From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Fri Jan 18 11:09:31 2002
Subject:Re: Robustness of CX-3 Keyboard

Rick,

>Bruce wrote:
>>>I hate, and have always hated, the action on a Rhodes piano. I owned one for three years, and was constantly taking it apart to fix the action, but it never happened. I love the sound of a Rhodes, but I would not accept a free one if you offered to deliver it to my house tomorrow.>>
>I've owned a flat top ("MkII") Suitcase 73 since it was new (1979), and for many years I could never understand how the heck someone like Chick Corea could do the runs he was doing on, say, the "Light As A Feather" album. The action on mine, in particular the key rebound, was just too slow to pull them off (even if I had the chops to do them, which is another issue altogether). Was he playing a different piano, or what? But in the interest of maintaining this now "vintage" instrument, I've learned a lot about key pedestal felts, escapement adjustments and other issues that impact the action to a tremendous degree. And I've learned that it's possible to change the action radically. No doubt a Rhodes could never have the action that a CX-3 does, but you'd be surprised how good the action can be after it's been in the hands of a tech who knows what he's doing. So I'm working on mine. I still can't play "Spain" like Chick does, but my piano is on its way to having the kind of action
I always wished for. And then
>there's that wonderful Rhodes sound......

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised at all. I had the Rhodes disassembled in my apartment no less than three times -- and by "disassembled," I meant every key removed from the keybed, the harp assembly separated into wood and metal pieces, and every pickup hanging loose! (My bass player walked in one day, and just about had a hear attack!) I actually wrote a senior thesis on the working of the Rhodes, based on these experiences.

I used shims, different densities of felt, replaced every hammer tip, and adjusted things to my heart's content. I made it better, but I never got it to the point where I could play it without holding my nose.

And I agree: The sound is wonderful! A shame, IMHO.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions™ http://music.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group moderator
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com