Any Rhodes players out there?

[Pharaohrock]

- would be interested in talking about modifications, effects, great recordings of Rhodes pianists, et al.

[Daniel A]

Hi! I primarily play the acoustic piano, but I play some Rhodes as well, mainly when doing jazz gigs at parties. I'm only a part-time musician, and a pretty small part it is too, but I play it once in a while. It's the most fun (I think) when playing with an acoustic bass, rather than electric bass. I've always loved how those two instruments blends together.

It strikes me how I play differently when playing the Fender Rhodes. The possibility of sustaining chords for a longer time seems to make me unintentionally voice the chords differently. Have you noticed this with other piano / Rhodes players?

[Kerry]

Slightly off-topic...

I just bought the Nord Electro...it has one of the most amazing Fender Rhodes patches I've heard on a keyboard. (The Yamaha Motif has some nice 70s pianos too).

[David]

I am primarily an acoustic pianistic, and only a part-time musician, but play the rhodes exclusively in one of the groups I play in. We have not played too much recently, but we used to be a rhodes, elec bass, elec guitar, and tenor sax quartet, and I loved our sound. The real pleasure, as mentioned by Daniel, is the ability to play notes without the immediate decay that comes with playing the acoustic piano. I find that I end up playing a much sparser left hand than normal and really focusing my right hand lines in the middle register of the keyboard, where I especially love the sound of the rhodes.

[Peter Johnson]

Agree about the middle register of the Rhodes. I love playing mine, and for the hell of it occasionally like playing Bach on it...cool combination. I'm currently looking for an unobtanium pedal for mine, so I have to remember what it was like to sustain those chords in high school, when I played one before.

You can have a lot of fun hooking a crybaby wah-wah pedal up to a rhodes. I'm not sure if that's what started Herbie down the path of whack sounds, put you can damn well approximate some of the tones on Headhunters and Thrust if you do that, and play around with the vibrato and tone controls.

I'm sure others have used different effects with wild results, like reverse, etc.

[Pharaohrock]

I love the sustain quality on Rhodes and on other electric pianos as well, but the thing I probably love the most about the Rhodes is the quirky touch sensitivity where you get an almost entirely different sound by applying hard and fast on a key vs. smooth legato. I love tweaking the reverb control as well......

[John LeT]

Has anyone's "normal piano" technique never really transferred over to the Rhodes? I love the sound, and just acquired my first Rhodes piano (a Mk1 Stage 73) -- have been borrowing one from a friend for the past year or so. I have a couple of logistic difficulties as well that I've never really resolved related to transporting the piano around, as well.

Maybe someone here has a few suggestions/tips?

1. It's heavy. I live in a third-floor walk-up apartment, and if need be, I strap the Rhodes to a hand truck, with extra padding at the bottom of the load. Are there any other solutions to one-person loading that anyone has come up with?

2. Also, and this is the same problem I had when I was using my Wurlitzer 200A for gigs: I can't really justify transporting the weight if I don't use a tube guitar amp to maximize the tone (I use a Peavey Blues Classic, which I like quite a bit -- check one out sometime! -- but it's also a monster to move). This wouldn't be a problem, but for my dependance on a weighted-key digital piano for acoustic sounds and to control an organ module -- which really needs its own separate amp (again, I use a JBL powered monitor for the clean acoustic sounds). It's too much stuff!

The elegance and the simplicity of the original Rhodes is part of its charm for me -- also, the people love to see the real deal on stage. I hope you guys don't interpret my queries as senseless griping -- I'm just trying to figure out a way to make it all work out in harmony.

Best regards,

John

[Duophonic]

I have two Rhodeseses. We were jamming the other day and i was running it thru this huge amp and my friend said it was like a "laser beam of sound"

[DWBass]

Have you guys ever heard Mitchel Forman (Metro, solo artist) play a Rhodes? I don't think even Chick Corea comes close to doing what Mitchel does when playing one. Talk about funky..................

[John LeT]

Is there a link to any download/samples that Forman may have wished to make available?

I doubt Forman -- whom I don't know! -- or any other pro Rhodes player would make any self-averring comparison between his and Corea's playing, but I'd be interested to hear what Forman's up to.

Let us know.

J.

[DWBass]

Originally posted by John LeT
Is there a link to any download/samples that Forman may have wished to make available?

I doubt Forman -- whom I don't know! -- or any other pro Rhodes player would make any self-averring comparison between his and Corea's playing, but I'd be interested to hear what Forman's up to.

Let us know.

J. Metro (http://www.metrojazz.com)



http://metrojazz.com/new_metro_site/images/mitchelforman.jpg

Here you go.......

[John LeT]

Hey! That sounds all right! I had no idea about this guy before,
but I got a few new ideas from what I've heard. Thanks for posting the link, DWBass. Sounds fine, will keep an ear out for this group in the future. Of course, totally different bag than Return to Forever or other stuff.

Any idea how Forman sets up his rig for recording? He's got a great sound on the samples I've heard. How does one go about achieving the total presence of the Rhodes tracks on these recordings?

Best,

John

[DWBass]

Not sure but it seems he keeps it pretty simple. It sounds like the Rhodes is mic'd in stereo, then to a stereo tube-pre then direct into the console. I've seen him play with Gabrial Anders and the guy smokes! I know Chick Corea is in a class by himself but I've never heard anyone (including Chick) play a Rhodes the way Mitchel Forman plays one! There's a solo in the tune, MetroCafe', that is so smokin' my jaw is still draggin' on the floor! They also have a new cd out called Grapevine that continues where MetroCafe' left off! I'm glad you like the band (and Mitchel). They are definitely my favorite band!

Peace...............:cool:

[Pharaohrock]

Guys, I am about to buy a Suitcase 88 key Rhodes. I've been playing a friend's instrument and now it's time for me to get my own rig. Anyone have any thoughts about the Suitcase?

[DWBass]

Originally posted by Pharaohrock
Anyone have any thoughts about the Suitcase?

I believe the suitcase model is the stereo one (I think)! I remember being in a band back in 77'-78' and the keyboardist had one. I also remember it being heavy as sh**! I think there is a setting where you can have the sound bouncing back and forth between the 2 speakers. Very nice sounding effect! I love the sound of the Rhodes. I've been raving about Mitchel Forman but Jeff Lorber is another who can make that thing sing!

[John LeT]

I think on the Rhodes Supersite there's an MP3 of Herbie
Hancock's demonstration/promotion disc of the Rhodes
Suitcase model -- complete with Herbie himself talking and
playing up the stereo tremolo "ping-pong" effect. That's
definitely what Forman's using on his records, or else a
very good simulation (Speakeasy Vintage Music makes
a tube preamp for Rhodes that can add stereo tremelo to
a stage model, BTW, although it's an expensive box -- but
apparently one of the best built, best supported preamps
available to keyboardists every available.)

Enjoy your suitcase, Pharoahrock! I hope you follow through
with your plans to acquire it.

[Pharaohrock]

Guys, I checked it out over the weekend and it looks/sounds pretty good though two things:

1 They couldn't give me a year of production on it and I'm relatively new to the different Rhodes models. It only had three knobs and it's an 88-key suitcase. Any ideas?

2 The action had obviously suffered some wear and tear in the middle register. Is this something that can be easily restored? Would I be able to handyman it or do I need to consult an expert?

[DWBass]

This may help you.

Rhodes Rehab (http://www.mothersea.com/rhodes/)

Or this!

Classic or Modern Instrument Repair (http://www.alphaentek.com/restore.htm)

[Pharaohrock]

Fellas, I bought the Rhodes last weekend. It's from 76, and thankfully it's a Rhodes, not a Fender Rhodes....

I'd be interested in trading solo Rhodes tapes with anyone out there who's game. It seems there's very few records with solo Rhodes, and yet I like the possibilities of the Rhodes as a solo instrument.....

[Daniel A]

Originally posted by Pharaohrock
It's from 76, and thankfully it's a Rhodes, not a Fender Rhodes....

Why thankfully?

[Pharaohrock]

Rhodes were made better from what i've heard.

[Pharaohrock]

Talking about Rhodes players, I really think Bob James' early stuff is worth checking out no matter what you think of his lite jazz of the past 20 years. I think it's quite a different sound than that favored by Chick and Herbie.

Speaking of different sounds, I heard McCoy Tyner playing Wurlitzer on a record the other day (double trios?- DENON record) Now that was OUT!!

[DWBass]

Originally posted by Pharaohrock
Talking about Rhodes players, I really think Bob James' early stuff is worth checking out no matter what you think of his lite jazz of the past 20 years. I think it's quite a different sound than that favored by Chick and Herbie. Yes!! Check out 'Westchester Lady'! Classic Rhodes sound!

[subcitizen]

I want a rhodes sooooo badly...cept i'm a guitar player. :D I really love the sounds they make, though....IMO it's got more character than a regular acoustic piano. They've got a wurlitzer at my school in one of the practice rooms that i like noodling on every now and then....electric pianos are so cool

-andrew

[3pointdeli]

i love electric pianos also. so much so that i currently have a wurlitzer on layaway.