1979 action

[willstring]

hello all,

just wondering about the action on a 1979 mkI rhodes.  when i first got it, i noticed it was a little stiff, and any bass-lines i played in my left hand were quite a workout.  i took apart the hammer assembly and took a look at the felts, and they seemed to be in fine condition.  i lubricated them with some elmers slide-all and noticed almost no improvement, and i also noticed that the 1979 rhodes already had the key-pedestal mod installed.

anyway, i've played on rhodes before that have really smooth, quick action, which is where i'm trying to get my rhodes.  i'm trying to get it so its basically like a stage keyboard feel (like a yamaha cp33, or similar), so it will take very little effort to depress the keys.  any advice would be greatly appreciated,

thanks,

-will

[bumpyrhode]

Maybe a little key easing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU4E7osDm6M&feature=related

[willstring]

ah ha!  i found the problem.  the keys didn't need to be eased; they already had really smooth back and forth motion with the cam lifted.

here's what i found-

on the 1979, rhodes had already resolved the "stiff" action with the key pedestal mod (similar to the VV "miracle mod").  however, over time (like 30+ years) the felt had become slightly unglued where it makes a 90 angle with the pedestal, which made it look kind of like this:

______
        |\_____

where is should be more like this:

______
        ||_____

so, i bent a paper clip so it was straight, dipped it in some super glue, and stuck it right under the felt where it had become unglued, then held it for a few seconds, and repeated for all the keys.  (took about an hour)

the action feels REALLY good now, so if anyone else is having action problems on the models even with the pedestal mod, you might try this..

[willstring]

now all i need to do is get them a little less wobbly in the side-to-side action.  they aren't too bad, but they could be better... should i just whack it with the key-bushing tool like in the video to close this gap slightly?  or are there other ways? 

[bumpyrhode]

I did the same key bushing tool tap on a couple of '79 keys. Didn't seem to do much.
Then I noticed the bushing felts were considerably compressed from years of use.
Adjusting with the tool was useless. Had I used the tool any further it could have
possibly cracked/split the keys. I'll be ordering all new felts/bushings soon

Check your bushings and see how compressed they are. The bushing tool is only
supposed to be used lightly. IMO it should be used to fix any minor descrepencies
after a bushing refit.

Then again, I'm not an expert and I'm sure others have used it successfully on existing
bushings.

[drcarver]

Good post...I've never heard of that happening, but I could see how that would definitely affect the action.  I would also suggest a backcheck mod.  Really easy, and makes a huge difference IMHO.

[GetWithTheTines]

bumpyrhode is right. Be very careful when using the "key bushing tool". You can damage your keys with it if you're not careful. Most experienced piano techs would advise you against using it. They would instead use key easing pliers (or a soldering iron with easing bits). However, these tools might cost more than you'd like to spend. It's fine to use the key bushing tool as a cheap solution to ease the keys if that's what you're looking for. Just be careful. Be gentle and don't force it in too hard or the keys may crack/split. I would never whack any of my keys with the other end of that thing.

You could also try turning the front pins to reduce the side-to-side movement. The pins are oblong for that reason. If you decide to go this route, you can use needle-nose pliers with the jaws covered with electrical tape. Make sure you grab the pin at the base below the cloth & paper punchings. Ideally, you would buy an offset key spacer for that. Personally, I would suggest replacing the felt if it's too loose. I don't mind re-felting the bushings, though. It's a big job and many people dislike it, but can be done well and without too much trouble with the right tools. I wouldn't do it with the clamps that come with the kit that Vintage Vibe sells because I found them very difficult to use, but I'm sure they would work fine for most people. I prefer to use cauls instead of the clamps.

For lubricating the pins, I would use a dry teflon spray lube (be careful when spraying), or Slide-All or McLube.