Over time the pickups in Rhodes pianos are prone to failure, especially if your Rhodes has suffered damp or water damage. There is also a certain batch of pickups in late Mark I and Mark II pianos which have a white sleeve around them. Unfortunately these pickups are notorious for failing. In any case, the […]

This is often to do with the solder or ‘lead’ that is applied to the reeds to adjust the tuning. It often happens in the tenor register in the F F# G range below middle C. The solution is usually to replace the solder on the reed. If not this then it could be the […]

This is a common issue that affects all Rhodes pianos at some point. This could be one of a number of issues, here are some places to start: (Note: if unsure of any of these terms, consult the Glossary.) Remove the lid and inspect the harp where the problem is Rhodes lids are easy to remove, in […]

In electric pianos, a pickup is an electronic device that captures the vibration of the tine, reed, or string and converts it to an electrical signal. There are two main types of pickup that are used in electric piano instruments: Electromagnetic Pickups: Electromagnetic pickups use a magnet and coil arrangement where a magnet is surrounded […]

On Hohner Pianets a sticky pad is a small rubber pad that sits on the hammer arm at the far end of the key. Its function is to mute the Pianet reed when the key is at rest position, and to spring off the reed when the key is played. This lifting off the reed […]

The pickup system on Wurlitzer pianos is formed of two metallic bars, one for the bass and treble section of the piano, that is housed on the rear portion of the reed bar. It is a comb shaped structure that surrounds the reed of each note. It is located under the dampers and damper arms. […]

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 […]