Rhodes Mark V Stage 73 1984..."holy grail" of Rhodes electro-mechanical pianos LAST one in stock! | Reverb (2024)

FAQs

How to date a Fender Rhodes piano? ›

The code on the pickup rail is located on the right-hand side, beneath the part number. The first two digits indicate the week of the year, and the last two indicate the year (e.g. 0978 = 09th week of 1978, sometime in early March).

Look for excessive rust, corrosion, and oxidation on the harp, tone bars, pickups, and tines. Check for cosmetic and structural issues, such as dents, damaged keys, and broken wood. Test all the keys to ensure they produce a consistent sound and have a smooth action.

The Fender Rhodes is one of the most popular musical instruments in jazz, especially electric jazz. CBS took over production of the Rhodes in 1965, enhancing its popularity in pop and rock music.

Harold Rhodes estimated that 250,000 pianos (a quarter of a million) were built during the lifetime of production at CBS from 1965 to 1984. Regarding specific models and eras, all that can be said is that as popularity grew throughout the 1970's, so did demand for the pianos.

1979 was perhaps the most popular year ever for the Fender Rhodes. The main changes were aesthetic, giving it a refined black look. The redesigned hood now contained a secondary instrument. In 1980 a 54-key version was added to the palette.

Certainly it does not go generally out of tune over the entire Keyboard as does the traditional string piano. What may happen is that one or more notes may go out of tune because of a loose Tuning Spring or as a result of Tine fatigue under the stress of constant heavy blows.

Many Rhodes owners are simply unaware that the instruments' have value in today's musical landscape. Most Rhodes that we follow on the Chicago area craigslist sell within a single one or two weeks when listed between $300-1,000 in average unserviced condition.

First, you need a very accurate strobe tuner. When connected to the Rhodes. strike a key, and notice whether the note is sharp or flat. If flat, the tuner must shave a VERY small amount of metal off the tone bar.

Fender was the original manufacturer of Rhodes pianos, and they no longer make them. There is a company that started out making replacement parts for various vintage electric pianos, and now makes entire replicas of some of them, including the Rhodes.

Both his classic albums and his new releases continue to sell in the millions. He performs hundreds of electrifying concerts each year. And every time Sir Elton records or performs, Yamaha is right there with him. Sir Elton has used Yamaha Disklavier® grand pianos exclusively since he first played one many years ago.

What is the difference between a Wurlitzer and a Rhodes electric piano? ›

The main difference is that Rhodes uses tines as their tone source, while a Wurlitzer uses reeds. The sound of a Wurlitzer is sharper and closer to a sawtooth wave, compared to the Rhodes which is closer to a sine wave. This gives the Wurlitzer a sharper and punchier tone.

The Yamaha baby grand piano that Mercury wrote some of Queen's greatest hits on was one of the few items that sold for less than its estimated price tag, though it still sold for the most amount of money. It had been expected to sell for as much as $3.75 million but sold for $2.2 million.

The Fender Rhodes piano became popular in the 1970s, and was especially employed in rock, R&B, and jazz. Some notable players include Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hanco*ck (born on this day in 1940).

In 1983, Rhodes was sold to CBS boss William Schultz, who closed the main factory in 1985 and sold the business to the Japanese corporation Roland in 1987.

Unfortunately for the buyer, this range of pricing from $300-4,000+ can leave many confused about the wide range in prices. In order to make sure that the Rhodes is worth the asking price, it's important to know what to look, feel, and listen for.

For determining the age of a piano you need the serial number it received from the manufacturer. The serial number is usually a five- to nine-digit number. It can be found on the pin block, sometimes also on the inside of the case or on the sounding board under the pin block of the instrument.

The decade letter codes break down like this: S = 1970s, E = 1980s, N = 1990s, Z = 2000s. In the 2000s, you'll also see serials starting with a DZ which indicates the Deluxe series, but the format is otherwise the same. For example, a serial number with N4 would be from 1994. One starting with Z5 would be from 2005.

Thanks to the series number of your piano you can date it to within a few months. You will often find this number on the frame somewhere near the tuning pegs, sometimes on the soundboard either on the top or the reverse (behind on upright pianos, underneath on grand pianos).