How to Tune / Voice the Rhodes (adjusting the Rhodes tone)

[@rmsphotodesign]

Just picked up a Rhodes from a pawn shop in halfway decent shape, this is beyond helpful. Thank you!

[@paucosmos9050]

How much?

[@ryanmelvey8764]

helpful video! toning my rhodes in 2020 thanks to this video

[@dadduorp]

VERY helpful information and thanks for taking the time to produce this!

[@dzlvs8]

No problem. Glad I could help.

[@michaelshand2818]

I know it has been some time since you made this video but it is super f#@*ing helpful! Excuse my naivety, but I thought once a rhodes lost that bite sound, that that was it.; there was no getting it back. So all this knowledge you've imparted about the fine adjustments and their effect on tone is so very appreciated. It is likely basic stuff for some tech guys but for me, I am having a blast customizing my Mark I and falling in love with it all over again! Thank a million.

[@PatrickGregoryDaniels]

Thanks for the video bro!!!

[@spicecrop]

You may want to look at some different speakers if you want to change your tone. I am learning to play piano on a Rhodes I just got but I have been playing guitar for over two decades and the number one thing that almost all guitarist overlook in trying to change their tone is the speakers. They will go through guitars, pedals and amps but never think about just changing out some different speakers which is one of the main aspects of how your sound is.

[@dzlvs8]

Nope. I had the orange fenders that I wanted. That got me where I wanted with tone, other than the LARGE part of tone that comes from the actual rhodes

[@veesee9747]

What amp are you using for your Rhodes? Sounds so good!

[@johndenver3120]

It’s a 1973 Fender Twin Reverb with the orange ink speakers. You’re right. It’s a match made in heaven.

[@dubdavis407]

Around 2:04 I see that you have two tuning springs in the lowest notes. Does that help with tine swaying?

[@MajicFreeman]

Found a mark 2 for 160 bucks, the guy says it just needs adjusting. If it plays is it worth it? I'm guessing so.

[@frankfurtschool3302]

That's a steal! I hope you bought it!

[@joelj7279]

Dude, they’ve gone up so much since

[@MajicFreeman]

@@joelj7279 hahaha fuck no i didn't get it and yah they've gone up so much since reverb and shit came out

[@voltapix]

expressiveness

[@andreamai1372]

Hi, thanks for the video! I own a 73 Mark I, (1974). My C5 Sharp has no sustain, his sound disappear quickly. How can I solve this problem?

[@SolomonDouglas]

Yeah, Mlle. Mabry!

[@jaredini]

Worst sounding Rhodes voicing. Did you change all the grommets and screws?

[@edwardrevin]

Thanks for the video, very helpful...curious about the amp overloading. I had someone tone/tune my rhodes, which is the 73 version of yours with the Janus amp. Now with the pickups closer, they make the signal too hot for the preamp and I get that bad crunch distortion sound especially when I play more than one note at a time. Did you ever find the problem for your preamp and find a fix? Does going out the front send jack to an external amp bypass the preamp?

[@jonnda]

I have a peterson amp, mk I suitcase 73 from 1970. I changed out the capacitors and it improved the sound IMHO. For the electrolytic caps, I used nichicon aluminum organic polymer capacitors from Mouser whenever possible.

[@quictube]

I noticed that all my notes are set to be slightly sharp. I began tuning my Fender Rhodes Mark I stage piano by moving the tuning spring to adjust from middle C white keys only down to the low base note. Should I bring everything back to the sharp position and move the wood frame back first?

[@amonster8mymother]

I bought my Rhodes in 1993 and I haven't touched it. The way it's set up sounds awesome it still has 60 cycle hum in it. I can't figure out to fix it. I'm scared if I start messing with it it's going to sound crappy. 😎

[@JustinMather]

Hey thanks for the video - lot of helpful tips here. I have a Rhodes that I'm thinking of refurbishing. Do you think you could give me a little guidance? I'm thinking of order the Refurb kit, but not sure if it's necessary.

[@LostInFunk]

It depends on the age of your Rhodes and its condition. I don't think anyone can answer that question without seeing your Rhodes. I have a 1973 73 Stage which is in okay condition. I just ordered the VV Refurb kit and some other bits and pieces. I have done a ton of research, if you want to have a chat about it shoot me a message on FB. facebook.com/brian.west.948

[@dzlvs8]

@musomarc I changed the escapement by tightening or loosening the screw on the tines that was closest to the keys. Escapement is not a quick tweak. You have to adjust the escapement for each individual tine.

[@TheStieber]

Jan Hammer/Mahavishnu. Awesome! Thanks for the help.

[@73YTubeDan]

One of my keys, the F# above middle c, seems to have not much tone and volume compared to the other keys below it from middle C. I'm almost hearing more of the hammer sound hitting the note rather than the volume of the note itself. Any ideas on what is causing this problem?

[@lundsweden]

Maybe your tine is faulty/broken?

[@reinhardwalter4133]

soundslike the pickup / coil is defect. if you klick a srewdriver against the magnet and it pulls it in, so a) the manet is ok andb) you should be hearing a sound in the amp. if.no. then coil needs to be replaced.

[@nathanielrhysdavis]

Ey! Miles beyond. Would you make a video of you playing that song?

[@Iggybu]

I just picked up a MKII going through the keys and adjusting them, one key I cannot get the bark at all guessing it may be the pickup going?

[@dzlvs8]

Iggybu yeah that is likely. good luck and enjoy.

[@kris_gorski]

Can you actually tune to a different tuning, ie other than 440?

[@Crysalis02010]

The coiled wire on each tine is the tuning. Move it back/forth on the tine to change the pitch of the tine. Using a strobe tuner is best.

[@zepheads4054]

Not sure why since every note in western music is available already. Just chose a different key to play in. You might look into stretch tuning which is a way of “pushing” the tuning to give a more lively sound. But yes you can tune differently, but it’s really pointless.

[@dionreload]

Hi there great video man do you maybe know why my rhodes has two or three (lower) notes wich sustain after you hit them on the keyboard, they just seem to ring on !! pleaz help me!!??

[@jasonmcconnie]

Check your felt damper tips for those notes. Are they there? Are they coming back to touch the tine and dampen it's sustain as they do on the working keys? You may need to replace those felts. You may also be able to fix the problem by slightly bending the felt ends of the narrow aluminum damper arms so that they help the felt to touch the tine after playing a note.

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Why not take care to share somthing of quality if you are truly passionate about rhodes

[@diegothoosc5761]

No Quarter - Led Zeppelin

[@NathanMacAdams]

So what do you use to adjust/tighten/loosen the settings on the pickup piece? I have no idea how to do what you are saying about adjusting the pickups. I'm good on the tonebar front, I've worked on that some and will go back afterwards. Thanks!

[@-thirteen]

hello, nice vid, thanks very much. Wondering if you know how to fix a dead sounding key. I think the hammer does not strike the tine solidly and the damper felt may bounce back onto the tine. I've bent the felt damper in all directions tying to get the right position and adjusted the level of the tine/tone bar..... I'm about to install back-checks but the lower register is much less resounding than the mid and upper keys. Thinking my last resort is to raise the keys...........any thoughts? I still have tone bar grommets left to do and final adjustments. My worse scenario is bad pickups.......? thanks much

[@jonnda]

Check a pickup to see if it is bad, by tapping a screwdriver or other bit of steel on the magnet/pole piece of the pickup in question while the piano is on (for suitcase pianos) and connected to the amp/cabinet. if you hear a loud pop or click, the pickup works fine and you have other issues.

[@amonster8mymother]

My Rhodes has hum. It's killing me. I can't record. Arrgh!!!😖😖😖

[@wendigo1011]

Get your power supply done or if you are too lazy, buy a hum eliminator ;)

[@anoniconoclast2030]

The problem is the mechanical sound is louder than the electric sound in the video. Good video otherwise.

[@musomarc]

Great video! Thanks I have learnt a lot. Just one question.How did you go about setting the escapement by raising or lowering the height of the harp assembly with shims on LHS or RHS? I assume this is done in the procedure to get the harp assembly just right as well as moving back/forward or sliding left or right. Hope you can help. Reagards musomarc

[@nutelina]

Because you can't tune the pitch?

[@dhampex]

Yeah my rhodes Mk 2 preamp is buzzing and cracking every time I mess with the treble and base slider, even when I turn the vibrato on and I hear the buzz panning left to right and more crackling, iv heard that this is typical for old Janus preamps.

[@reinhardwalter4133]

avoin studios make a preamp that goes into the rhodes,just put it in. check it out

[@plinkleton]

usless chatter !

[@Swanlord05]

Dx7 blows this away..... And easy to tune it

[@dzlvs8]

Dx7 makes a super clean bell tone. It doesn't get the grit and growl of a Rhodes Mark 1. Definitely not the same thing.

[@LaineGaubert]

What year in the 80s did you time travel from Jim?