Change plastic keys to wood keys !!

[Ricardo Duna - Brazil]

I just buy a Suitcase Mark II year 1982 with plastic keys, I'm going to change to wood keys, anyone have do this? It's works? Ok, thanks if someone can help-me and sorry about my english.

ricardoduna@globo.com     Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

[hrees]

The plastic key and wood key actions are not interchangeable as the keybed and action rail on the plastic key version (which are both completely different shapes to the wood key models) are mounted directly onto the outer case. There are slots cut into the case to locate the keybed and action rail. Furthermore the actual case is a different shape: about 1/2" lower all round so even if you did switch actions the keys would have a large gap underneath them. In short this mod would be almost as much work as building your own rhodes.

I would stay with the plastic action. There are a few ways to adjust it. A useful element of the plastic key action is the ability to shift the centre balance pins forward to get either a light or heavy playing touch (there are 2 slots in the cabinet and 2 balance pin holes in each key). The 'light' setting is way too light, but the heavier touch I actually don't mind. It doesn't have the lightness of the mkII wood key action (which is not necessarily desirable) but I think there is a lot of unfair prejudice against the plastic key rhodes. The only real problem with them is that the front guide pins are prone to breaking and are very difficult to fix.

In order to get a better playing feel look to the obvious elements: customising your escapement and correctly setting your pickups will do a lot more than an action switch and be a lot less work.

[Fred]

I have done that mod to a Mark II...It was alot of work. 1st I removed the action rail/harp board support assembly. I then took a keybed assembly from a '72 Mark I and placed the action of the mark II on top. Next, you must carefully align the action so the hammer cams rest correctly on the key pedistals. This is tricky because of a lip on the bottom of the action rail that does not allow the assembly to lay flat. When proper placement has been established the keybed then needs to be cut or grooved to accept the previously mentioned lip. Now that the action is able to lay flat on the keybed, minor adjustments back and forth can be made to establish proper feel, and the keybed is drilled to accept the actionrail. I used the holes that originally mounted the harp supports to the case to now fasten it to the keybed. You must countersink the holes you drill through the keybed on the bottom so it will lay flat in the case. Then, I mounted the entire assembly in the case in the same fashion as the Mark I, with 8 screws through the bottom of the case into the keybed. There will be a gap under the keys...I addressed that with a thin wooden strip screwed to the inside of the case. This required pushing the piano assembly back in the case, which will make it difficult to replace the plastic harp board cover if the wood strip is too thick. At the time I had already parted-out the Mark I, otherwise I would have been better off salvaging it and using the Mark II for parts. I guess unless you have a wood keybed lying about, it would make more sense to find a Rhodes built with one originally. Then use the Mark II for parts or leave as is.