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Dedicated to the classic instruments built by Mr. Harold Rhodes & all who cherish them.
When I started servicing Rhodes pianos, the first model (MK1), with 'teardrop' hammers, was common. We have more experience with classic Rhodes than most. |
Close up of a Fender Rhodes, restored at our Coventry workshop. 73 Stage model, MK2 action & full skirt keys. With harp cover removed, showing the resonator bars.
Created in the 1950s by Harold Rhodes, the Rhodes piano embodies the tuning fork principle.
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Various instruments using this principle were built in Victorian times.
The sound of these, though mellow, is weak, suitable only for small drawing rooms etc.
Harold Rhodes' genius devised an asymetric variant on the basic idea. This has a number of advantages. Most of the vibrating amplitude is concentrated in one tunable slender wand or tine. The other arm of the fork is more rigid, facilitating an easily adjustable method of mounting. Since it vibrates less, its pitch is not so critical. Over most of the range, only the tine requires provision for adjustment.
The tine is removable, for easy replacement. This is needed, the high vibrating amplitude makes breakage common with heavy playing. A system of pickups is used, requiring no sound board. Volume is thus limited only by amplifier power available. For recording, a direct connection is possible, avoiding ambient noise & problem acoustics.
This instrument deservedly took the music world by storm, becoming almost as ubiquitous as the Hammond organ. Its mellow, laid back tone & distinctive strike harmonics have been heard on many milestone records over the years. Popularity for many types of music is undiminished.
Lighter than the Hammond, it is easily carried, although it helps to have The Incredible Hulk as a friend. Weight of the 88 key Stage model is 66 Kilos, less for the 73. The 54 key version is not so popular although, being more lightly built, it can be carried by one person.
The Rhodes Mark II Stage Piano, this is basically the same model as the Rhodes Mark One. What we call the MK3 action, all plastic hammers with neoprene tips & aluminium action frame.
This 73, restored in our workshops, has a Pratt Read keyboard, with one piece key tops.
The main differences are cosmetic, the harp cover is flat with ribs, in place of the popular 'round top'. This enables another keyboard to be stacked on top, unfortunately this often results in unsightly scratches. If possible, choose one without these, unless it is otherwise in worse condition. It also has a large projecting lip above the control panel, part of the music rest.
The famous Stereo Suitcase models have a second cabinet with four 12 inch speakers & two 40 Watt amplifiers. This forms a base for the keyboard, in place of the Stage model's legs.
Stereophonic tremolo is included, the makers call it 'Vibrato'. This switches the signal from one pair of speakers to the other in 'ping pong' manner, a surprisingly effective sound. Later versions use an updated pre-amplifier, with five pin coupling lead, integrated circuits & slide controls. The tremolo is not as good, older models are more sought after.
Over the years a number of devices have been made to add ping pong tremolo to the Stage models, some are good. Some effects units have an 'auto pan' feature, although similiar in principle, these do not sound the same. All is not lost however, see elsewhere on this site.
Amplification.
A common question we are asked is "what is the best type of amplifier for a Rhodes Piano". As with many such questions there is no definitive answer, but an amplifier must satisfy a number of requirements. It must be able to handle the wide frequency range of a keyboard instrument, especially with the 88 models.
It should also be able to handle the pure, sine wave like, sound without distortion. At least up to sufficient volume for the situation. Many well known amplifiers can do the job, many more can't.
Starting with valves (tubes): The Fender Twin Reverb is often suggested as the ideal amplifier. It certainly is reasonably loud & clean, but falls short at the bass end. Its open back design causes phase cancellation at lower frequencies, it is designed for lead guitar.
It does have two twelve inch speakers & one hundred Watts of output. This is the best specification for the instrument, many players find the Twin suits them just fine. If the bass end is important a sealed twin enclosure would be better, possibly one intended for bass guitar. Not with most standard 15 inch speakers though, these can't reproduce the treble.
A clue can be gathered from the suitcase model, this has four 12 inch speakers driven by two forty or fifty Watt amplifiers. It is difficult to better this. Twelve inch cones are light and stiff enough to handle the highest note. Four have enough area to move a lot of air for the bottom end. So a 4 by 12 or two 2 by 12s are near to ideal.
I tune & initially set up pianos using two Tannoy Monitor Red cabinets. Each has a fifteen inch speaker, with a co-axial treble horn driver sharing the same magnet. Each enclosure is an eight cubic foot bass reflex. When a suitcase top is then re-connected to its own cabinet the treble is actually louder.
This is because the 12 inch speakers are not 'High Fi', they are optimised to suit the piano. They do not need a response going far beyond the top note. Speakers designed for full range guitar are also usually suitable.
We have tried a Marshall 4 X 12" cabinet which works fairly well, its internal volume is limited so bass is not too strong. Marshall amplifiers are not usually ideal, they are again designed for guitar, easily driven into distortion.
The Roland Jazz Chorus-120 (JC-120) works well & sounds good. Its acoustic chorus is effective with the piano sound. Again it is open backed, so the bass end is weak.
The JC-160 version is better still, having a bit more power. Both are reliable.
To be continued...
Safety.
The Stage piano is not powered, it therefore has no integral safety issues. Mains safety is controlled by the amplification equipment it is connected to.
The Suitcase model has a three conductor American mains connector & includes an earth connection.
Safety rating: '2'. It will drop to '0' if some-one has broken off the earth pin, which is often the case. Ideally the connector should be changed to an earthed IEC type, but only for 230 Volt models. Such connectors, fitted to 115 Volt instruments, provide a temptation to plug them into 230 Volts (bang).
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Onwards.
Although the Rhodes Keyboard Instruments name survived a number of takeovers, the genius behind these marvels is unfortunately no longer with us. The trademark again came under new ownership, it will be interesting to see what the future holds.
A new Rhodes Music Corporation has been formed. Nine new prototype MK7 models were exhibited & demonstrated at the 2007 NAMM show. Including a concert in tribute to Harold Rhodes. Production was planned to start in the autumn (fall) this year. Sales are now expected to begin in early 2008.
According to the company Web site, the action is based on that of the Mark V. Hopefully good news, it was considered the most completely 'sorted' production version of the original design. It just came out too late.
The more radical Mark IV had the potential to be even better. Only one prototype was probably built, time & financial problems prevented its development. So the MK V was a simpler revamp of existing production models, needing less investment in time & money.
We wish the new Rhodes Music Corporation success in this venture. We may soon include a link to the company Web site. If they are interested, we will provide a feature on them.
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Dulcitone. An 1897 oak cased model. Courtesy of Whittaker's Museum, Waiheke Island.
The most successful of the early tuning fork instruments.
The Dulcitone was designed in 1860 by Thomas Machell & Sons of Glasgow. As far as I know it remained in production until the 1920s. My experience of this instrument was in the mid 1960s, when I overhauled one for a friend.
It is a light portable keyboard instrument, usually 5 octave, with folding legs. Uses a downstriking form of the English grand piano action, with single escapement. The key front pushes this mechanism down.
The tone source is a set of U shaped steel bars, using the tuning fork principle. Giving a mellow tone & good sustain. Originally held by leather straps, spring steel was used later. Struck by felt dressed hammers.
A solid harp frame is not needed, reducing weight. On older models, tone bars tend to fall out of place in transit, solved by a simple mechanism. A pedal pulls a cord, wrapped round a rotating, sprung wooden rod. This is set with a row of thin steel rods, which 'comb' the bars into position. The spirit of Heath Robinson was alive & well.
Later models, with spring mounted tone bars, used this pedal to control a damper mechanism.
Features from this instrument survived it. The tuning fork principle is used, in modified form, for the Rhodes piano, created 90 years later. The inverted front action allows a compact layout, as in the Hohner Clavinet, a slender amplified clavichord, of Stevie Wonder fame.
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The Rhodes name & logo are trademarks of their owners. This site is not affiliated with the Rhodes family, the Rhodes Piano Corporation, any other current or former owners of the trademarks. The same applies to the Fender name & logo.
All opinions in this section are those of the author, Ron Lebar.
Information given is generally brief & is based on our experience. If you spot any factual mistakes or 'typos' please feel free to let us know. We are not quite perfect & promise not to sulk over constructive criticism.
If you need more information on models listed or can suggest another instrument to add let us know & we will do our best. From time to time we may include comprehensive details of specific models.
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Rhodes. Updated on the 2nd of June 2008. © Ron Lebar, Author.
