Rhodes 54

As stated before I can build this one up in a few minutes... on my own! It's cute looking but not much lighter than a 73. A real eye catcher with that size.

Four legs, one pedal, two knobs, one input and 54 keys, that's all. Sometimes I wish I had two more keys up high but I don't need much more and great sound from a Rhodes.

Mellow, mellow, mellow. There are two ways to funk it up. Disconnect the cable that goes to the volume and tone knobs and connect a cable directly at the point where you took out the original cable. Plug it in the amp and voila! Not very esthetic but you can drill a little hole in the plastic top to lead the cable through. Or you could put a cable from the original output into a POD or something like that. Works great to get that Herbie sound!

It was very reliable until last spring when keys got stuck and an inner cable broke... during the gig! After a major overhaul she's as good as new and ready to rock for years from now.

Where can I get some spare parts???

This is my most cherished instrument and I would go nuts if somebody broke into my house and steal it. Hope to play on it as long as I live, period.

The action is typical of a Mark II (post-1979). That is to say it is easy on the hands, unlike some earlier models that were real wrist-killers.

The main feature of the 54 is its size - it's about a foot shorter than a stage 73. But make no mistake, this is one heavy unit. I'm guessing it's only a few pounds lighter than a stage 73 at the most. I give it an 8 because it IS useful to have a smaller keyboard, but no higher because it's virtually the same darn weight.

I've heard roughly 3 types of Rhodes sounds: 1. buzzy, with a Wurlitzer-esque quality to the sound, very nice - early 70's models 2. bell-like (think of that Billy Joel tune 'James' - late 70's MKII models and 3. mellow and clean.

My Rhodes 54 is definitely in category three. It does not sound like Herbie's Rhodes, nor does it sound like Chick Corea's. Mellower, but nice nonetheless. There are better models for expressive playing, in my opinion, but it's still really fun to play.

It's a really cool piano. In good shape, it doesn't need help from any FX units to sound good, in my opinion, although you can never go wrong with a phaser and a little reverb.

Mine is an early 80's that is in excellent condition, almost like it was never used. Any Rhodes is a bit heavy but the 54 is almost managable. Not much to this model, no preamp just plug it into an amp and go. It would be nice to have tremelo but you can always use an old Fender twin. 54 keys is a bit short but it gives you what you need. I never found myself wanting more range.

Key action is a bit clunky and stiff but thats the way they were made.
Sets up and breaks down pretty easy, has its own stand in the case. You have to screw on two legs while its on its side then have someone help you to lift it to attach the other 2 legs.

Sounds like a real Rhodes! Being mechanical it is very expressive and can be set up for a variety of tones and dynamics just by moving the pickups around. Nothing like a real Rhodes driving a tube amp, you can get it to blat if you hit hard. Nice overtones, the low bass keys are a bit soft sounding, I like the whurlitzer better down low.

Its a reliable unit, they used to be common back in the 70's and I helped pack them around alot. they can go out of tune if you slam them around while loading. Tuning a Rhodes can be a bitch at best. I have seen some in the past few years that had rusted tines and moving the tuning spring is a hair puller when they get that way. there area lot of things that can be in need of adjustment which is both bad and good. Its good because you can make the tone of the instrument almost endlessly variable but if it was a hammered unit in need of resoration you could spend days fussing.

You can get parts still and alot of piano and organ shops can work on them.

If it were lost I might try to find another one for cheap but its not my main rig.
I have a B-3 with a 122 and 145 and an old tube powered Whurlitzer and a Clav D-6. The rhodes has its place because of it own sound but I would like it better if it had the stereo tremelo built in.
I see alot of younger kids playing Rhodes now and they have a cool tone just like they always did.

Take off the cover, attach the legs, and flip the piano upright. Yes, you can actually get this one upright ON YOUR OWN!! Connect a 1/4 jack to an amp and away you go.

Great Rhodes keyboard action. A bit of an acquired keybed, but very satisfactory overall. The only effect on this model is TONE - which you can control better through your amplifier. No electronic fancies because this is an electro-acoustic piano. So it only has Tone and Volume - couldn't be easier to use!!

It is a Rhodes so it is obviously realistic. Many say these pianos work best on soul and jazz but I think you can get a great rock sound with a few adjustments to the tines / tonebars / pick-ups. Another thing to remember is that the amp has a major influence on the overall effect. As for keyboard response, there is slight sustain until you let go, and then nothing. You can get full sustain by pressing the pedal (this pushes a rod to raise the damper assembly and makes the piano ring for days).

Thes pianos were definitely built to last. The road case is as tough as I have seen. All the spares are available from a number of dealers - worldwide. The best thing is that I can even service this piano; believe me, that makes this instrument easy to look after! You can actually gig this one because the total weight is just below pain threshold. I can move it ON MY OWN - very important especially if you have other keyboards to gig at the same time!

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The Rhodes 54 is the best! I wouldn't swap it for a 73, 88 or suitcase any day. How often do you hit the bottom or top 10 notes - be honest! I wouldn't evem swap it for a Wurlitzer ep200 (the only other acceptable, portable, vintage piano) - they are a nightmare to service. The Rhodes 54 is fairly rare in the UK (20 stage 73s to every 54?) so if you get one...keep it. I love everything about this piano. There is nothing to dislike at all; it looks great, sounds great, and I CAN MOVE IT ON MY OWN!!!