The
RHODES
Less Travelled



Simon Beck looks at some rare versions of
Harold Rhodes' famous electric piano

Man with a Suitcase

Stage and Suitcase. Most of us are familiar with these names. After all, they are the two classic Fender Rhodes models which helped to define popular music for nearly two decades. But between inventor Harold Rhodes joining forces with solid-body guitar pioneer Leo Fender in 1959 and the production of the final Mk V Rhodes piano in 1985, several lesser-known but interesting models were also produced under the "Fender & Rhodes", "Fender Rhodes" and "Rhodes" names.

Amazing Bass

The first keyboard instrument produced at the Fender plant was the Piano Bass [below], first exhibited as a prototype in 1959 with a different keyboard range from the final production model as well as a more angular case and four legs as opposed to the optional tripod stand. The Piano Bass is probably the best-known of the "rare Rhodes" models and was produced in reasonably large numbers between 1960 and about 1979.

Early models (produced prior to Fender’s takeover by CBS in early 1965) were, like Fender’s amps and guitar cases of the time, covered in beige "tweed" material, and the instrument’s fibreglass top was available in a number of colours including Fiesta Red (a famous Fender guitar finish, actually pinkish orange), metallic dark green, sparkle silver and sparkle gold. These early models are distinguished by having their volume and tone controls mounted centrally on the fibreglass top, with no control panel. After the CBS takeover, the controls moved to the left-hand side of the top and shortly afterwards to a separate panel similar to that on the recently-introduced Suitcase Piano.

Post-CBS models [above] usually have a black tolex covering and (until about 1974) silver sparkle top, although other colour tops have been reported. From 1974 the top was available only in black. Apparently a 4-octave Piano Bass was available to special order.

The Piano Bass was eventually made famous by Ray Manzarek of the Doors, but the vast majority of them were almost certainly bought and played by lounge pianists who worked with a drummer and wanted a "trio" sound without having to employ a bass player, which was Harold Rhodes’s intention in the first place. Of course, these days the instruments are in demand from Doors tribute bands…

Early Days

There is a 1963 Fender & Rhodes catalogue [below] which shows the Piano Bass alongside a range of pre-production sister products.

They include the still unnamed 73-note Suitcase Piano, [left] a 3-octave "Celeste"[bottom] apparently bolted together from two Piano Basses, and a 61-note version of the Suitcase [right] which never entered production. All the instruments in the photo feature "tweed" covering, Fiesta Red tops and direct-mounted controls (apart from the Celeste, which has no visible controls and a metal strip halfway along its top).

The Celeste [above] was a 3 or 4-octave "mid-range" instrument with no amplification or sustain pedal. It was first announced in 1963, was shown in updated 4-octave form in a 1965 catalogue but didn’t actually appear until about 1967, and was produced for about 5 years to special order. Examples exist with silver sparkle and with black tops.

Back to School

Harold Rhodes saw himself above all as an educationalist, and one of Fender Rhodes’s lesser known products was a range of 73-note Student Piano models (with matching Instructor Piano) originally produced in 1967.Unlike the Suitcase Piano, which was mechanically identical inside, the Student Piano was designed specifically NOT to be portable, as it was intended to "live" permanently in groups of six or more in school or college music tuition labs.

The design of the original Student piano [above] was reminiscent of classic 1960s furniture by Eero Saarinen or Charles and Ray Eames. The piano mechanism itself was encased in a two-piece streamlined fibreglass shell with the volume control, headphone socket and metronome controls in a "pod" under the left side of the keyboard, and an amplifier and loudspeaker mounted inside the bottom of the shell. The keyboard unit stood on a single central pillar atop a splayed cast-metal base housing the sustain pedal. The strange form of the base led to the nicknames "fishtail" and "whale-tail" for this piano. Various colours were produced, including avocado green, mustard yellow, gold sparkle and cinnamon red.

Later in the decade a revised Student Piano [above] was produced, resembling a black-top Suitcase Piano with added wood-grain slab side panels. Again, the controls were under the left of the keyboard and on some examples a cassette recorder was mounted on the right.

Bringing It Home

The second Student Piano design was also modified slightly to produce the first of three different "Home Piano" models, the KMC-1 [below].

The KMC-1 differed from the Student Piano in having its controls mounted above the keyboard like the Suitcase and being fitted with a second pedal - not a piano-style "soft" pedal but a spring-return volume pedal. This model also featured the cassette recorder under the right-hand end of the keyboard. I have also seen a version of this model without the second pedal and cassette recorder and - uniquely for a Rhodes - fitted with a valve (US: tube) power amp. It's possible that this version was in fact a prototype.

Two other versions of the Home Piano appeared in the late 1970s. The first [above] was a revised version of the late-60s model, again featuring the cassette recorder and odd volume pedal, but this time in a neatly designed wooden case.

The second [above] was a rather clumsy-looking black case containing the innards of a standard 88-note Suitcase Piano, with the controls under the RIGHT side of the keyboard, and seemingly designed to disguise the fact that it contained a Rhodes at all.

The Mk III EK-10 - Why did they bother?

One other Rhodes oddity should be mentioned. The 1982 Mk III EK-10 [below] was an attempt by Rhodes to expand the sonic versatility of the standard Stage Piano.

Based on the standard 73-note Mk II Stage, it featured tuneable electronic voices in various octaves and waveforms, along with static filters. Unfortunately, the overall effect was that of a standard Rhodes doubled with an electronic piano or harpsichord sound - not particularly versatile or desirable, especially since sampling, digital synthesis and MIDI were about to permanently change the way keyboard sounds were produced and played.

With the exception of the EK-10, all the "rare Rhodes" models will share the sound and playing characteristics of their better-known contemporaries; a 1967 "fishtail" Student model will play and sound similar to a ’67 Suitcase (but with no tremolo available), while a 1974 Piano Bass will sound similar to the bottom few octaves of a Stage 73 made in that year (but of course with no sustain pedal).

So you want to buy one?

While the rarity of some Rhodes models may add to their value, factors such as lack of portability or limited keyboard range may have the opposite effect. The only model which remains in constant high demand is the post-CBS version of the Piano Bass, and this is due entirely to the Doors connection. It is interesting that the Doors were never completely satisfied with the sound of the Piano Bass on record and, although they continued to use it live, they began to supplement its sound in the studio with session bass guitarists as early as their second album.

The model most likely to suddenly gain cult status is the "fishtail" Student Piano, due to its extraordinary appearance. I suspect it is only a matter of time before one of these appears in a mainstream pop or rock video (almost certainly with no actual Rhodes on the soundtrack!) for its kitsch 1960s visuals.

As with all vintage (and new) keyboards, the maxim has to be "try before you buy". If you like the sound and feel of a particular instrument, by all means buy it. Bear in mind that models such as the Student and Home pianos are going to be far less practical for stage use than a Stage or Suitcase model, and that while the Piano Bass and Celeste might seem to offer the sound of a Rhodes in a more compact form, they do not have a sustain pedal facility. But if you do get a rare Rhodes, at least you'll have a keyboard with a classic sound and a unique appearance.