Jeremy Erwin

Beginning a long overdue rehab of my 1975 #Rhodes Stage 73 - replacing the ratty tolex and adding a Miracle Mod from Vintage Vibe to smooth out the key action.

I bought this from the trunk of a shifty character at an Iowa truck stop back in 2002 and it’ll forever be the best $400 I’ve spent. These pianos are among the greatest instruments ever created. #RhodesRefresh

Jan 16, 2023 at 9:05pmWeb
Show threadJeremy ErwinJan 16, 2023

I’m not crazy about paying out the nose to keep this piano maintained, so I’ve learned to be my own Rhodes tech - buying NOS parts wherever I could find them until Vintage Vibe began reproducing parts about 10 years ago.

This’ll be my most ambitious repair job by a mile: replacing the tolex, refreshing all the chrome hardware, replacing the Rhodes badge, and the extremely tedious process of improving the sluggish keybed. #RhodesRefresh

Show threadJeremy ErwinJan 26, 2023

Well, I got extraordinarily high on contact cement while applying the new tolex and failed to properly document the whole operation but the Rhodes refurb is complete! Aside from the replacing the destroyed chrome corners and rear logo, I kept all the original hardware with their lovely mid-70s patina.

Damn thing looks like it just rolled off the line. #RhodesRefresh

Show threadJeremy ErwinJan 26, 2023

The Miracle Mod I performed (gluing a little slab of plastic and felt to the end of each key pedestal) mimics the functionality of early models (68-72). When the Fender name was dropped, the key pedestal shape was altered slightly to cut costs and the action suffered.

It was a painstaking process but this piano now plays and sounds better than the day it was built. #RhodesRefresh

Show threadMr. CompletelyJan 26, 2023
@theheatwarps a friend of mine not here wondered if you were doing that. Sounds like quite a job!
Show threadJeremy ErwinJan 26, 2023
@mrcompletely I reached a kind of meditative state after about 8 keys. Might have been the fumes though, hard to say.
Show threadbryontreeceJan 26, 2023
@theheatwarps she’s a beaut!!
Show threadstop charnel 2025Jan 26, 2023
@theheatwarps love this!
Show threadKS2 ProblemaJan 26, 2023

@theheatwarps

Sweet!

I've heard of 'contact highs' before... but...
=D

I hope your recovery is fast and full!

Show threadTony Masiello ☮Jan 27, 2023
@theheatwarps beautiful!
Show threadeyajpngJan 16, 2023
@theheatwarps what exactly does the miracle mod do? (I’ve worked on lots of synths but not very many with keys, and never a e-piano)
Show threadJeremy ErwinJan 17, 2023

@jepyang Rhodes pianos can develop “key bounce”, which is when the keys and hammers briefly bounce after release. It results in sluggish action and more mechanical noise under the hood - no bueno.

The miracle mod involves gluing a small piece of plastic and a strip of felt onto the key where it comes in contact with the hammer. This allows the hammer to rest snugly on the felt after a note is released, eliminating the bounce.

Here’s an explainer vid. https://youtu.be/FsQgwFtRoDQ

Tech Tip | How to Install the 'Miracle Mod' Action Mod on Rhodes Pianos

YouTube
Show threadeyajpngJan 17, 2023
@theheatwarps simple solutions to complex problems! Love it
Show threadMr. CompletelyJan 16, 2023
@theheatwarps please turn this into an ongoing thread! Would be cool to see the whole process together
Show threadJeremy ErwinJan 16, 2023
@mrcompletely I can do that!
Show threadAndy SteeleJan 27, 2023
@theheatwarps what an undertaking! And that is a gorgeous keyboard. I watched Nils Frahm fix his on stage in the middle of a show once, which was a riot.