What maintenance items should be completed on a mint condition Rhodes?

[Mjhq75]

Hello!

I'm picking up a very clean 1972 Rhodes and based on the images and a video call with the owner, it appears to be in close to mint condition. If I want to make sure this piano is playing its best, should any of the action parts be replaced as part of routine maintenance? For example, I would imagine that the rubber grommets might be dried out since they are 52 years old at this point. Ideally, I would like to leave it as original as possible, but getting it in tip-top playing condition is my highest priority.

Thanks for your input!

[Alan Lenhoff]

Congrats on your new Rhodes!

You have the right instincts: Keep as much original as you can! Some of the modern replacement parts available are not high quality, and can change the character of the instrument.

If the grommets are original, they definitely need to be replaced. (And you should replace the grommet screws at the same time.) The rest is a matter of inspecting what you have. If the hammer tips are deeply grooved or deteriorated, you should replace them. (Just for guidance, my '74 still has its original tips. Mine has the square tips that you likely have, too, and they can be rotated 90 degrees to present a "new" surface to the tine if a few look heavily grooved.)  Are the damper felts in good condition, and do they do their job of stopping the tine when a key is released?  Do the keys have excessive side-to-side motion, which would indicate the need to replace the bushing felts? Do the pedestal felts look like they are in decent shape?

But beyond replacing parts, you'll want to make some adjustments, perhaps to the strikeline and the escapement. The Rhodes service manual can help you do this. If, after cleaning and making escapement adjustments, you find the action very heavy, you can consider adding a pedestal bump mod to lighten the action.

'72s can be great pianos. Enjoy yours!

Alan