Damper release bar

[CJW78]

Hi folks, I am new here, and new to Rhodes - I had the pleasure of acquiring a 1979 Rhodes mk 1 suitcase just yesterday. It is in good condition but there are a number of things I want to work on and improve...but I have a lot to learn! I have noticed that the sustain pedal/damper release bar seem quite noisy/clunky. I know a certain degree of noise is to be expected but I feel like something about the mechanism could be quieter. I have uploaded a youtube clip to illustrate what I mean. The first few seconds are when I press the sustain pedal all the way down quite quickly, and then I press it down just slightly to show the point where the 'clunk' is coming from. Does this seem overly noisy, and if so, what can I do about it? Thank you for your help.

[lukevintage]

Hi there. I'm much in the same boat as you, slowly making my way through renovations and adjustments. While I can't help with this particular problem (mine is fine), it may help if you confirm the status of other important parts, such as key dip, escapement, etc, the fundamentals in setting up a Rhodes. The videos are great for presenting the problems. A status report on all elements might help the pros on here avoid asking the same set of questions again and answer directly. This is something I need to do too.

[pianotuner steveo]

Yes, that is loud. Add felt to the parts that hit each other.

[Richard Tee]

I am far from an expert but it seems to me that the sound is coming from the movement between when you start to press the pedal, and when the damper bar actually contacts the damper arms. I would try to reduce the excess play by between the sustain rod -> (wood dowel between) -> damper release bar. This can be done by turning the sustain rod screw head. Take the keyboard off of the suitcase amp to locate the rod head on the top of the amp. You want the rod high enough so that when at rest, its pressing the damper bar as close to the damper arms as possible, but not so close that any of the notes stop being dampened (Some will lift before others if your damper arms are uneven. Damper adjustments should not be done until you've read the manual).

Check that there is decent felt on the top and bottom of the wooden dowel.
You may want to check that the damper release bar pivot pins on each end are secured tight to the damper bar. Check for any excess play in the pivot area.

If you are considering servicing the action/doing a full setup,(key dip, escapement, strike line, voicing etc..) this should be done in a certain order which you can find explained in many forums.

Manual
http://www.fenderrhodes.com/org/manual/ch2.html

[jimmymio]

I second the advice given by Richart Tee. Check back and let us know how it went.