New buyer... 1973: skirted key caps?

[siderealxxx]

Hi, I'm looking to buy my first Rhodes (mk1 stage 73). I have a bit of experience with them (mainly late 70s models) and have been reading up a lot so I'm aware of the general do's and dont's.

Because I'm more a fan of the growlier tone rather than the more celeste-like later models, I'd prefer a pre-1975 model. One option on the table is an original 1973 with some refurb options.

My main question is what are the potential 'plastic skirted key caps' issues referring to? Is it a matter of taste? Does anyone have photos of the differences between these and post-74?

Thanks, sidx

[mvanmanen]

One of my Rhodes has the plastic skirted key caps. I love them!
Yes they feel a bit different but it is a feeling that I associate with the Rhodes.
If you like the feel of them...I would go for it.
Cheers

[siderealxxx]

Thanks for the info, but I really don't have much experience with those early models so not sure what the difference is... Would be good to see/know before I try it out :-)

[mvanmanen]

Will send you some pics tonight.

[siderealxxx]

Thanks, I have Googled it but not getting results!!!

[Alan Lenhoff]

I have a '72 Piano Bass (rounded, skirted keys) and a '74 Seventy Three (flat keys).  (I've also previously owned a '73 piano with rounded, skirted keys, and two other Rhodes with flat keys.)

I know some people don't like the feel of the rounded keys.  But I think they're fine, and that you would very quickly get used to them, in the  same way that you get used to the quirks of virtually any vintage keyboard.   In my opinion, it's not a reason to avoid a piano. I know I would have no hesitation to buy a piano with skirted keys.

The rounded/skirted keys appear to be of better quality to me. They have not yellowed like some of the flat key models I've owned. (My '74 has the typically yellowed front edge.)  They are shinier and my unscientific observation is that they seem to have a harder, more durable surface than the flat keys. I also like the way the skirted keys look on the sides better than the raw wood that shows on the flat keys.

Alan

[siderealxxx]

Thanks Alan, helpful observations. They are talked about in negative light in some documentation. It's all subjective but some things are more subjective than others!

Also, is there consensus on these pages if the early piano mk1s can be set up (professionally) with great action without the miracle mod?

Will check back tomorrow, cheers.

[Alan Lenhoff]

I think the majority view here is that a mod is a must on at least most of the early Marks I's. (Maybe not the ones with the Marcel pedestal, for example.) But I've owned three 1974 and earlier Rhodes, and did not feel the need to do a mod on any of them. 

Last summer, when I got my 1974 73, it had a very heavy, unacceptable action, and I was thinking it would need a mod.  But I cleaned the interior thoroughly, lubed the rail pins and pedestal felts and (most importantly) reduced the escapement considerably.  I think I took out three shims on the bass side and one on the treble end.  I  re-checked the strikeline, and did some other minor adjustments, but the escapement change had the biggest impact.

So, here are the results:

My hands don't get tired playing it.  I can play softly on any octave of the keyboard -- or I can bang the notes as hard as I want to get some bark, and not get any double strike "thunks."  It has very good dynamic range. Can I play repeated 16th notes on the same key, like you might do on a Hammond?  No way.  (It is a Rhodes, after all.)  And it doesn't feel as light as synth. But it is very nice to play. I can't see any reason to do a mod on it.

Did I get lucky, finding pianos that didn't need a mod?  Is my tolerance for the Rhodes' native action perhaps greater than that of others who may think every keyboard ought to be as light as a synth? Hard to say...

I'd welcome opinions on this from techs, who see more of these pianos in a week than I'll see in a lifetime.

Alan

[mvanmanen]

Not sure how helpful these pictures are. The skirted key tops are slightly rounded. I really cannot comment on differences in quality of plastic between these.

The question about pedal and action modification is of course unrelated to key caps.
For what it is worth, I am extremely happy with my 1971 unmodified action, and very happy having applied the miracle mod to my 1975 action. Clearing and minor regulation was more than enough for the 1971 to get it playing nice

[siderealxxx]

Thanks for the photos and further info. Doesn't look/sound as severe as I thought. Look forward to trying this out.

[pianotuner steveo]

Another difference is the actual wood in the key sticks under the plastic. In the skirted keys, they are literally just sticks- they do not have the usual shapes of the keys like the key tops do. They are basically just levers.

[Ben Bove]

I think the "roundedness" of the earlier key caps is more of a visual barrier than one you actually detect when you're playing it.

When I sit down to any early Fender Rhodes with the Pratt-Reed rounded key caps, I never feel like it's an uneven surface or that my fingers need to adjust to them.  It's the corners that are more rounded than the center.  I actually like the earlier key caps - they never crack and retain their natural bright white color, as opposed to many other years of Rhodes key caps that crack off at the ends or yellow significantly.

I would almost consider the shape a non-factor in the Rhodes purchase, but of course play it to build your own opinion.

[rhodesjuzz]

There is so much to learn here! Thumbs up for steveo and Ben Thanks guys for sharing all your knowledge!!!

--Roy

[David Aubke]

The only thing that would give me pause about Pratt-Read keys is that it would be difficult to repair or replace damaged pieces. You can't install regular key tops because, as mentioned earlier, the wood shaft does not match the shape of the top and would not provide the necessary support. And, although others have reported better luck, I've never seen replacements for sale anywhere.

[Alan Lenhoff]

Just for the record here, in an earlier post in this thread, I mentioned several '74 and earlier Rhodes I've owned that, in my opinion, did not need a bump mod.  I just noticed this morning that my '72 Piano Bass (harp date 1172, assembly date 4472) has a Marcel curve. I always thought the action on that instrument was good, but I never thought to look for a Marcel curve because there have been many posts on this list that say the curve was last used in 1971.

The Bass is more or less mint inside and out and looks all original, so I doubt if anyone replaced the keys.  Maybe Rhodes was just using up some old parts they had around?  I thought the long gap between the harp and final assembly dates was odd, too.

Alan

[Ben Bove]

Yeah... the piano basses were a weird bunch production-wise.  All kinds of strange things like silver tops being used up until an "1173" finish date, I saw wood hammers on a '76, I think it was sort of the oddball.

[Student Rhodes]

The only thing that would give me pause about Pratt-Read keys is that it would be difficult to repair or replace damaged pieces....
And, although others have reported better luck, I've never seen replacements for sale anywhere.

Hey David,
I have a couple pianos that have Pratt-Read keys, and each has had to have a few key caps replaced because of scratches and gouges.  As Ben has stated, color matching was far less of an issue with Pratt-Read caps than had they been of the later flat style.
The replacements were salvaged from keys from a donor piano.  For a full set of 73 keys, I think I may have spent fifty bucks, plus shipping.  Anyway, donor keys are often available on ebay.