Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    
    Glad to see you finally got this "reply" vs "write" thing down...;^)
    
    Anyhow, I use my Rhodes 73 ALL THE TIME!!! It's probably the most
    used piece of gear in my studio. Let's see...
    
                       1. Stack another keyboard on top of it 
    
                       2. There's a little flat area on either
                          side of the keyboard; just right for
                          putting a beer on.
    
                       3. The distance from the front of the white
                          keys to the front of the black is just the
                          width of my ashtray, so I leave it there.
    
                       4. There's a nice pen/pencil holder behind the
                          keys...
    
                       5. The arched top makes a nice percussive sound
                          when given a decided whack...
    
                       6. Mine is micro-tuned so that opens up some
                          interesting avenues to explore...
    
                       7. The cat likes to sit on it.
    
                       8. Nice sustain pedal, but it's sys-ex so I
                          don't get a chance to use it much.
    
                  
    Edd
    

    Several noters still own Rhodes, and are using them primarily as
    equipment stands, I believe. I sold my cherry '73 73 for $250 and
    was happy to get it. I also own an MKS-20 and a sampler.. so for
    studio/live performance, unless there is a well-tuned grand there,
    acoustic piano is a thing of the past.
    
    However, I have a beautiful Haddorf spinet in my living room.
    
    karl moeller

    My Roland RD-300 with builtin MKS-20 "plays" and sounds just like a Rhodes
    in my opinion.  That is not only does it sound like a Rhodes, but
    it seems to respond to the way I play it just like a Rhodes.  The
    feel of the keyboard is slightly different but that doesn't bother
    me.
    
    And in fact, this is what 'sold' the RD-300 to me.
    
    I remember seeing it in a store, sitting down, turning it on, striking 
    an Eb13 b5 and being able to hear every note in the chord clearly
    and going "ahhh".  Then I turned the chorus on,... "ouuuuuuu".
    
    Then they told me the price,.... "damn".  But I got it anyway.
    
    I think its this 'chordal acuity' (the ability to pick out all the
    notes in a complex chord) that makes the Rhodes so popular.  I can
    think of no other instrument that even compares to the Rhodes in
    that respect.

    	db

    The rhodes (and wurlies) are especially dead, since they are resonably
    easy to mimic accurately with a variety of synths, and the action
    ain't so hard to emulate either.
    
    The acoustic piano, on the other hand, has an action which is still
    resonably hard to imitate (but there are those of us who don't give
    a hoot about the precise nuances of a piano action), and the sound
    is also quite complicated.
    
    For technical wizzes, it is good to grow close to a particular action,
    and there are lots of piano wizzes. The Rhodes players, on the other
    hand, were the type of people who just by merit of the fact that they
    were playing it in the first place, were willing to change actions, and
    would do so again for a step up in portability and versatility.
    
    All except Tom Scholtz and Chuck Mangione (and the latter may have
    moved away from it while I wasn't looking). 
    
    So the Rhodes is dead, but I don't think the piano will ever be.
    It will probably become like the harpsichord.
    
    
    Steph
    
    
    
    
    

    
    Me gotum cute little *Steinway* (gloat gloat) in the livin-room,
    which is nice to diddle occasionally (I do). The mks20 seems 
    so much easier to get onto tape, however....
    
    Dave, I cant believe you have an RD-300 that feels like a rhodes.
    Sure sounds like one....agreed. If I had an RD (or mkb1000) that
    had action like a rhodes, it would be another keyboard stand like
    mine or Edds. More expensive perhaps...
        
    I always likened playing the proverbial rhodes to a baseball player
    who's next up: you swings about 4 bats instead of one. Each rhodes
    key is like 4 little baseball bats...
    
    good synth stand. Good muscle toner...
        
        

>    Dave, I cant believe you have an RD-300 that feels like a rhodes.

    By coincidence, I stopped in at Daddy's in Nashua.  They have TWO
    Rhodes.  The action on one is completely different from the other.
    One is very stiff, one is very light (like my RD).
    
    The conclusion is that what you may think of as a Rhodes action
    depends on what you've played because there is a wide difference
    between different Rhodes.
    
    	db

RE: .5, .6

   You may not be comparing apples with apples ... pre-CBS Rhodes' tend
   to be quite arthritic, while post CBS Rhodes' (ike mine) tend to have
   a lighter touch. 

   Speaking of Rhodes, I'm selling my Stage 73.  It's never been on the
   road (i.e., used at home for a few years), and looks like I bought it
   yesterday.  Any suggestions as to what I oughta ask for it? 

brad

    Don't mean to sound like a smart-@$$, but you'll be doing good if
    you get $250....
    
    Edd

    Can't exactly say what you should ask for your Stage-73 but Union
    Music in Worcester has a brand new one for $400.
    
    Frank
    

    
    Re: .0
    
      I never really liked the Rhodes; I was a Wurly kind of guy. However
    I gave it to my mother (really I did) a couple of years ago when
    I picked up my JX-3P (which wasn't even good at doing pianos). Now
    between an ESQ-1 and a DX-100 I can do tiney sounds like crazy,
    mellow piano/electric piano combinations, and all sorts of sensitive
    Mr. Roger's Neighborhood sounds. I also let go of my old Hammond
    because a Polysix is soooooo much lighter. 
      To play out with large keyboards which only do one or two things
    is really being purist or maybe even a bit reactionary. Unless your're
    very large and strong or have lots of friends for roadies, of course.
    
    I also have a Kawai EP-308 electric grand in my living room - I
    don't take it out to play. Just keeps me in perspective, I guess.
    
    /pjh

    As far a Rhodes prices go, I sold mine about 2 years ago for $400
    (or $450 - can't remember).  I did the job, though;  there was no
    affordable portable synth that did anything close to a piano (i.e.,
    in feel, velocity sensitivity; not necessarily in sound), so the
    Rhodes was the best alternative.
    
    It was said that Wurlitzers has a brand new one for $350?  I didn't
    think they were made anymore.

    I do miss the action, though; mine was one of the "later" models
    that had a really good - not mushy - action.  The Dx doesn't cut
    it as far as that goes.
    
    Ron

    I bought a Fender Rhodes for my son to learn piano.  It was a used
    instrument and I bought it on recommendation of his piano teacher and
    his school music teacher.  I have a question.  I hooked the unit
    up to a Heathkit stereo amp. from the little preamp in the piano. 
    I'm not sure if the connection is optimum, i.e. the impedance is
    matched, etc.  I'm using the phono input, which something like 67Kohms
    for an input impedance.  What I don't know is,  what is the output 
    impedance of that little preamp in the piano.  There's a bit of noise
    on the line, I think because the cable is way too long for a phono type
    input.  I imagine that most people have their piano hooked up to a
    band-style amplifier which is properly (I guess) matched to the piano. 
    I have the service manual for the instument which explains just about
    everything except that.  

    
    You not only have a level mismatch as well as an impedance mismatch,
    you are using the phono inputs RIAA eq circuit and destroying the sound
    of your Rhodes.
    
    You have to find a line level input like a tape input, or CD input. Or
    even the play half of the tape monitor loop.
    
    CdH
    

	What Pre-amp is this?? I've owned a 77 key and an 88 key Rhodes
	and neither had a pre-amp in them (This was in the early to mid
	1970's). I just plugged them into either the P.A. or my Fender
	Bassman Amplifier & played.

							Jens    

    The only input on the amp which gives reasonable levels of volume 
    is the phono input.  I tried all the others.  I realize that the phono
    equalization is wrong for the piano.  I'm just looking for a figure for
    the output impedance of that little preamp.
    
    Re. -.1
    There's a little battery operated preamp which sits behind the
    nameboard on the piano.  I don't have any circuit info on it.
    
    Peter

	Maybe it's time to change the battery in that little preamp?

    Re. -.1
    
    Battery's okay.  I gave it the tongue test - it's a 9v battery.
    
    Peter

    There were a couple of modification to the stock Rhodes which replaced
    the volume and tone controls. I installed one  many moons ago
    which was an active EQ, the other that I know of was a EQ with a 
    build_in Chorus.
    
    Both of them had very low output and I suspect that a Home
    stereo would need a lot of gain to reproduce at a decent volume
    and probably because of the gain hum will be also reproduce.
                           
    Edgar (who_is_getting_the_rhodes_out_of_the_closet)