Rhodes action. Is it supposed to be like that ? Looking to buy a Rhodes.

[yanni]

Hello guys,

I owned a Rhodes around 20 years ago and sold it back then. I remember the Rhodes sounding beautifully but the action felt very sluggish. Back then I sold the Rhodes to a dealer who was specialized in Rhodes repairs. He told me that a lot of work has to be done before he can sell this Rhodes. So I believed him and thought the Rhodes was in very bad condition.

Lately I have been thinking about buying a Rhodes again. Unfortunately there are almost 8 times the price I sold it for back then

I had the chance to play MK1 from around 1977 last week. The seller did not use it at all and he bought it in the 80ths. It was stored at his living room. No gigs at all. He showed me the invoice of some service he did some time ago. This was done by Rhodes repair specialist. So what I was expecting was I lovely playing and sounding Rhodes.

I currently play on a Yamaha U3 upright and Kawai electric piano. To be honest I was shocked how bad the action on the Rhodes was. Very soft, not a lot of dynamic range. Still I had to push quite hard. One upper E note was softer than the other ones. The really high notes did not have any sustain and just a very hard attack. I am currently test driving the Rhodes VST plugin. It has a nice sustain on the upper notes very unlike the real one I tested.

Visually the Rhodes seemed to be in great condition.

I just had the chance to play through a small mixer and PA speaker. I forgot to bring my Fender amp which probably was a mistake.

In the end I did not buy it cause somehow it did not feel right at all. I just did not have any joy playing it. So it was like I was paying a lot of money for something that did not really wow me.

I had the feeling that my Kawai action and some Rhodes plugin might work better for me.

Now to my question. Did I expect something that a Rhodes just cannot deliver? Or could this be an issue with this actual Rhodes? I am not sure wether the action could be improved if the tech guy did already work on it.

He offered me quite a good deal so I am still thinking about buying it. On the other hand it does not make sense to buy anything I don't truly enjoy for that kind of money.

I have the impression there are quite a lot Rhodes on the used market at the moment. But mostly are overpriced and don't actually sell. I have the feeling the demand is not that high anymore with all that great sounding plugins.

Regarding the action and dynamic range. The new Rhodes Stage 61 could be a great solution. But no idea how much money they will be asking.

https://www.gearnews.com/rhodes-stage-61-piano/

Thanks a lot !!

[spave]

The feel of Rhodes actions changed a lot over the years so the model year Rhodes you try will definitely have a big impact on how good it feels.

1977 was not a good year for key action as the keys didn't have a bump pedestal then. You can always have the "miracle mod" done to it to make it better though. (This goes for all 1972-1977 Rhodes).

As far as stock key feel goes, I'd look for a 1978-81 Rhodes with the wood keys and built in bump pedestals. 1969-1971 pianos with the marcel pedestal are also good but those usually have "hollow" keys which some dislike.

All of which to say, I'd hold off on buying that piano for now. Try a few more first and try to wait for one that is either the right year or has had the work done to make it play well. They will never replicate the feeling of a U3 but they can definitely feel better than what you described.


With that being said, if money is no object, I would also highly recommend looking at either a new or used Vintage Vibe Piano. They will have a better key feel to 99% of vintage Rhodes while having just as good of a sound. The company has also been a great supporter of the community over the years and has the blessing of the Rhodes family due to the quality of work they do.

https://www.vintagevibepiano.com/landing/

https://www.vintagevibepiano.com/harold-rhodes-legacy/

Hope this helps!

[sean]

No no no no no!

Buy it!  You will learn to love it!

Yes, the Rhodes action is nothing like a real acoustic piano.  But it will infect you.  You will become addicted. 

Don't miss out on a good condition instrument at a reasonable price.  If you somehow can't make love with it, you can always resell it.

And after you sell it, you will regret it.

Sean

[jupitervintagepianos]

Hey Yanni, it sounds to me like the Rhodes needs a proper service. If it's been a while since it was looked at there's a good chance that things have moved around since it was last looked at. Servicing a Rhodes in terms of touch and voicing is also quite subjective and we've had many customers prefer the hard barkier tone, and others a softer lighter sound. Likewise with touch some people, often acoustic piano players, want the touch to be heavier, whereas non-pianists and keyboardists often seem to like a lighter touch.

The beauty of the Rhodes however is that it is a simple design that is highly customisable. Touch too heavy? Maybe lower the escapement, add more lost motion to the damper arms, and lubricate the key pedestals and key bushings. Sound too harmonic and brittle? Let's bring those tines back so they're sitting just above the pickup rather then right on it.

My point is don't be discouraged, it just sounds like you need to get it serviced to properly unleash its potential. I'm also a jazz pianist, and when I first started playing Rhodes in my early 20s I was also disappointed with the touch and the sound. However after playing one that actually sounded good and for a while its amazing how you start to appreciate the depth of the sound, the touch, and even the limitations.

The reality is a Rhodes is not a piano, or a keyboard, its a Rhodes - and the limitations of the action and design are what made the musicians back in the day play the way they did. For example when I've done gigs on my Nord with a rhodes patch, I'm always hitting the pedal like I would on an acoustic piano. But the thing is you can't play like that on a Rhodes, as often hitting repeated notes will cause the sound to choke as you are striking the tine as it is mid-oscilation.

This is just an example, but I hope you understand what I mean. Get it properly serviced, play it for a while and give it time, and hopefully that amazing sound will snare you in like it has all of us!