The pickup on a Rhodes piano is an adjustable coiled electromagnetic mechanism that ‘picks up’ the vibration of the tine and converts into electricity.
The pickup itself is a long length of thin copper wiring around a magnet. The pickup very similar to the type of pickup found on electric guitars. Considering early Rhodes models were made by Fender, this is no coincidence.
Each note has a pickup, meaning there are 73, 88, or 54 depending on the model of Rhodes. The most common is 73. Early model rhodes up to 1972 have pickups which are 3.5 inches long, and post 1972 they are 3 inches. If ordering replacement pickups this is important to consider.
The pickup can be adjusted back and forth so its distance varies from the end of the tine by a 1/4” nut driver. This is a key component of voicing and setting the volume of the note. The ideal setting is to have the volumes of every note as even as possible. The ideal placement is close to the tine so a wide dynamic range can be picked up, but not that the note is overly harsh. In the bass, achieving the classic ‘bark’ sound is usually desired.
Pickups are wired in parallel circuits to prevent a situation where if one fails they all do. The number of pickups connected in parallel varies throughout the Rhodes but the majority are wired in groups of 5. Here’s a link to a pickup wiring chart for more detail. In Rhodes pianos from 1980 onwards (Late Mark I, Mark II and Mark III EK-10 models), the pickups a white shielding around them. Unfortunately these newer pickups are much more prone to failure due to an inferior design. It is not uncommon to replace several if not dozens of pickups on this era to Rhodes. Short of rewiring them, which is often more costly, replacing the pickups with new ones is the only option.
During the 1980s a modification known as the “Dyno-My-Piano” or Dyno-Mod was commonplace in rhodes pianos in the USA. This modification achieved a brighter bell-like sound by moving the pickup as physically close to the tine as possible. It can be heard on a number of 1980’s pop hits. The EP piano sound on the Yamaha DX7 was heavily influenced by this sound as well, and eventually became the successor to the Rhodes.
