Talk:Rhodes piano/Archive 1

List of bands
I removed Medeski, Martin, and Wood from the list of bands, as John Medeski only rarely uses the Rhodes on occasion - his electric piano instrument of choice being the Wurlitzer.

EK-10 demonstration
The story about the EK-10 demonstration that "made some [TV] sets explode" has the distinct ring of an urban legend about it. As described it doesn't make any sense -- you can't broadcast sound that makes a TV "explode", and it would be an utterly stupid business decision to dump working pianos rather than fixing the problem. The only source I can see for it is http://www.fenderrhodes.com/models/mark2.php where the facts are definitely wrong -- Japan doesn't use PAL. Unless someone can find a concrete source for this where the facts can be verified, I'd suggest removing the mention entirely. Azz 17:21, 28 November 2005 (UTC)

I second that. I've done an extensive search and have found no reliable source for the story. Besides which, as you've implied, it makes about as much sense as monitor screens in a James Bond movie exploding because the reactor's about to melt down... Butterfingersbeck January 14 2006

Here's the real story : http://www.majorkey.com/cgi-bin/EK10.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.138.116.230 (talk) 01:11, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for that! It makes fascinating reading. I disagree with the Wiki's description of the EK-10 sound - it sounds like a Rhodes layered with a cheap 1970s electronic piano/harpsichord sound, not a synth. The fact that it has no dynamic filters and a fixed envelope (determined by that of the Rhodes) means that describing it as a "synthesizer" sound is being over-charitable. Butterfingersbeck February 27 2009

Electric piano
The Doors "Riders On The Storm", "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel, are both also mentioned as played with an electric piano (see article on electric piano). Who's right? Or are they the same thing? If so, shouldn't the articles be merged?? Jaapkroe 14:53, 22 January 2006 (UTC)
 * A Rhodes piano is an electric piano, so both articles are correct. No, they should not be merged because a Rhodes is just one specific kind of electric piano, there are lots of others. That is, all Rhodes are electric pianos, but not all electric pianos are Rhodes.  Your comment does point out the fact that nowhere in the article is it mentioned that a Rhodes is an electric piano.  That should be changed.  Osmodiar 15:42, 22 January 2006 (UTC)

Having been the owner of both a Fender Rhodes Mk 1 Stage 73 (made in 1972) and a Wurlitzer EP200 for twenty years I'm convinced that the model on "Riders On the Storm" is a Wurlitzer. The Doors "Crawling King Snake" features a Wurlitzer without a shadow of a doubt. Still I don't wish to cloud the issue. The Rhodes and the Wurly can sound very similar>NH89.243.232.96 (talk) 23:30, 23 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I always assumed it to be a Wurlitzer. TheScotch (talk) 07:23, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

--> In Riders on the Storm, the keyboard used is a Rhodes, Ray Manczarek tells it in "Down The Rhodes" Documentary. The Wurlitzer is not very similar to the Rhodes, speaking of their sound, IMHO. "Crawling King Snake" --> Wurlitzer indeed, without a doubt. --81.80.239.162 (talk) 09:21, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

the basic article on the Fender Rhodes Electric Piano is quite informative.

I was telling a friend of mine some history behind the CBS era full keyboard Fender Rhodes electric piano. whether it was a major redesign of an outdated one or the 1st one, I never bothered to find out. But I was in my early 20s back then. Met Harold Rhodes briefly during his 1st test of that brand new prototype in the R&D dept; it sounded great.

here's the thing. I know when I worked there; soon after CBS took over. I remember majority of names of who worked there in the R&D dept as I worked there too. In mid 70s CBS began cleaning house getting rid of many of Leo Fender's people in R&D.

I know what I saw and heard; I was there. I remember Harold Kneeling who designed the Rhodes 100 watt amp. Dick Evans designed the full keyboard interface for it, starting with one key that had been sitting on my desk back in Nov 69 or so. Stan Compton was R&D director. George Fullerton was there too in room on right side of hallway going back from front door. I even knew (slightly) Leo Fender. When the final day came, Harold Rhodes came in (for sure 1970) dressed in an all white suit to test the finished prototype of the electric piano. All the R&D staff went to the back of the building where Harold Kneeling's lab was, and listened to Mr. Rhodes play the piano; it sounded wonderful; even better than the ones the factory churned out.

So, unless there was a prior model out "way" before CBS took over, that Rhodes electric piano was introduced in 1970. The web sites say 65, which can't be right. It was a big event; I watched its development from that one key to that final prototype. Soon after that CBS axed most of everyone from that dept.

My job? I worked on the original CBS (Donald Bukla's design) synthesizers patch cords and all; I redesigned some of his circuits using op amps and low noise transistors to overcome some of it's problems (Don Bukla was primarily a math genius; not electronics); Cal Arts had quite a few of our units there. So did Mel Blanc.

So, I am tempted to edit the information on the intro date of the Fender Rhodes Full keyboard Electric Piano. Rick —Preceding unsigned comment added by A watcher1525 (talk • contribs) 01:21, 19 March 2009 (UTC)

Artist section
Does anyone else think that the "Artist who played Rhodes" section is horribly disorganized and nearly illegible? It should really be a list. Any thoughts?
 * I completely agree. Artists listed should only be the most important and representative. Otherwise and for readers searching for more artists, there's a very comprehensive and reviewed list of hundreds of Rhodes-albums here :

http://www.fenderrhodes.com/cgi-bin/records —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.65.242.26 (talk) 16:05, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

I'd say that one very popular song prominently featuring the Rhodes' sound was "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors. Adding that, and possibly links to videos or sound files, would probably clarify the issue. 79.228.191.128 (talk) 21:08, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Hammond B3 link
Why has "Hammond B3" been added to the links? The two instruments have little in common apart from being electromechanical keyboard instruments. In my opinion "Wurlitzer" and "Dulcitone" are both relevant because they share a similar mechanism; the Hammond organ is not related at all.
 * I get your point, but there's a connection: Many B-3-Players have an e-piano (or another keyboard-instrument) on top of their organ, to play organ with their left hand and piano with the right hand (and viceversa, but mostly that way...). Rupert Pupkin (talk) 00:46, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

Artists who play Rhodes
I'm concerned about this section, which seems to be be an indiscriminate collection of information. The rhodes sound (in a generic sense that includes instruments that are not of the Rhodes brand but emulate the original sound) is so widespread in contemporary music that it makes little sense to try to maintain an exhaustive list of recordings that use it (at least in a generic encyclopedia like Wikipedia). It is not an individually noteworthy event when an artist or a producer decides to add a rhodes; it is just a common part of the standard toolbox of the trade. It would make as much sense to try to have a list of "construction companies that use backhoe loaders".

There are no sources in the section, but I don't think that adding sources would mitigate the real problem.

I propose to remove the entire section, but I'm willing to be convinced that it does have an encyclopedic purpose. Anyone? –Henning Makholm 03:18, 24 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Nothing? Okay, removed. –Henning Makholm 19:11, 30 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Oops, I missed that -- the only thing that appeared on my watchlist was "Artists who play Rhodes, new section". A more descriptive section header might have provoked more responses.
 * That being said, I don't think a scorched-earth approach to this section is a bad idea at all. Time permitting, I may cherry-pick some of the earlier entries and try to build a much smaller and more representative list.  Which will then of course come under immediate inflation pressure, but maybe a few of us can keep an eye on it.... .--NapoliRoma (talk) 19:39, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Jarrett as notable Rhodes player
I think it's deeply incorrect to cite Jarrett as a notable player of this instrument, in the very first part of the article. I think Joe Zawinul will suit better. --85.18.81.135 (talk) 19:20, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

replace picture
the black-and-white picture of the rhodes doesn't really show what it looks like. can someone put up a few informative color images of the different rhodes pianos? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.66.246.43 (talk) 06:13, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

Recorded examples
It would be interesting to introduce song examples like with the Wurlitzer_electric_piano page.


 * Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
 * Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Alien, "Everything in Its Right Place"
 * Weather Report- on albums like "Tale Spinnin', Black Market''
 * The Beatles - "Get Back", "Don't Let Me Down" (both played by Billy Preston)
 * The Doors: "L.A. Woman", "Riders on the Storm" (played by Ray Manzarek)
 * Bill Evans - "Funkallero"
 * Joe Sample - "In all my wildest dreams"
 * Dave Grusin - Either Way
 * Chick Corea: "Spain", "La Fiesta"
 * Herbie Hancock: "Chameleon"
 * Billy Joel: "Just the Way You Are"
 * Stevie Wonder: "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", "Isn't She Lovely", "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)"
 * Pink Floyd: "Dogs", "Hey You"; "Sheep"
 * Elton John: "Daniel"; "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"; "Little Jeannie"
 * Peter Frampton: "Baby, I Love Your Way"
 * One Day as a Lion: "Wild International"
 * Sadao Watanabe & Hiroshi Fukumura - Hunt Up Wind
 * George Duke - I Love You More
 * Tom Scott - Shadows

--Kiwi (talk) 13:25, 20 October 2010 (UTC)

Dates on pictures
It appears that the dates on some of the pictures in the Models section are incorrect. One is marked "Rhodes Mark I 73 Stage (1970)" but it has the post-1975 namerail logo. It appears the same mistake was made in labeling the "Rhodes Mark I 88 Suitcase (1972)". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.91.99.200 (talk) 04:18, 21 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Hi, please relax, don't be nerves. When you find any mistake conflicting with other description with reliable source, anytime you can fix it.
 * On this issue, as written on the History section, "Fender Rhodes" brand was change its name to "Rhodes" in 1975, thus your point seems correct and you can fix mistake (possibly with the additional tag and short summary). And it may be a reasonable way to avoid waste of times for each other, on the cooperative workspace like a Wikipedia.
 * --Clusternote (talk) 14:10, 21 November 2011 (UTC)
 * --Clusternote (talk) 14:10, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

P.S. After then, I found what you really meant. Although "Mark I 73 Stage" and "Mark I 88 Suitcase" were released in 1970 and in 1972　with "Fender Rhodes" logo plate, however, both photographs seem to have "Rhodes" logo plates, and it suggests these particular "Rhodes Mark I" were shipped from "Rhodes" brand during 1974 or 1975-1979. If my guess is appropriate, I'll add supplementary explanation to the captions for avoiding misleading.

--Clusternote (talk) 11:59, 1 December 2011 (UTC)