Tonespinner 2
Strat-Talk Member
Not a guitar video, but hope you enjoy. "Gregory is Here" by Horace Silver.
Hit the Rhodes, Jack
- Thread starter Tonespinner 2
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You don't hear the Rhodes very often now. Kind of a shame in a way
Nick-O
Senior Stratmaster
Your intro makes me think of riders in the storm....
circles
Resident Pinball Enthusiast
Super nice.
My daughter bought a Rhodes Stage 73 last year and restored it to like-new condition. It's quite a piece of engineering! Unfortunately it weighs half again more than a Fender Twin!
I did not know that. I dropped a TR on my chest after getting a heel caught on a step while carrying it. That was unpleasant
Tonespinner 2
Strat-Talk Member
I just listened to Manzerek break down that tune last night on y tubeYour intro makes me think of riders in the storm....
Tonespinner 2
Strat-Talk Member
I used to live in a second story apt in the early seventies. I packed that sucker up and down two flights of stairs going to and from gigs (plus a Fender twin). Never again!
Ouch!
You don't see many Stage 88s because they're even heavier. These keyboards are all electro-mechanical, with magnets and pickups like a guitar, so I suppose weight is important to things like sustain. I prefer my Yamaha P120 piano though. It's a lot lighter!
Tonespinner 2
Strat-Talk Member
Not good---lots of horror stories about these. No sound like it though.
I always figured they wouldn't be heavy but yeah, back in 70s which is the Era I think of for these, electronics were a lot bulkier
Tonespinner 2
Strat-Talk Member
Eighty eight keys in a Rhodes is ridiculous. The "sweet spot" of the instrument is the midrange. The ideal IMHO would be sixty one keys (from C to shiining C) like an organ. So much in manufacturing has to do with marketing concerns.
That's just it... there are no electronics in one. It's all electro-mechanical. The output is low level like an electric guitar.
Im feeling educated here. Thank you
Now is it just me or do the guts remind anyone else of typewriter keys ? Yes, I'm that old
tubejockey
Strat-Talker
I stick to the vst version. Way lighter.
Tonespinner 2
Strat-Talk Member
Yes, It it works on the same principle as an electric guitar but uses tines instead of strings in front of the pickups. A Hammond organ works on this principle too only using rotating discs with notches in them called tonewheels in front of the pickups to produce the sound. both instruments are electro-mechanical. The suitcase model Rhodes was a little better because it had a Peterson preamp in it. The stage model is completely passive. The best sound that I get from mine (discovered after this video was made) is to run it through a Hammond AO-28 preamp and then through a 122 model Leslie speaker.
Below is a simple diagram of how the Hammond system works.
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dogletnoir
V----V
Nice to hear the Rhodes, and some Horace Silver too!
i was working on 'Song For My Father' all of last month myself.
The Rhodes is my favorite electric piano. I've owned two of them over my lifetime. This one I owned from the mid 70's to early 80's. I regrettably sold it after I got married the first time. We lived in a small apartment and just didn't have the room.
And then this one, which I owned for just a year, a little while back.
It is just too heavy for me these days, and they require a bit of maintenance. So for now, I use this Roland, which does a fair estimation of a Rhodes. It's become my main keyboard, and it only weighs like 25 pounds.
Loved the video, by the way. The ultimate electric keyboard sound. I'll never tire of it.
And then this one, which I owned for just a year, a little while back.
It is just too heavy for me these days, and they require a bit of maintenance. So for now, I use this Roland, which does a fair estimation of a Rhodes. It's become my main keyboard, and it only weighs like 25 pounds.
Loved the video, by the way. The ultimate electric keyboard sound. I'll never tire of it.
