News:

Shipping now! "Classic Keys" book, a celebration of vintage keyboards  More...

Main Menu

piano bass changes in time

Started by frank seymour smith, February 08, 2005, 08:36:02 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

frank seymour smith

question is a piano bass from 1972 the bottom 32 keys of a 88 or a 73?

thank you

butterfingersbeck

All Piano Basses are the equivalent of the bottom notes of a 73 of the same date - in fact since the Piano Bass pre-dates the 73 Suitcase by about five years it could be said that a Suitcase is an extended Piano Bass with a sustain pedal and an amplifier! The 88 was a much later development (about 1969/1970) prompted by jazz musicians who wanted the keyboard range of an acoustic piano with the sound of a Rhodes. It is interesting that Wurlitzer (whose players tended NOT to be jazz players) kept their pianos' keyboards at 64 notes (A - C) from their introduction in 1954 to their demise in about 1980.


Simon Beck
London, UK
"Communication is everything"