Tuned my 1977 Rhodes today

[sunrunner]

So today, I tuned my 1977 Mark I Stage Piano today and WOW!  It sounds like a brand new piano!  Now I can realize how out of tune it was before.  I spent about 3 hours and made sure each and every note is tuned within 1 cent.  Tomorrow morning, I'm going to do the voicing.  Then, on to soldering a patchbay.  hmm... I should probably get to sleep!   :shock:

I would recommend a good tuning for any old Rhodes that might need it.  Personally, I didn't realize how amazing it would sound after a good tune up.  But it made an huge difference.  I couldn't find my tuning tool, so adjusted all the springs by hand.  After a lengthy, note-by-note process, I'm happy that it's totally in tune now.  It's nice that a Rhodes holds its tune for a long time.  I won't have to worry about tuning for a while.

[Gingermagician]

Just done the same tonight with a digital tuner. However when you play intervals on certain notes, in fifths, sometimes you get beating that needs extra tweaking by ear. Have you checked tuning with intervals in fifths?

It's not the drifting effect you get in the old bass tines, it just seems to be that digital tuners aren't as accurate as the human ear. My tuner Is a cheap korg one but should still be fine.

[pianotuner steveo]

Its not that they are not as accurate, they are too accurate. If you tune notes too purely, it will not sound right.

As a pro tuner I recommend comparing the octaves, 4ths and 5ths. When they all sound correct, move on to the next note. I own a more expensive Korg tuner and I use it to set the first note or two on pianos, then do the rest by ear. on Rhodes, I tune all the tines with the tuner, then go back and tweak by ear.

I recommend reading up on the procedures used for tuning acoustic pianos if you feel like you are going 'round and 'round in circles retuning certain notes.
It should speed things up. A rhodes can be tuned well in under an hour with practice, under 40 minutes with lots of practice.

[Gingermagician]

Thanks for the advice. I spent a lot of time last night going all digital tuning then tweaking by ear, I'm pleased the technique I settled on is what a pro tuner suggests!

[Gingermagician]

Another question if that's ok.

I have looked into piano tuning, but finding it difficult to sort out the method for tuning intervals other than octaves without affecting another interval in relation to the two notes already. Does anybody have a detailed procedure I presume that starts with Middle C and then carries on?

I have seen some piano tuning software I might try. A software strobe tuner might help me?

[pianotuner steveo]

I do not recommend a strobe tuner.
A digital tuner is sufficient for Rhodes.like i said before, if you tune every note "perfectly" according to what the tuner says is correct, it will not sound correct everywhere. You need to compare intervals once your starting note is tuned according to the tuner. The old fashioned way was for the piano tuner to start with ONE pitch reference, either a C tuning fork or an A tuning fork. They did not have an octaves worth of tuning forks,usually. I never ever liked tuning with a fork,so i switched to an early Korg tuner even 30 years ago. My tuner can either play the note continuously for you to tune to, or just hear the note you play and display it.

Some piano tuners start on middle C. Most, including me, start on A440, which is the A above middle C. The  basic procedure is tune A440, then tune to the A below it. Then tune A below middle C to the E (5th) above,  to the B (4th below) to the F# (4th below) to C# (5th above) to G# (4th below), to D# (5th above) to
A# (4th below) to F (5 th above) then the octave F below that. All 4ths and 5 ths
in that octave should sound correct when you are done. If not, tweak them until they do before moving on. It does not matter if you tune the bass or treble next in an electric piano, but basically once your temprament octave is to your liking, tune octaves from those tuned notes, comparing to 4ths and 5ths as you go.

That is it in a nutshell. It takes some people very little time to get the hang of it, it can take some people 8 years of practice to be able to tune bass and treble satisfactory! General rule of thumb..bass should be slightly flat, and treble should be slightly sharp. How much depends on you and your ears.

[Gingermagician]

Thank you Steve for that advice, I'll give it a go in the next couple of days.