funky new red and black snakeskin Tolex.

When I replace the beat up Tolex and hardware on my Mark I Eighty-Eight, I plan to post pictures of that as well. The story of the Eighty-Eight is that I got it from a gentleman outside Dayton, Ohio who had gotten it many years ago hoping his kids would master it.  He got it from a man who work on and repairs instruments for professional musicians like Bootsy Collins, and has worked on Moog synthesizers and the like. The inside is beautiful.  It's in great tune and the electronics look and sound pristine.  The Tolex and corners are very beat up, consistent with a Rhodes which would have been used by a touring musician. I would really like to know the whole provenance of the Eighty-Eight.  Perhaps that's something that this Forum could do?? (Keep a history of Fender Rhodes pianos by serial number, with notable owners & uses on recordings, by venues or on tours?? That could be a fun project for the right person.) 🤔

Like everyone on this forum, I love the mellow Rhodes sound. Getting the actual sound and feel from playing a real Rhodes is so much more fulfilling than from a MIDI.

Filmosound 621

^^ looks funky indeed, it is something different and I like it.


congrats for getting it "on the road".   :)

and many happy times playing it, very well deserved.   :)

CJMorgan

GREEN Rhodes Mark I 88 Stage Piano
Restored with Green Snakeskin "Maneater" Tolex
The corners and hinge hardware are copper.
Its my second Rhodes Piano restoration / COVID pandemic project.
I love it!

Jive_Miguel

Hello all. New member here sharing my find: Mk1 from late 1976, going by the codes. Long time musician, mainly guitar, some keyboard. Been wanting the real deal for years, and finally found one that was about a 3-hour drive from me. It's in excellent condition. I need to work on the sustain pedal a bit, as it only sustains certain keys and not others, but I'm hoping that's a relatively simple tweak.

I've loved scrolling through the other photos in this thread, and am looking forward to exploring the forum.







"E-excuse me, uh, I don't think there's anything wrong with the action on this piano."

Matthias_H

#534
Hi!

I happened upon a rather gross, moldy, corroded 1976 Mark 1 Stage 73 with the low-E tine missing and two broken pickups. All screws are white or rusty-red, and the case is so rotten and stinky I will have to throw it away and rebuild it from scratch, also giving it a major modification. Find my project write-up here.

Cheers,
Matthias_H

duckduck

Hi there. I just bought a 1974 Mark I Stage 88. It used to belong to a neighbor of the seller. When the neighbor moved away, he gave his Fender Rhodes to the seller. The seller doesn't play, so sold it to me.

It came with the plastic lid, the wooden lid, all of the legs, supports, support thumb-screw, foot pedal, and pedal-rod.

It seems to be in very OK condition. One of the pickups is dead, and the keys feel more wobbly than they probably should. I just ordered rubber feet for it. I am planning on buying the full "kit" from Vintage Vibe so I can get it playing like it should. I'll put pictures up as soon as I get the feet.

Perhaps one day I'll build a tube pre-amp for it. That would be cool.
1974 Fender Rhodes Mark I Stage 88
1959 Hammond A100 / Leslie 122

luisdent

#536
So, I may be the luckiest rhodes fan alive. Not too long ago I was contacted by a friend who works as music director of a local college. She knew someone who wanted to get rid of a keyboard they no longer needed. Thry sent a photo and my heart dropped. I asked how much, and she said no charge, they just wanted it to go to someone who would use it. I argued i should give them something but they refused. Alas, i own a rhodes.

I never thought I'd have one of these in a million years. It is my favorite sounding instrument of all time. I don't know too much about them, but i think it is in decent condition. Case has some wear, but internals are clean with no rust. The front controls don't work, so i have the rca jack bypassing them for now. I'm pretty sure it is just a loose wire i need to solder. not sure yet.

i can post better photos later, but i think it is an april 1977 model mk1 88.

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longshadow71

This was posted on Facebook Marketplace as "Free Organ". It was posted by a friend of my wife.  I immediately drove to her place to snatch it up and I even offered cash, which she refused.  Complete with cover, which needs some restoration as well.  Problem is, I only hear tones from about 6 notes around the lower register.  Still worth putting some $ into, I believe.

Michael

re: The video was taken spur of the moment... had to put down my phone to actually play. It wasn't tuned in about 10 years. So not exactly one of those pro shot videos. Ran it though a roland jc 77




I woke up this morning and watched an hour long youtube video on the Rhodes piano. Brought back a lot of ole memories for me... and while I don't visit this forum very often... I still come to read posts every once in a while.

Anyways, here's a video that I shot on my cellphone when I dug out my Rhodes piano this past summer. I bought it off of a musician that worked on Broadway. He lived in one of those apartment complexes in downtown Manhattan. Legit had to climb like 6-10 flights of stairs just to knock on his door. (HA, He was nice enough to help me carry it back down those stairs after I bought it.) It honestly needed a lot of work... and I likely over paid for it.

Nevertheless, it was the perfect beater for me to own. I had no fear just ripping it apart and learning how it worked. I tore off the tolex and sanded it down to zero and stained it. It came with a vintage vibe attachment to get the suitcase features. Glued in the speed bumps, re-did all the grommets, soldered in pick-ups, and tuned it the best I could. For the record, I use a wine cork to plunge the damper pedal.

Long story short, life threw me several curve-balls and all my vintage gear took a back seat in my life. I wanted to post my Rhodes here. It's mine. Like muscle cars... this is my muscle car. I tricked it out the way I wanted it to look, feel, and play.

So as 2024 rolls in... I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and funky year! My plan is to get back into music and finish what I started.

ps. It was forum member Ben Bove (bjammerz) who hosted the youtuber in the video. You sir are one cool guy. The name rung a bell and I logged in here - small world :)



 

moulagaufr

Hello to everybody !
I'm new on the forum and to the Rhodes world !
Here are some pics of my recently purchased 1973 stage 73 (with a non matching sustain pedal from vintage vibe unfortunately...) that I use with a 65 Deluxe Reverb, Boss CE-1 and Electro Harmonix Small Stone.
 :) 

moulagaufr

And then comes my first question : I didn't notice it at first but the keyboard is not wooden made but plastic made as you can see on the pics below. Does it imply it has been replaced by a MarkII one or something like that at some point of its history ?
The seller forgot to mention it and as newbie as I am, I didn't check...

spave

Quote from: moulagaufr on July 08, 2024, 08:42:33 AMAnd then comes my first question : I didn't notice it at first but the keyboard is not wooden made but plastic made as you can see on the pics below. Does it imply it has been replaced by a MarkII one or something like that at some point of its history ?
The seller forgot to mention it and as newbie as I am, I didn't check...

Welcome to the forum!

To answer your question, no the keys have not been replaced. 1973 Rhodes have what are called "hollow" key caps which is what yours has. Starting in 1974, Rhodes got traditional "all wood" keys like pianos and then the very last Mk2 Rhodes got all plastic keys that do not have any wood in them at all.

You can see the different key styles here on Vintage Vibe's key page: https://www.vintagevibe.com/collections/fender-rhodes-keys
1969 KMC Home Rhodes Prototype

moulagaufr

Thank you very much for this info ! I wasn't aware at all about this... I must admit I prefer the look of "all wood" keys but if there isn't any mismatch on my piano keyboard it's a good news anyway ! 

The Real MC

Quote from: moulagaufr on July 09, 2024, 12:07:19 AMI must admit I prefer the look of "all wood" keys but if there isn't any mismatch on my piano keyboard it's a good news anyway ! 

I prefer the feel of wood keys.  I had a Rhodes with the hollow keys and I bought a set of surplus wood keys to replace them with.  Unfortunately the guide pins are not in the same locations and they would not fit.  They were made by different vendors and are not interchangeable, and the vendors changed over the years.

moulagaufr

That's interesting because I have the opportunity to buy a not in good shape 1976 stage with wood keys and I was considering swapping keyboards.
But apparently it's not possible without a lot of modifications.
So I'm gonna stick with the hollow keys I believe ...

Alan Lenhoff

I have a '74 Stage with full wooden keys and a '72 Piano Bass with the "hollow" keys.  I can't say I really have a preference for the feel of one or the other. They are both fine.  Part of this may be that I have a studio full of vintage keyboards. Each has a different keyboard feel. So, I guess I've developed a tolerance for the variation among them.

However, I definitely have a preference for the look of the "hollow" keys.  My "hollow" keys have remained beautifully white over the years. The wooden keys turn yellow over time (either on the key fronts or the entire key, depending on the year). You can whiten the yellowed keys with several methods, some of which involve a substantial amount of labor (sanding and polishing the keys). Better to spend your time playing!

Beyond that, the feel of the keys is determined by more than the style of the keys. The design of the piano changed over the years, and how the piano is set up and maintained can make a big difference, too.

Some of the most celebrated Rhodes players of the 1970s made fabulous music playing pianos with the hollow keys. You can, too!

Alan
Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; 1983 Roland JX-3P synth; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

moulagaufr

Yep, I have to admit that my hollow keys are still "ultra brite" white despite their age  ;D

73key boogie

Quote from: Spookyman on June 11, 2018, 03:07:29 PMYes...it's time for an update. I sold the Rhodes Stage Piano from 1978 (the blue one with the vintage vibe preamp), and ordered two other pianos:

- A Fender Rhodes Stage Piano from 1971
- A Fender Rhodes Suitcase from 1973

Both are in good conditions. The Stage Piano from 1971 needs a fresh voicing. But the internals are in good shape.

Here some pics:

The Fender Rhodes Stage Piano (1971)





I use it with a TRamp; it's a tube preamp that is built with similar circuits like in a Fender Twin Reverb with an added stereo vibrato.

And here the Fender Rhodes Suitcase (1973)





Absolutely classic, with Peterson Preamp and the matching cabinet. Was fully restored by Doug (KlassicKeysGB) and it sounds absolutely wonderful. And yes, it's a perfect pair with a Minimoog.

These Fender Rhodes Pianos are not alone in the room. There are some other vintage pieces of gear in my home studio:







Old post, but quoting anyway: Spooky it looks like the cover on your gold rhodes is behind the clip on the namerail. It looks bent inwards there?

I just discovered the same thing with mine. I thought the cover was warped, but there is a clip to hold it tight against the namerail. If you're not careful putting the cover on, it will go behind the clip & get bent inwards like that.