# Rhodes Mark I Stage Piano Controls



## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

A few years ago, I got a Rhodes Mark I. It is pretty awesome and I quite like it. At times it takes a little extra effort to dial out the brightness though.
Just recently, after doing some research I realize the controls are not stock. Not sure who made this little battery-pack preamp, but I see it has a spider looking transistor and now separate bass and treble controls. 
I'm quite curious how my keyboard would sound stock. Anybody know anything about these?








I found these:
http://www.fenderrhodes.com/img/service/manual/stgschem.gif
Another aftermarket control?:
http://www.fenderrhodes.com/img/service/manual/piabassscm.gif

I am tempted to try them out... any thoughts?
I suspect the one I have in my keyboard right now is probably to help boost a signal to better go straight to a PA. Of course, being pretty pro-tube-amp, I find that idea disgusting.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

It's kinda like a guitar. It has pickups like a guitar except 73 of them in the case of your unit and they're picking up a vibrating rod as opposed to a string. They're not very loud without a decent amp driving the signal. The preamp just gives it a little push and affords the user better tone control. 
The tricky thing is balancing all the tines. It can take some time to get it sounding right.


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

Cool, Ya, I spent some time adjusting the tines last year, getting all the notes at the same volume. It was already mostly pretty close. There were a couple notes that needed to be tuned, but it was otherwise in pretty great shape musically. It could really use a re-tolex though. I've been putting that off... and resisting the urge to try something besides black...

I'm just wondering if I'm loosing some vintage-y tone at all by allowing the use of this preamp. I guess I could just go straight from pickups to amp to hear what it would sound like with tone and volume cranked sans preamp.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I have one from '71 or so, the vol & tone control setup is very basic, like an electric gtr

I'll get a pic for you


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

here's a weblink in case these images don't work

http://el34.webuda.com/images/rhodes/
























ps mine sounds great as-is...I know a lot of people mod these with preamps but I prefer the older '70's sound, not the '80's Al Jarreau stuff


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