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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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goldphinga

Looks great!! How does it sound and play? Looks like you need to do some key levelling there (sorry dont mean to be picky but couldnt help noticing)

trumpetman

Yep, I had just finished putting the piano together when I took the pix. Now comes the adjustment phase, key shims included. 8)
1981 Rhodes Seventy-three Mark II
2009 Rhodes 73A Mark 7

jbarkley00

#452
My Children:

Rhodes Suitcase Mark II 73 - Unbelievable condition. I got this off of a guy on this forum actually years ago.  The Rhodes sat in the original box in a church unused since the 80's. The previous owner before me had bought it from the church a few years before I purchased it off him and it was sitting in his studio the whole time maintaining fantastic condition. My pride and joy with the Little Phatty on top to boot.

Vintage Vibe 44 Deluxe - Got this recently and couldn't be happier.  Obviously it cost a pretty penny and took me a long time to pay off but it was well worth it. Incredible piano. I went with the purple sparkle top and I run it through a pair of Leslie 60 vintage speakers (the vibrato is amazing).

Wurlitzer 206 - No special story... Just got a good deal and its in prime condition

Roland VK-7 - I'm running this through a Motion Sound SRV-112. I believe the SRV 112 is supposed to be used for guitar but it has a great rotating speaker that works great with the Roland for a solid Leslie sound. Circuit bent Furby hanging out on top.

Thanks for letting me share!




januismer

I've created a website to show off and track the progress of my Rhodes restoration.

https://januismersite.wordpress.com/2015/11/30/the-buy/


sunrunner

Here is my 1973 Fender Rhodes Suitcase 88, and my 1977 Rhodes Stage piano.

I purchased the 1973 Fender Rhodes Suitcase 88 from Vintage Vibe in February of this year, fully restored. It looks and plays so great, it's unbelievable...

The 1977 Rhodes Stage was given to me by my brother, after he bought it in Alabama for $65!  It was not in playable condition... on the contrary, it needed a complete restoration and lots of TLC (see last picture).  I restored everything from the bottom up - including new tines / tonebars.  After a full refurb, it plays like a million bucks.

-Jeremy
1973 Fender Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 88-key
1980 Rhodes Mark II Stage 73-key

The Real MC

NICE job on the suitcase - good year for those pianos.

Student Rhodes

Nice looking suitcase.
In your third photo, the piano has a flat top harp cover.  Is this the same piano?
Personally, I think a Mk II cover can look pretty good on a Mk I, especially an Eighty-Eight. 
The low line of the flat top over the length of the 88 adds a sleekness that isn't quite there when you put a flat top on a Seventy-Three.

Is this an early '73 Suitcase?  The extra angle on the shell near the cheek blocks would lead me to think that.

Ray

sunrunner

Quote from: Student Rhodes on July 05, 2016, 02:22:16 AM
Nice looking suitcase.
In your third photo, the piano has a flat top harp cover.  Is this the same piano?
Personally, I think a Mk II cover can look pretty good on a Mk I, especially an Eighty-Eight. 
The low line of the flat top over the length of the 88 adds a sleekness that isn't quite there when you put a flat top on a Seventy-Three.

Is this an early '73 Suitcase?  The extra angle on the shell near the cheek blocks would lead me to think that.

Ray

Thanks Ray - yes, it's the same piano! I have two lids: a flat top, and round top.

As for when in '73 it was made, I'll have to take a look around... I can't read the week numbers on the harp, so I'll have to look elsewhere on the piano for the date. Agreed on the possibility of early 73, due to the case angle near the cheek blocks.
1973 Fender Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 88-key
1980 Rhodes Mark II Stage 73-key

Bigted45

We found this little guy in a storeroom at our business.  We thought it was a toy, but it might be a fender Rhodes 32 key Celeste.  There is no power cord, or cord from the speaker to the piano.

What is this?  How do I make it work?  How much is it worth?


ted

Tim Hodges

Quote from: Bigted45 on November 10, 2016, 11:48:57 AM
We found this little guy in a storeroom at our business.  We thought it was a toy, but it might be a fender Rhodes 32 key Celeste.  There is no power cord, or cord from the speaker to the piano.

What is this?  How do I make it work?  How much is it worth?


ted

Hi Ted,

That's a Fender Rhodes piano bass. Not a toy but used for accompaniment, the Doors used to use one (but that was a gold top)

As for price, I'm not sure what they go for nowadays. Where are you based?
Bristol Electric Piano
UK

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Alan Lenhoff

It doesn't use a power cord.  You need to plug it into a guitar/bass amp using the jack on the left side of the chrome front panel.

In the U.S., if it's in reasonable shape, it's worth $1,000+.

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/ )

Bigted45

Quote from: tjh392 on November 10, 2016, 12:26:11 PM
Quote from: Bigted45 on November 10, 2016, 11:48:57 AM
We found this little guy in a storeroom at our business.  We thought it was a toy, but it might be a fender Rhodes 32 key Celeste.  There is no power cord, or cord from the speaker to the piano.

What is this?  How do I make it work?  How much is it worth?


ted

Hi Ted,

That's a Fender Rhodes piano bass. Not a toy but used for accompaniment, the Doors used to use one (but that was a gold top)

As for price, I'm not sure what they go for nowadays. Where are you based?

Anaheim, CALIF

Tines&Reeds

I build this little speaker during the weekend... it's based on the Thiele TL806 design featuring an Eminence Delta Pro 12A speaker. It sounds absolutely incredible! I do build a second one at the moment to have real-stereo ;-) For now it's just a passiv box but I want to include an amp soon.
German Rhodes Tech nearby Hamburg / Bremen

http://www.tinesandreeds.com

timpecter


Hello!  I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. 


I've owned my Fender Rhodes for over 10 years, a rash purchase second hand from a music shop in San Francisco circa 2005.  It has since relocated with me to the UK.  I only recently got around to taking piano lessons so I'm only now getting to use it properly.  What a joy to play!  I have actually never properly identified the model or the year of origin - if anyone can help me it would be most appreciated.  At the moment the piano functions fine when I plug it into my guitar amp  However when I try to use it with its own amp there is no sound produced.  I believe the amp is working fine but that there is some fault in the connections within the circuitry in the front panel of the piano.  Any troubleshooting guidance appreciated - I do have some electronics experience and I'm fairly certain I can fix this.  Also any other ideas for general maintenance would be most appreciated.


Thanks very much!  Pics and some more info below.


-Tom








The serial number on the piano:




Someone has written 'pre-CBS' on the interior of the piano - but is it correct?





The amplifier certainly appears to be CBS:





A document accompanied the piano inside the case detailing a preamplifier modification but I'm not sure if this had been performed or not:







Here's the interior showing the circuitry behind the front panel:



David Aubke

Welcome to the forum.

I could believe 1970 but it is not "Pre-CBS". According to the timeline on the Super Site, CBS bought Fender (and with it Rhodes) in 1965.
Dave Aubke
Shadetree Keys

Tim Hodges

Hi Tom,

Where are you based in the UK?

It's a nice example of an early MK1 Peterson Suitcase.
Bristol Electric Piano
UK

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timpecter

Thank you for the replies!  I'm based in London, thj392.

Ben Bove

As David mentioned - yes, it's not "pre-CBS" but it's still a rare, early model.  Great piano! 

It's sharpee marked March, 1970 which you should be able to find the actual factory stamping on the underside of the harp for this vintage (if you wanted to go digging, unscrew the large screws holding the harp down at the left and right side, and lift up).  In 1970, they stamped a production month with the year underneath, rather than the more common 4-digit stamps on top.  So that would coincide with someone being able to write on it "March 1970" as opposed to "3271" or something like that.

The red felt lining in the lid also coincides with this vintage, as well as the serial number being hyphenated, the model indicated as well as little indicators like type of knobs and keys.  Definitely a 1970.  This model would have originally come with felt cube hammer tips, but it may have had neoprene rubber tips installed later.

As far as the amp is concerned, this version can be troublesome to troubleshoot as it's two amplified channels in one amp.  On the left side of the bottom power amp, should be 1/4" jacks labeled "External Amplifier" channel 1 and 2.  If you plug some sort of input into each channel like an ipod etc. one channel at a time, you can see if your bottom amp is functioning or distorted etc. but the process is slightly involved to see if the power amp, 2 amp modules, speakers, preamp and cable are all functioning or narrowing down what has failed.

I can't tell exactly what the non-factory switch is to the right of the volume knob.
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timpecter

Hi Ben - Thanks for the reply and so nice to learn a little more about this beautiful instrument.  I might take your word for the vintage rather than digging around under the harp, though!

It does look to me like the hammers have felt tips but they are in very fine condition considering the age.  Is it possible these have survived since 1970 or could replacement felt tips have been installed later?

I could post a couple photos of the interior of the piano.  There is a little bit of corrosion on some of the tone bars.  I can only see a small bit of rust on a couple tiny spots.

Regarding the 'External Amplifier' jacks, am I to understand those are actually inputs?  I had assumed they were outputs!

I was going to ask about that switch next to the volume knob although looking at my photo now I wonder if it isn't actually swapping the channels?

Is anyone able to tell from the photo of the preamp whether those caps are originals?  The PCB looked like it might have been resoldered at some point but I could be mistaken.

Thanks again!

Ben Bove

#469
The external outputs interestingly enough can be used as inputs as well.  The felt tips - just make sure you're looking at the hammers themselves, and not the felt dampers that touch the tines - they're often confused.  If they lasted all these years, check for heavy grooves in the hammer tips which could make notes sound dead.

In your preamp - those white Mallorys are original.  I can see a previous repair where dead center of your preamp board pic, at the top, some resistor fried out and browned the board.  Also, if you look at the top right in the pic, there's some browning - the metal slip case that covers the preamp is supposed to have a non-conductive sheet on it, and it appears that the board at one time was contacting the case and arcing.  Some times people slap a little tape over that trace, which is a bit close to the end of the board.
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Mars Hall

Hello, I'm new to the forum and the world of the Rhodes Electric Piano.  I'm the owner, but not a player, of a newly acquired 72 Mark I Stage Model for my rehearsal room.  It needs some TLC, so through reading at the Rhodes Super Site and here, I hope to learn more about getting this beast playing it's absolute best.  The online service manual at TRSS has already proved invaluable.  I'll likely be in need of a couple pu's and a sustain pedal assembly, so any leads for parts sourcing is welcome.  Thanks to the moderators for accepting my membership here.
But most of all we like to play, a song or two that makes you feel, like all the good in you is real...

David Aubke

Quote from: Mars Hall on February 10, 2017, 07:35:22 AM
Hello, I'm new to the forum and the world of the Rhodes Electric Piano.  I'm the owner, but not a player, of a newly acquired 72 Mark I Stage Model for my rehearsal room.  It needs some TLC, so through reading at the Rhodes Super Site and here, I hope to learn more about getting this beast playing it's absolute best.  The online service manual at TRSS has already proved invaluable.  I'll likely be in need of a couple pu's and a sustain pedal assembly, so any leads for parts sourcing is welcome.  Thanks to the moderators for accepting my membership here.

Welcome to the forum.

The only place I know of that sells aftermarket sustain pedal parts is Vintage Vibe.

Bad pickups can be rewound. Sometimes they can even be repaired by just unwinding one wrap of the magnet wire and re-soldering it to the terminal. Otherwise, eBay or just about any supplier can set you up with replacements.
Dave Aubke
Shadetree Keys

jeffojeda

#472
Here's my baby.  Hope you guys like it.  I'm new here and thought I'd share my work on a Rhodes that wasn't playable when t arrived but that I think looks killer in her new suit.  Tell me, what you do think? I re-tolexed her, leveled the keys, tuned and replaced hammer tips and damper pads.
Rhodes '78 (73key)
Korg Kronos (73key)
Yamaha s90-xs (88key)

rhodesjuzz

1976 Rhodes Suitcase 73 <effects loop || EHX Holy Grail Nano>
Line 6 midi keys
Scarbee Mark I, A-200 and Classic EP-88S

jeffojeda

Thanks. Is so fun to work on.  I also put a vintage Vibe time bomb in it. Sounds pretty great to my ear. 
Rhodes '78 (73key)
Korg Kronos (73key)
Yamaha s90-xs (88key)

Student Rhodes

#475
I like the tweed as well.   l've always thought that looked good.
If it were mine, I'd buy a beat up old harp cover, take it to an auto place and have it painted a different color that better lends itself the tweed. Oxblood, tan, cream, red, something other than the black.

jeffojeda

That's funny you say that cause I've been thinking of doing the exact same thing.  I think it would look really good in cream but I like your other suggestions!  Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!  :)
Rhodes '78 (73key)
Korg Kronos (73key)
Yamaha s90-xs (88key)

Student Rhodes

I've had a couple done professionally (one pearl, and a couple sparkle) and they looked great, without any issues.  For them it's like re-spraying a bumper, so the cost isn't outrageous.

With your tolex you could emulate these early Rhodes models. For tweed, something like the cream top on the piano bass in the first shot would look great.  From a historical perspective, the tomato soup color from the second photo on the very rare/prototype Rhodes would be badass.  (Jaime Foxx plays a dummy version of one in a scene from "Ray")  The last photo is just something I pulled off the web when I was considering different colors.

One of the things I've enjoyed about modifying my various Rhodes pianos is that if the job is done well, it's not considered a blasphemous desecration,  as such an act would be considered in the vintage guitar world.
Ray

The Real MC


jeffojeda

Rhodes '78 (73key)
Korg Kronos (73key)
Yamaha s90-xs (88key)

JanustheManus



I got this yesterday from a guy who happens to be on this forum. A custom 1977 with Stereo Vibe.
Mr. Garfield had swapped in a 1976 keybed, implanted 1978 bump mod action and did some tine changing. It truly is a custom model.
After a little re-positioning of the keybed, she now plays beautifully!
Why didn't Fender Rhodes stick with the lovely reflective Sparkle Top rail?

Shayne Fedorek

I have been hunting for a Rhodes for some time. I found this one in my small town of 4000 people. It was right  under my nose the whole time. Got it for $700 and put about 22 hours labor into it. Sounds and plays like a dream. The hunt for a Wurlitzer continues....
💥🎹It's bark IS as good as its bite🎹💥

Student Rhodes

Nice score.
Looks like it has an active pre-amp in it as well? Battery powered?

armstrongsound

#483
Hey guys! Brand new to the forum. I just picked up my first Rhodes after lusting for one for years. The time was right and it seems like it was just meant to be.

She's a Mark 1 Suitcase piano. I got it without the suitcase amp or legs, so just the piano.
But I picked her up for a grand total of

250 dollars. Believe it or not, lol.





It's in fantastic shape considering the price, all the tines sound (except for the very first key which is missing its tine altogether. Probably the best tine that could be missing if any) and incredibly it was still in great tune.

Story goes that last Friday I was scouring the list of Craig (as I do on a daily basis). I always set the location settings as "show other locations" and I'll check literally every city in Texas. I found a listing for a Rhodes piano in Dallas (I live in San Marcos, a good ways from Dallas) at the aforementioned price and I called him to find out what was wrong with it. He proceeded to tell me that keys 11-24 don't sound, but he had never plugged it in as he has gotten the piano for free from one of his regular customers (he works in electronics and tubes) without the amp or legs. I told him I'd drive to Dallas that night right after work (7 hours in the car total).

He told me that someone 20 miles from him had reached out to him first, but "couldn't find the time to come down that day, so I'll just check it out tomorrow".

The seller had told me that he couldn't understand how someone couldn't make time to drive 20 miles to see an incredibly priced vintage Rhodes, so when I called and told him I'd be driving clear across Texas he didn't hesitate and told me it was mine if I showed up with the cash that night.

Guy who sold it to me actually used to play keys with Chuck Rainey back in the day. He was telling me how his main setup revolved around a MKI 88 that he used to own. I noticed that his hand was basically mangled, I think that he must have just had surgery on it or something, but the clearly he wasn't playing anymore. I think this has to do with why he got rid of it at such a low price (on top of the "issues" he thought that it had. More on that in a second). We sat and talked a bit about the experience of schlepping around vintage analog gear and how it's totally worth it for that unmatched tone and timbre. Great guy, and hope to hear from him in the future.

Anyway, after a total of 7 hours of driving, I finally got home with the piano and proceeded right away to test everything. I plugged her into my '68 Vibrolux Reverb via the RCA outlet directly on the harp and was extremely pleased to find that not only did the all of the keys that he thought were dead did in fact sound, but they were also in tune

I did find, however, on plugging it in that keys 44-73 had extremely low output, almost no sound whatsoever. Also a very intense and constant buzz from the piano.
Spent a few hours poking around under the hood and found that there was a tiny break in the pickup wiring between keys 47 and 48.

Reconnected and BAM.

The piano almost sounded brand new. I'm sure more veteran ears could point out certain things in the piano that could be worked on, but to me it is effin' pristine.


Anyway, super happy to be here guys. I love my new/old Rhodes and am very excited to be a part of this community!

-Patrick
1970 Fender Rhodes Mk I Seventy-Three Suitcase (no suitcase amp)
1968 Fender Vibrolux (aa864 circuit)
1947 Hammond CV
1947 Hammond DR-20
1970s Leslie 760
1969 Hammond T202
1956 Hammond S6
1982 Kustom 88
90s Young Chang Upright
Hohner Melodica

JanustheManus

Welcome to the forum Patrick! That sounds like a score!
Why didn't Fender Rhodes stick with the lovely reflective Sparkle Top rail?

armstrongsound

Thanks! There's an incredible amount of info on this forum, very happy to be here. I've updated my post with working pics of the piano btw.
1970 Fender Rhodes Mk I Seventy-Three Suitcase (no suitcase amp)
1968 Fender Vibrolux (aa864 circuit)
1947 Hammond CV
1947 Hammond DR-20
1970s Leslie 760
1969 Hammond T202
1956 Hammond S6
1982 Kustom 88
90s Young Chang Upright
Hohner Melodica

JanustheManus

You're welcome. Based on the logo and the pre-amp, it's an early '70s suitcase top?
Why didn't Fender Rhodes stick with the lovely reflective Sparkle Top rail?

armstrongsound

Yes! 50th week of 1970 if I'm reading the date code correctly.
1970 Fender Rhodes Mk I Seventy-Three Suitcase (no suitcase amp)
1968 Fender Vibrolux (aa864 circuit)
1947 Hammond CV
1947 Hammond DR-20
1970s Leslie 760
1969 Hammond T202
1956 Hammond S6
1982 Kustom 88
90s Young Chang Upright
Hohner Melodica

JanustheManus

Why didn't Fender Rhodes stick with the lovely reflective Sparkle Top rail?

Bennflores

Hi!
Im new to this forum as i wish someone could help me out with my piano! My Dad had passed away 5yrs ago and i had unearthed his piano when my Mom and sis moved out from their old house.. i had used this piano when i was a kid and seeing it again after 28yrs does melt my heart! I believed it is a 79 model seventy three suitecase and the condition is not so good due to its being stored since the last time i touched it! I wanna restore it back to its glory however, its a daunting task given that i lived in Hong Kong and nobody here seemed to know this piano at all! For me, this piece is a classic and the value is much more than i expected coz it belongs to my Dad who had taken care and loved his instruments! I hope someone closeby could help me restore it perhaps give me some tips or advise!

Thanks!

sean


Bennflores,

Step one is to download and read the service manual:   http://www.fenderrhodes.com/service/manual.html

Do you have the cable that goes from the side panel of the bottom amp to the preamp on the name rail? 

Pop off the top cover and show us a few more pictures.  Are all the tines there?  Is it rusted?  (Hong Kong humidity might have rusted it out.)

Take a little time cleaning it out, and you will see that it should be easy to get the piano working again.

The keys look like they need leveling, but that may be just felts or paper punchings (paper spacer rings) not sitting down correctly, or random junk in there.

If you take the namerail off (two screws on either end), you can carefully lift out the keys and see what is going on with the felts and paper punchings.

If you have a working guitar amp, you can plug a cable in to the top accessory jack on the namerail.  (That would not require a working preamp or powersupply in the bottom amp section.)

Keep us updated with your progress, and every time you get stuck, just tell us the situation, and we will help you out.

Sean

Ben Bove

Great advice from Sean!

By the picture, it is a 1975 piano if all original.  Do the keys get stuck down when you push them?
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EvanBingham

Sup y'all,

Just joined the forums.  Picked up my first Rhodes today for 1k.  I believe by the serial numbers that it's a 1977.  It'll need some tweaking for sure:  damper timing, escapement, maybe even some key rebushing.  Fortunately I'm a piano technician.  I know it's not the same, but there are so many similarities I figured I would take the plunge and get one.  I don't know the history of this piano, but I'm definitely happy with how it looks and sounds.  My wife though...says that it looks like I brought a grill into the house :/

Evan

vanceinatlance

#493
Welcome to the forum Evan! Looks like you scored a pretty nice piano from the pic. Being a 77, you might have the felt on the hammers instead of the pedestals wich would only be somewhat of a concern if you decide to do a bump mod. Other than that, looks great! Look foward to seeing what you cook up on your new grill!

EvanBingham

Quote from: vanceinatlance on November 13, 2017, 11:14:52 AM
Welcome to the forum Evan! Looks like you scored a pretty nice piano from the pic. Being a 77, you might have the felt on the hammers instead of the pedestals wich would only be somewhat of a concern if you decide to do a bump mod. Other than that, looks great! Look foward to seeing what you cook up on your new grill!

Felts are definitely on the bottoms of the hammers as opposed to the pedestals.  Why is this a concern?

Tim Hodges

#495
Not so much of a concern but the pianos responsiveness is often not as good as when the felt is on the pedestal.

To improve the playability of the piano a "miracle mod" is often required whereby a small bump is added to the pedestal to help kick up the hammer. You can add the bump by itself on the pedestal (without any felt on top of it) and leave the felt on the hammer cam but sometimes the felt on the cam can lock against the bump if the felt wasn't installed properly by the factory.

So if you find that the action isn't that great, most people would suggest to remove the felt from the bottom of the hammer cam. Do the miracle mod and add the felt on top of it on the pedestal.

For a more in depth write up, check out Ben's sticky on the subject:

The "Miracle Mod" on hybrid wood hammers Pre-1978
Bristol Electric Piano
UK

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vanceinatlance

Sorry for the late response, things got busy. Tim put it very well. I didn't mean to make it so dramatic sounding. Just means you may have a little extra work involved if you decide to do the bump mod.
Vance

EvanBingham

It seems by all accounts that the bump mod is the right thing to do.  I might as well get that VV restoration kit.  There's some oddities on this piano that I'm sure aren't oddities at all, but because of my lack of experience I have trouble diagnosing.


First off,
On a soft blow, everything  E3 and above has an audible tone to it.  Once the damper position changes, going down from Eb3 all the way to E1 have really spotty tone where sometimes I'm getting a really soft note, and other times it's not audible at all unless a hard blow.  If I depress the pedal as I'm going down the bass, the notes sound good.  Aside from checking the lost motion in the dampers, what other issues could this be?

Second,
B4 and above have more action noise than the rest of the piano.  Almost like a high pitch knock or a click.  As I'm not too familiar with what the action noise should sound like, I'm wondering if this is even a valid concern.

Either way, I'm planning on installing everything from the VV restoration kit and see where it goes from there.

sean

#498
Evan,

The hard hammer tips on the treble end of the piano make the collision between the tine and hammer tip exceptionally percussive.
That is just the nature of a Rhodes.  You will get used to it.

Take a look at the Service Manual, and work on your escapement, pickup positioning, and timbre adjustment (voicing).

Escapement:  http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/manual/ch4.html
Pickup volume adjustment:  http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/manual/ch4.html#fig4-9
Timbre Adjustment:  http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/manual/ch4.html#fig4-8


Sean

EvanBingham

Thank you!  I'll keep tech questions over if that section of the forum from now on too.