Custom stage 54...

[onthegreenline]

First time posting in a few years! Some of you old timers might remember me from my "Courdorhodes" experiment 3 years ago...  http://ep-forum.com/smf/index.php?topic=3639.msg15944#msg15944

So since then I've relocated to Tokyo, and the Rhodes had to stay in storage back in the US.  I've been playing out on keys and missing my Rhodes. I can't afford to buy one here, where a busted up Mark II with plastic keys might START at around $2,000. I could't afford to ship/fly a 73 stage to Japan, and certainly wouldn't be able to gig with one when I get around solely by train and taxi. Finally had some time in the states this summer, and decided to take some drastic steps.

Inspired by the stuff the Vintage Vibe guys have been doing, I figured I could chop the piano up and find some ways to save weight. I took the guts of the piano, decided which range was essential for what I'm playing, and went to work chopping things up. It wasn't until later that I realized I had chosen the exact same range as the stage 54...

Made the custom case from scratch out of 1/2" plywood, left out the sustain pedal mechanism out as I'm using this for rock gigs, and avoided a separate lid by eliminating the round top and using the case as the top. Drilled some holes in the pickup rail and harp in an attempt to cut down on weight, ended up saving a little bit.

Weight before - 105 lbs. Weight after - 64 lbs! I removed the tone bars and keys to get it to EXACTLY 50 lbs, and was able to convince the airline to treat it with kid gloves and avoid the conveyor belt and carousel at the airport. Added some ozite-like carpet, and it's 95% done. I need to solder up some stage electronics and I'm going to cover the wood "namerail", but othewise it's in business and plays like a dream...

[Black Pearl]

Nice work.

Don;t know what the piano started like before the mods, but wouldn't it have been easier to just get a 54 in the US?

[onthegreenline]

Nice work.

Don;t know what the piano started like before the mods, but wouldn't it have been easier to just get a 54 in the US?

I had that thought, but didn't have the time to find a 54 or the funds even
if I did. I also wanted a lighter piano - the 54 is still heavy and I saved weight by eliminating the huge lid. Plus it was a fun project and now I have a one of a kind Rhodes!

[Tim Hodges]

I love the Swiss cheese effect on the harp.

[Alan Lenhoff]

I love the Swiss cheese effect on the harp.

It appears to be what cyclists refer to as "drillium" -- defined as an invisible, super-light material used to make bikes lighter.  It's actually what you get when you go crazy with a drill press to drill out every possible bit of unneeded metal to save weight.

http://sheldonbrown.com/bike-screensaver1024x768/pages/drillium.html

[onthegreenline]

First gig last night - was able to negotiate 4 flights of stairs and 2 trains without breaking a sweat. I'll call it a success!

[onthegreenline]

Finally finished! Covered the namerail with traditional Japanese washi paper, and wired up a simple volume control and output jack. I never use the bass boost, just omitted it in favor of a cleaner signal path and less things to go wrong. Let me know what you guys think!

[Ben Bove]

Very interesting and well done custom work!

[dlux]

Very cool , however I could never live without a sustain pedal. A+ for creativity. DLux