Post your Rhodes pics and its story

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

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dwilson

Nice work, tasters - she's a beauty!
1976 Mark I Stage 88

andi85

Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

jibbidyjoe

All,
The following story about my Mark V is taken from my blog:
http://www.joehungry.com/?p=105

Quote
This post is all about my Rhodes Mark V Stage 73 piano. But first, some background, if you please.

I must give credit to Will Ammons, good friend and keyboardist from my college band, for introducing me to vintage keyboards and organs, expecially the Fender Rhodes piano. Thank you, Will.

I was in high school when my mom was given a Fender Rhodes Mark Ib Stage 73 from a local school. This was before I knew anything about the instrument, and as a consequence it sat unused in our home., and eventually my mom and I gave it away to a local recording studio; a decision I came to regret.

I eventually purcased my first Fender Rhodes piano; a Mark 1b Suitcase 88 for $400. What a piano! I fell in love with the stereo tremelo. I later sold it to purchase a mint condition Mark II Stage 73 (with wooden keys) for $300. I eventually sold the Mark II as well. I was playing the EVP-88 Logic Pro rhodes emulator with a MIDI keyboard and thought that I should sell the Mark II, as some tines and pickups had broken. I thought that I would be as happy with the rhodes emulator as I was with the real thing. I was wrong.

After only one month of being "rhodesless" I decided to start looking for another one. I read up on the different models and decided to start looking for a Mark V Stage 73, but would also like to find a Mark 1b Suitcase 88. I knew it would be difficult to find a Mark V, and if I found one, I wasn't sure how much it would cost. I placed 2 online WTB ads, one of which was on my personal blog.

After only a month, an email appeared in my inbox bearing the subject: "Rhodes Mark V Stage 73″

It read:
   I have a Rhodes Mark V Stage 73 model that I don't use. Everything works and I rarely use it. Interested ?? and how much is a fair price ??

I could not believe it! It turned out that there was a gentleman in Baltimore, MD who saw my WTB and decided to write to me. Based on my previous purchases, I suggested a price of $400, to which he agreed. Over the next 6 months I saw two Mark V's sell for over $4,200 on eBay.

It was in good condition when I got it, and I was able to tune it and clean it with success. I have had to replace about 4 tines, which I broke while playing it. But other than that, it has been very reliable. I plan on keeping this one for a long time.

Here are some pictures of it; inside and out:

















Thanks for taking the time to look!

I'm going to be taking pix of the stand soon, for all those Mark V owners who are missing one, and want to see one in detail.

Jigz
1984 Rhodes Mark V Stage 73
1979 Rhodes Suitcase 88

tasters

Some MarkV Soundclip?
looks cool :)

bye

jibbidyjoe

Well, for now you can go to:

http://www.joehungry.com

I recorded my Mark V recently with a group, Esspaul, on the "Incomplete Fall Tour Album".  The tracks are pretty much scratch, and have only drums and Rhodes Mark V on most of the songs.  So, hopefully you can hear the Mark V well enough on them.

The songs are listed on the right hand side of the page, grouped by Band and then Album.

Since recording, I've tuned and voiced the Mark V, so it sounds better, but I think it still sounds fine in the recordings.

Thanks for your interest.

Joe
1984 Rhodes Mark V Stage 73
1979 Rhodes Suitcase 88

rocksnob


blackbird67

Hi I thought I'd post mine. I have a Mark 1 73 Stage Rhodes. This was like 5 years in the making. Actually I fixed it around 2002.

I re-did the tolex to a the blonde color. And the harp cover..well that's a long story. I tried to do the sparkle top but it wasn't working. The top gloss coat was peeling off so I tried to redo the sparkle but it started looking like crap. Then I decided to just get some thin "furry" fabric, slap it on the cover and call it a day. And I must say I am happy with it.

I got this for about $400 but it is missing the push rod, sustain pedal, the crossbar and the case cover (which I'll get all later well except for the case cover). But everything works after a lot of cleaning and fixing the tines and pickups. I just need to solder one wire back on.  





hmm needs a cleaning there. lol

-April:)

Miguel Tuna

:shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

It looks like a high-quality job :)
'79 Mk1 Suitcase

Miguel Tuna

Portugal

andi85

your cover looks somehow like marble :)
Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

BJT3

Blackbird, nice! That was pretty creative putting on fabric. I had never thought of that. I would like to see one done with some really shaggy "monster fur" type fabric.
-Ben-
1978 Mark I Stage Piano 88
1970 Wurlitzer 200
Hohner D6 Clavinet
1961 Hammond A100 Organ
1977 Fender Twin Reverb (Blackfaced)

Ben Bove

a general question - i noticed often tines with squished grommets have 2 springs linked together under the tonebar, like in the picture below.  Why were 2 springs used in some places?  was this a factory thing or a tech find?


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BJT3

Good question. None of mine are doubles.
-BJT-
1978 Mark I Stage Piano 88
1970 Wurlitzer 200
Hohner D6 Clavinet
1961 Hammond A100 Organ
1977 Fender Twin Reverb (Blackfaced)

blackbird67

Quote from: "BJT3"Blackbird, nice! That was pretty creative putting on fabric. I had never thought of that. I would like to see one done with some really shaggy "monster fur" type fabric.
-Ben-

Thanks. It's only because I was getting frustrated with spray painting the harp cover and it looking like crap. I just decided to slap on some fabric and voila!
-April:)

BackRoomSounds

Quote from: "bjammerz"a general question - i noticed often tines with squished grommets have 2 springs linked together under the tonebar, like in the picture below.  Why were 2 springs used in some places?  was this a factory thing or a tech find?



I guessed that this happened in the factory by mistake, when I rebuilt mine I took out all the double. Think there was 3 or 4 lots, and the sound wasnt impared.

Peacefrog35

Well, I guess since I've finally joined, its my turn.  Not a very interesting story, but here goes.  I'd been looking for a Fender Rhodes piano bass for a while and even in a big city, Indianapolis, there aren't a lot of shops that sell vintage intstruments, much less that sell anything as cool as FR stuff.
I started searching ebay and in late 04, found the one pictured below.  I won the auction for a mere $212 plus shipping.  It was actually in tune when it arrived at my home a week later, but it came with no harp cover.  I figured this is why it went so low, but even still, I felt like I got a good deal.  I found a harp cover from a 73 and cut it up.  I am still trying to get a real one or find someone that will lone me one so I can get a vacuformed replica made since the one I use now doesn't fit all that great and the seam is still visible

Well...here she is.....

current gear:
1965 Fender Rhodes Gold Sparkle Piano Bass
1965 Fender Rhodes Gold Sparkle Piano Bass
1962 Fender Rhodes white top piano bass
1966 Fender Rhodessilver sparkle piano bass
1968 Gibson G101 organ
1966 Vox 301H wood key conitnental
1968 Vox 301E Continental
1967 RMI 300A Electra-piano and Harpsichord

jim

i think people put two springs in so that they can squash the grommets.


no ha ha i was joking ha ha.

i always imagined it was an attempt to get more sustain out of a note. But it's a dodgy way to do it cause it wrecks the grommet!

Ben Bove

Hey neat idea on that sparkle top.  I see the weld-ish point in the middle but it works!  haha
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Peacefrog35

Thanks for the compliments!  It's not perfect, but yeah, it does work.  All in all, $212 isn't too bad for a Piano bass in good condition.
current gear:
1965 Fender Rhodes Gold Sparkle Piano Bass
1965 Fender Rhodes Gold Sparkle Piano Bass
1962 Fender Rhodes white top piano bass
1966 Fender Rhodessilver sparkle piano bass
1968 Gibson G101 organ
1966 Vox 301H wood key conitnental
1968 Vox 301E Continental
1967 RMI 300A Electra-piano and Harpsichord

Ben Bove

you're tellin me, I still don't understand how they go for so much money.
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andi85

great thing!!!
don't worry about the cover - at least you've got one...:)
Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

zlognaut

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/9764/img17520im.jpg

Fender Rhodes stagepiano mark 1 73 -74
I found it from Rovaniemi, Finland
It had key pedestal mod ready and it was in perfect condition

BJT3

Quote from: "zlognaut"Fender Rhodes stagepiano mark 1 73 -74
I found it from Rovaniemi, Finland
It had key pedestal mod ready and it was in perfect condition

Nice. Always nice to find something that's ready to play!

-Ben-
1978 Mark I Stage Piano 88
1970 Wurlitzer 200
Hohner D6 Clavinet
1961 Hammond A100 Organ
1977 Fender Twin Reverb (Blackfaced)

jabbejokker

This is my third Rhodes, I Drove 2400 miles to get from a little town in NJ. Paid 1750 for it, she is pretty perfect (i Think).

Ben Bove

It's in just about as perfect shape as I've seen one for that era.  Amazing find!
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jabbejokker

Thanx :D, Im thinking about polishing/rechroming the metal parts, and re tolex it. Allso the glitter-gray stuff is a bit brownish in places as you can see...

Ben Bove

maybe do the chrome parts, but don't retolex and regrille!  it's a little brownish but that might be able to be cleaned (it's only brown where the panel sections are for the speakers, where air can pass through)

You should probably leave it in it's original patina, it's gotta be worth more that way demonstrating what kind of condition it was held in over 30 years
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Spookyman

#76


A pic from my set-up, with the Rhodes Mk 1 that i bought for 80 frs. It was in very bad condition, 3 keys missing, tines had to be replaced,etc...) but i made a little restoration last year. Paintjob (blue and orange colour) is a bit special, but my goal was that the Rhodes should looks funky. And i think it does...
Fender Rhodes Stage 1971
Fender Rhodes Suitcase 1973

Mark II

yep, indeed, it looks funky, are those cheek blocks red ?
nice leslie, have never ever seen this kind of model.

Regards
Mark II
Rhodes Stage 73 Mark II 1980 / modified Peterson Suitcase Preamp

andi85

very cool. especially the "no dogs" sticker.
nice roland, too.
Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

Spookyman

Quote from: "Mark II"yep, indeed, it looks funky, are those cheek blocks red ?
nice leslie, have never ever seen this kind of model.

Regards
Mark II

Yes, the cheek blocks are now red, with a small piece of red fur on it.

It's not exactly a Leslie, only a clone of a Leslie Cabinet from Italy, made by Sisme, in 1970. Sounds allmost the same than Dynacord or Elka Cabinet. A real Leslie (122, 147, 760 etc...) is really another sound dimension ! But this clone is allways better than the internal simulation of the Korg CX-3  :wink:
Fender Rhodes Stage 1971
Fender Rhodes Suitcase 1973

sean p


My Mark I Stage 73

I bought it on Monday on Ebay for $202.50.  It's a fixer-upper.  I sent 11.5 hours driving today to pick it up.  I got it home and hooked it up to a Tube MP...and it works.  Only 2 keys don't work (which I'm pleasantly pleased about).  It's a little out of tune. And, it mad dirty!  It needs a desperate retolex job.  But, overall I can't be more excited.

I've wanted a Rhodes since I started building up my studio.  I fell in love with hiphop listening to A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes, and Life.  This record was The Ummah's (Jaydee RIP and Q-Tip) first record as a production team.  Their sound heavily relied on the Rhodes' atmospheric and melodic sound.  Jaydee continued this format successfully with Slum Village.  His sound sparked a whole new movement of music (some call it neo-soul...although his albums were hiphop records).   Anyway...that music means soooo much to me, and the Rhodes was one of the biggest reasons why I love music today.
78 Mark I Stage 73...Word

andi85

looks funky with the flightcases :)

congratulations, have fun with it!
Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

sean p

Quote from: "andi85"looks funky with the flightcases :)


Yeah...i know...gotta buy some legs, but Im not really satisfied with what I'm finding.

Thanks andi85
78 Mark I Stage 73...Word

soukouss

This is my Rhodes. He's born in 1977, like me :)
Stage 73 with the original suitcase preamp



The suitcase preamp, with 2 jacks outputs and power supply modif ( tremolo effect is realy a fantastic thing :lol: ) :



My Rhodes' friends ( Twin Reverb, Leslie122, Boss CE-1 )



His bedroom, shared with a portable Hammond B3, MUTRON biphase, etc.


Great sound and touch !! Love my vintage effects too ! :wink:

sean p

78 Mark I Stage 73...Word

soukouss

congratulation sean p for your purchase. it's always a joy to see a new couple to be formed.

Mark II

soukouss, where is your clavinet  :wink:
just kiddin, you have a nice collection.
lovely mixture of vintage and new gear.
respect

Mark II
Rhodes Stage 73 Mark II 1980 / modified Peterson Suitcase Preamp

Pale

No clavinet? Pffft.... your equipment sucks.

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.Just kidding, wish I had some of the stuff you have. :D
'80. Stage 73 Mk II

soukouss

Yeah I'm very proud of all my instruments, with a special tenderness for the vintage stuffs :)

But it's true a clavinet is missing  :lol: I use for the moment a Nordelectro2 ( not a bad simulation in fact ... it particulary use a "natural" tuning, not a cold "equal" tuning ).

andi85

very very nice. especially the hammond. i'd really love to have one. ok, probably all ouf you do...:)
Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

james

Now that I finally have things setup at my new place, I thought I'd make my contribution here...this is my studio:



My new friend is a 1975 Rhodes Stage 73.  I gigged with a bassist a couple of weeks ago who described his axe as a FrankenFender, which seems to be a good description of this piano.  I have no idea how many of the parts are original, how many are transitional, how many are new/old stock.  What I do know is that the pickup rail is from early '75, the serial number sticker on the harp says "Rhodes" and reads 41333 (no FR or K in front), and the hammers are half-wood/half-plastic.  Here's a closer look inside:



The big score here is that the tonebars have been nickel plated, and the pickup rail was rebuilt by Major Key (John's signature is on it and everything).  Taking a closer look has revealed a few more interesting things.  Tonebar #5 is just plain missing, even though the screws, springs & grommets are still there.  Tonebar #8 is actually marked as both #15 and B, obviously from an era where the 88-key Rhodes had been introduced.  A few of the tines have a silver-colored generator, while most of the others have an aged gold-ish look.  The damper felts and hammer tips look like they were replaced fairly recently, but a handful of the felts in the upper range have drooped over and aren't doing their job anymore.  I guess another round of replacements is in order there.

Probably the strangest thing I've found is that two keys (#4 and #69, both white) are newer in color compared to the others, both inside and out.  More replacement work, obviously.  What's really interesting is that these newer keys are a different size from the original ones??!?!!!  Even though they look about the same on the inside and there are no differences in the action, the top of the key is 2 mm longer than the others, causing them to stick out in an unnatural way.  I'm trying to track down a couple of replacements from '75 to see if they're the right size, but what the hell, maybe the keys aren't even from '75 in the first place....





As far as mods go, I have a Speakeasy flat-top that I used with my Suitcase, a new leg set and a tube preamp on order, and I might add the MKHC to the list.  But I'll definitely be getting a lot of stuff from Vintage Vibe...the action on this piano is so nasty that I won't be able to play it without the Miracle Mod!!!
Web Designer/Developer, Webmaster & Co-Creator
The Rhodes Super Site since 1996
1977 Mark I Stage 73 + Vintage Vibe Stereo Vibe

Mark II

nice one. be honest and admit that you put the tai-chi-magazine on the music stand just for the pictures to be taken.

Got you :twisted:
Mark II
Rhodes Stage 73 Mark II 1980 / modified Peterson Suitcase Preamp

Ben Bove

Either the keys or the keycaps have been replaced, these 2 are later model keys, from the all plastic hammer vintage , late 70s.  It would seem that the keys from maybe late 74 and 75 are unique, I've always noticed a difference - the keys from this era are flat on top, and the "stubs" that are the vertical side that faces you (whatever they're called) are always yellowed in appearance.  Take this picture for example.

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Tehu

Here's my new Setup :

Showing : Rhodes Mark 1 73 (1980?), Hammond m3 Organ (1959) and a yamaha CS-40m




New acqusition : Hohner PIanet T


A Leslie 825 + Cmbo préamp II
Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 88 1977, Wurlitzer 200a, Columbia Elepian 713, Yamaha CP60M, Hohner Clavinet D6, Baldwin CW-8-S, Roland VK9, Roland RS101, Roland SH1000, Teisco S100P, Yamaha SK15, Siel Orchestra 1, Sequential Six Ttak, Sequential Prophet 2002, Behringer VC340, Behringer MS101, MPC2000XL, Roland SBF325, Roland RE-201, Roland MPA100, Leslie 710

Ben Bove

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kitchen

Yeah!!  Lookin' real good.
How's your relation with the neighbours ?  :wink:

Kitchen
'76 Mk I Stage 73 -> 70's Small Stone

picassoface





I love The Red Lady more than anything in the world.  I got her off ebay a couple of years ago from a guy in Long Island who had not idea what the value of this completely cherry '79 Stage 88 was.  450 bucks.

I did the red tolex myself last summer.  I haven't really had to replace anything.  The grommets could probably use a swapout.  I adusted the strike line and tuned and voiced it and soldered the cable off the harp straight to the output, bypassing the pots.

I gig a lot, usually 3 or 4 times a week and I'm on the road a lot.  I've never had an instrument that feels like a friend before and I feel at home when I'm behind her on stage.

I'm like the rest of you guys.  I'm happiest with the harp cover off and some tools near by, just tweaking by the hour.

Long live The Red Lady.

picassoface

I forgot- I put all the black hardware on.  It's slowly turning silver from the road.

soukouss

Hello guys

Have you ever heard talking about a TOO LOUD harp rca output which makes the preamp distording when playing very strong?
It's what happend to my Rhodes, with two different preamps.

So my technician puts an electric resistance into the preamp, to lower the input signal about 3 or 4 dB. Now it works fine.

The Rhodes is a Stage 73 Mark 1, first week of 1977, with the exclusive namerail upgrade. I got it with two Super Satellite cabinets.
It has been customized by the same technician to be used less the cabinets. Now it has an onboard AC power on the back and two jack outputs next to the "accessory".

It has a great sound, very very closed mics' setting. I finished tuning it myself.
Here is some pics. Sorry for the bad quality.






EightyEight

Bad quality? They're just right ;)

Where are all those imputs ont the front-left used for?
1974 Mark I Stage 88