Okay, what's yer guess?

[Ken & Pat Gerler]

Mark,
That is it! I have worked on several Fender-Rhodes but never had hammers 
like that. Harold Rhodes said he had the "simplest" arrangement for 
operation. It is basically a "spoon". The "whippen" end is the part of the 
spoon you would put in your mouth. He affixed the flange to that end. A big 
block of wood at the end of the key interacts with that (the spoon) end of 
the assembly. And the "sound producing"  or "tine" is a basic "tuning fork". 
The damper is on a thin piece of metal and is pulled down from the tine and 
the hammer rises from below the tine.  As an 'electronics' technician you 
would see these faster than a piano technician.

Alan, google Fender-Rhodes and see who currently is supplying parts for 
them. The later models had little rubber tips that were glued into a "U" 
shape in the wood block at the end of the hammer shank.

Ken Gerler
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Schecter" <schecter at pacbell.net>
To: <pianotuner at embarqmail.com>; "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 1:49 AM
Subject: Re: Okay, what's yer guess?


> Could they be early Fender Rhodes?
>
> -Mark
>
>> ------- Original Message -------
>> From: "Alan Barnard" <pianotuner at embarqmail.com>
>> To: pianotech at ptg.org
>> Sent: 04/17/08, 09:00:20 PM
>> Subject: Re: Okay, what's yer guess?
>>
>> Not without posting it somewhere else, which I don't know how to do.
>>
>> I don't think it would help, really. There are no parts or details that 
>> don't show pretty plainly here. The whippen/butts (little S&M there) are 
>> 1/4" thick and smooth sided, no features except holes for the flange pins 
>> (no raised bird-eyes) and the hammer shanks (3/16" in diameter), and the 
>> "bridle straps" which pass between the W/Bs (see S&M, above) and the 
>> flanges and are glued to the curved back of said W/Bs. You can see the 
>> weird little hammer moldings and the small, oddly-shaped hammers.
>>
>> Here are more little hints: The maker of these and similar instruments 
>> (many later models still around and in use) is actually quite famous and 
>> spent a great deal of time in hospitals. Tease, tease. Later models have 
>> hammers that are even less piano-like.
>>
>> I say, again, .
>>
>> Alan Barnard
>> Salem, MO
>>
>>
>>
>> Original message
>> From: "Barbara Richmond"
>> To: pianotuner at embarqmail.com, "Pianotech List"
>> Received: 4/17/2008 10:35:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: Okay, what's yer guess?
>>
>>
>> Could we have a bigger picture for a better look?
>>
>> br
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: Alan Barnard
>> To: pianotech at ptg.org
>> Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:53 PM
>> Subject: Okay, what's yer guess?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Heads are 3/4" at their widest, 3/8" thick, round (no egg shape) at the 
>> crown. Notice the little bit of bridle strap material sticking out from 
>> the flange at the picture top? These tapes are connected to the dampers. 
>> (Yes they are, don't argue with me!) The whippen is the hammer butt and 
>> vice versa, no jacks, no escapement, one solid piece of wood. Key sticks 
>> are full-sized (well, like a spinet) conventional designed, three-rails, 
>> pins, felts, etc., but the "capstans" are just pieces of felt glued to 
>> the top rear of the key sticks. Key and hammer travel are conventional 
>> distances.
>>
>> Further hints: This is a 20th century instrument, not something from 
>> Mozart's day! Not a celeste, not a dulcimer, not a Nickelodeon or 
>> anything similar, not exactly a piano, either--though it is called a 
>> piano, has a sustain pedal. Not tuned in any conventional way, either.
>>
>> Fun one, eh? Anyone seen 'em? Bet Jack Wyatt knows  ...
>>
>> Alan Barnard
>> Salem, MO
>>