Well we were just talking about it the other week there and low and behold, today a genuine Mark 1 Fender Rhodes 73 has been brought into the store to sell on for a client. It's an ex-hire instrument and has just been serviced so it is in excellent working order. The legs have seen better days (looks like they have been welded a few times though they still screw in and out ok) and the pedal is present.

Now I am seriously thinking about buying it, but I haven't got a price for it yet, as the hire business owner didn't drop it off himself. Any advice on what you guys think it's worth for me, and is there anything I should be wary of?

buy it, buy it, buy it!
Wholesale ... in fair condition - $400-600
Retail $750-$1200 .... clean it up, tune it up and voice it so the tines sound like pretty bells from heaven!

Thanks dave,

I hoped you'd come back to me. I appreciate it. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it goes!

John

Hi John,

Not sure if you've checked this site, but lots of good information on buying, and the care and feeding, of a Rhodes.

http://www.fenderrhodes.com/forum/archives/

I sold mine a little over five years ago.

Good luck,

Ian

Thanks Ian, that looks like an excellent forum with a mine of information. I know little about these really, so this will be very helpful. Already I have found that not all the legs are present as the cross-bracing bars are missing.

Thanks again

John

My favorite setup over the years had my Honer D-6 on it's own legs with the Rhodes on top of it (hanging over the back) and I used the front legs of the Rhodes in the rear, so they could extend and keep the piano level. It was the perfect standing height, which I prefer to perform at. The top of the Rhodes was flat for the synth-du-jour ... back in the 80s, it was a Juno 106, then a JX10.... those were the days!

Dave, your Rhodes had a "flat" instead of the curved top?

If it does, perhaps someone (maybe you?) replaced the original top with a flat one that was available via third party; either that, or it was a much later model (1979-82). I had to put some rubber wedgies under my synth when it was sitting on the Rhodes, because of the curved top.

Mine had the original curved top (a 1974 model), and actually, pretty well the original "everything", which is probably why I got such an excellent price for it...as they say, they are only "original once".

And, like Hammond B-3s, there are "good" Rhodes and "bad" Rhodes of every year as no two pianos were ever alike. I was lucky with mine, as at the time of purchase, I didn't know much about them, but I managed to get a "good" one.

Actions are the best and the worst feature, and a poorly set-up Rhodes can be a nightmare to play and record.

I'd say if John knows of a dedicated Rhodes player or at the very least, someone who is quite familiar with setting them up, to have a look at the one he's buying before laying out his hard earned moolah.

Some can never be set up properly, especially if they've had any water damage.

Ian

Ian,
I was managing a music store during those Disco days, and I had ordered a new top for an older piano. It did come with the curved top, but that was a nightmare for stacking. I became quite comfortable with making my own tone and action mods and except for electronic repair, I think I can take apart and reassemble the entire piano. I love tweaking the harmonics to take out the muddiness that they sometimes had. My Rhodes was always a staple of my sound, as it is today, in digital format!

I got pretty good at adjusting mine as well...I got very tired of lugging it around, and it mostly just sat in the studio, so when I got an offer I couldn't refuse, I sold it. The guy who bought it was ecstatic, as it was mostly all original (one control knob was replaced with a repro), and in excellent condition, including the legs and other hardware.

I still use that type of sound a lot, but, as you say, in digital form, which also offers more options such as transposition, easy effects chaining, and much more stable tuning.

I honestly do not miss it, other than it being a keepsake of sorts, and sometimes, like other relationships in life, it's best just to move on and chalk it up as experience.

Ian

I use to miss mine ... (sold it to buy a bed when I got married) till Russ sold me his "extra" suitcase!!!!
Now I have the Suitcase in my bedroom (irony??), and the Electro3 in the studio - I'm all tremelo'd up!

When I'm in a "Rhodesie" kind of mood I take out my S910 and select a few EP's and close my eyes and play.....soothes my fix easily. I sold my suitcase in the mid seventies when computerized KB's started to take the front stage and I was able to condense my stage rig from 4 KB's down to two for a while....just to have gear in here gathering dust is not my thing, never was, but I respect everyones loves & needs as we're all different in our love of music..if I don't have an immediate use for gear I don't keep it around. At this point in time I am being very selective in what I accumulate now that I have a clean palette again...it won't be long before amazing things come to market. Anyway Happy Mothers Day everyone...I'll be popping a double gig for the Mommies!

L8tr

Dave, when are you going to buy my clavinet D6. I been holding it for you as requested for about 5 years but have to move it out, along with some other keyboards. Running out of room now even in the storage
Bebop

YUp that is it. Somewhere along the way I have lost the legs and I think the music rack too.
I used to play this plugged into a Fender twin Reverb back in those old days and it would sound more like a fender guitar then the guitar did. It was really great for jamming.
Bebop

YIKES! I forgot you had that beast. As I recall, Russ was going to fly us out there! (haha) Do you have the cover too? No legs ???
Let's talk anyway ... my museum is lonely. 3000 miles, wow .... how are we EVER going to meet up?

Dave, one of my customers has a Rhodes 73 and a Hohner Clvinet D6. He brought the Hohner into the shop recently to try it out with various boutique pedals. I got a quick blast on it, and just loved it. The fella I am talking about writes his own songs for these, and his funk band. I think they are awesome.

Check them out if you can find them. They are called The Federation of Disco Pimps !

Whilst it's a bit of a mouthful, they do some great stuff.

One thing I have noticed over the past 2 days playing the Rhodes though, is how good many of the current modeled instruments are at replicating the sound.

I spoke to the owner today. he didn't have price in mind, and I think was a bit embarrassed that I asked him for one. he said he hated doing business with people he knows. I hope that doesn't mean he wanted to stich someone up! Anyway, I'll have a think over the weekend and make im an offer I think. I'll see what happens.

no legs, no music stand, no cover just a 9V battery
Keeps the weight down.
Let me know when Russ is going to fly you to San Jose.
Bebop

"... do you know the way?" (couldn't resist!)

My Rhodes was a 'gift' from an uncle who played classical piano ... after he purchased the Rhodes he realized it did not fit his needs, so he gave it to me ... used it for many years with the band in NY ... mine had the curved top which actually worked well for sitting the 'accordion' of my Cordovox on top of it ... used the Cordovox for organ sounds ...

A number of years ago a niece and nephew used the Rhodes to begin piano lessons ... the Rhodes now sits in my granddaughter's bedroom, waiting for HER to begin piano lessons ...

I used to play a Rhodes on a Cruise ship lounge gig in the early 80's...my fingers still hurt ..lol great instrument in it's day.

Cool!
Donny, was the ship you played on anything like this one?

song is performed by Rene Pol on a Tyros 3 :

hahaha Scott aside from way to much VH, it sounds terrific on T3 I've played this tune in it's heyday on board the Holland America Ships many times years ago.....thanx for the morning smile!

Tony, don't think this is an age restricted video, but check your parental controls setting.

Why the fascination with this old stuff? They were heavy, needed repair all the time, had only one sound. I can press one button and get the same sound. I don't want a 73 Ford to drive around in either! One of my really happy days was the day I sold the Wurlitzer.

DonM

Bebop, if you check out any of Stevie Wonder's setups, whether live or in the studio, he still uses the Clavinet on many of his tunes, even though he has a Yamaha Motif that has great Clavinet voices.

It's mainly due to the way the instrument engages the player, which the Clavinet does to a great degree.

I was reading in a magazine where Stevie has people hunting down Clavinets in various conditions to maintain the several that he has already.

I saw one of Stevie's stage setups where there were two identical keyboard rigs, each one comprised of a Yamaha Motif with a vintage Clavinet on top.

I have never owned one, but I have played them, and they are quite a powerful instrument, especially emulating rhythm guitar.

Ian

Hi Don,

You know I kinda agree with you and disagree at the same time. I have never owned a Rhodes, but it has been my ambition to own one for some time. Having played it a bit in the last few days I can confirm the current crop of emulators are very very good.

However the one thing I notice the original still has, is the feedback from the keys... the vibration running back along the keyboard which makes it feel alive.

So many players play these things with a ton of different effects that using a modern model would make no real difference in the sound. An yes it is very very heavy. But I still want one!

John

Different strokes, Don. I play the real deal as often as I can. Nothing can come close to a Suitcase with stereo amplification.

Really like to use a Suitcase, B-3 and a DX-7 on top.


Russ

And you're right...horribly expensive to maintain and move.

I know, I know. . . just trying to get a rise out of the "old school" guys.

DonM

No Rise here ... I LOVE mine, and as close as things get, there is still NOTHING that has as much "uuumph" when you spank it at different levels of velocity. It's a rabid beast of cold, hard funk. There ... go write THAT Song!

I haven't played a digital emulation that comes close to playing a real Rhodes piano. My Yamaha Motif 6 can't do it. While it may sound reasonably close to the listener it just doesn't feel at all the same.

The Nord Electro sounds good to me though I haven't actually played one myself yet.

No Scott, ... it was the link I was trying to put in to show what Donny's cruise ship REALLY looked like ...