What’s the best way to amplify and record Fender Rhodes pianos?

Stage models

Stage Rhodes pianos are passive instruments that require amplification. While it’s possible to use guitar or bass amps, keep in mind that Rhodes pianos have a full-range frequency response, which these amps often struggle to reproduce accurately.

To fully capture the rich tonal range of your Stage Rhodes piano, consider using a pair of full-range speakers (such as studio monitors) with this signal path:

Rhodes Stage Model Piano → Rhodes Preamp → Amp → Full-Range Speakers

The original preamps used in Suitcase models were specifically designed for Rhodes pianos, including the iconic tremolo effect heard on classic tracks like “Living for the City”.

If you can find a vintage Rhodes preamp, like the coveted Peterson preamp, you can install it in most Stage models or use it externally or consider the improved version of the original Rhodes Peterson preamp.

Suitcase models

Suitcase pianos are self-contained units, incorporating a stereo preamp, amps, and speakers. The piano itself houses the preamp, while the lower cabinet contains the power supply, amp, and speakers.

Rhodes Suitcase Model To record a Suitcase Rhodes piano:

Direct Recording: Connect two channels from the preamp output on the bottom amplifier (near the headphone output) to your audio interface. This will capture the Fender Rhodes preamp sound, vibrato, and EQ.
Amplified Sound: For a richer, more amplified sound, place two microphones in front of the amp cabinet to capture the natural speaker sound.
Safety Channel: Connect the accessory output #2 (near the volume knob) to a DI box and then to an external preamp. Send the signal back to accessory input #1 on the piano. This provides a clean, direct signal without vibrato or EQ, allowing for re-amplification or digital processing in your DAW.

Additional Tips:

Experiment with Mic Placement: Try different mic positions and types to achieve your desired sound.
Use High-Quality Cables: Good quality cables can significantly impact the overall sound quality.
Consider a Dedicated Rhodes Preamp: A dedicated Rhodes preamp can provide a significant boost in sound quality and versatility.

By following these guidelines, you can achieve professional-quality recordings of your Rhodes piano.

Mike Altier

2023-04-24

You're looking at these reviews because you want to know if this guy is the real deal, if you can trust him with your precious piano. The answer is: yes Nir is a 100% pro and passionate about what he does. He's increased the value of Rhodes, increased my appreciation for the instrument, and increased my knowledge of how to care of it.

Gregg Isbell

2023-03-10

I just sold my piano to a professional musician. The buyer was thrilled about the piano model and year of production (‘75) and the upgrade to “better than new”, and had been wanting one for a while. I’m so happy about this whole experience with Fender Rhodes LA refurbishing my piano. Thanks for your remarkable expertise and personal care and pride in your work. So many ears will now be hearing and enjoying the results!

Island Time

2023-01-23

Fender Rhodes LA is a tremendous asset to the Rhodes community. Nir is a class act and provides top notch service and support. Do your Rhodes a favor and give him a visit!

Raph Parpex

2023-01-04

Nir is the sweetest and he knows absolutely everything about Rhodes EPs. At drop off he was able to spot within minutes everything that was wrong and had be poorly fixed on my piano, and then it only took him 1 week to literally bring it back to factory specs. Not to mention that at pick up he took 1h to explain in details how I should maintain it so I could take care of fine adjustments and tuning myself. He is the only person you should reach out to if your Rhodes needs repairs.

Mark Cruz

2022-08-18

Nir is a master craftsman. Not only did he do and amazing job tuning my 73 Fender Rhodes but taught me how to maintain and keep it running well for years to come. Exemplary work and I wouldn't recommend anyone else for repairs and tune ups.

Jessica Rivera

2022-05-26

Very very professional. Talked us through everything and exercised great care in restoring our 1979 baby. Our piano was restored to its former glory and looks and sounds better than I could have ever hoped.

James Jarrard

2021-08-27

Excellent communication, clear and transparent on work performed on my piano. Goes without saying that Nir and his team are very skilled and experienced working on electric pianos.

Juan A. Matos

2021-07-03

Excellent and speedy service. Nir did an excellent job with my Rhodes. He also took his time to teach me the technical basics of tweaking the piano in the case that issues pop up in the future. He's also available to help people fix their Rhodes through Zoom, in the case you don't live in Southern California. Who else does that? Needless to say, I'll be taking my Rhodes to him in the future. Thanks, Nir!

Andrew Zuker

2021-05-16

Nir did a full restoration of my 1974 Suitcase 88 Rhodes is few years ago. During the process he was communicative and professional and helped me understand what he was doing at every step of the way. I feel I paid a very fair price for exemplary service and I couldn’t be happier. Recently I had some static noise issues with the amp and he gave me the advice and counsel I needed to resolve the issue. If you have an old Rhodes, Nir is the premier professional for all of your maintenance, restoration, and repair needs. 10/10.

Kimi Kori

2020-10-29

I had a great experience getting my Rhodes piano repaired by Nir. He inspected it thoroughly, explained everything clearly, answered every one of my questions so kindly (and I had a lot of questions), and offered different levels of service to achieve the best sound possible. I am very happy with how my Rhodes sounds and feels after the repair! Excellent service. Highly recommended.