User Manual

9. History: The story behind the Electro 2 instruments NORD ELECTRO 2 V2.2x
Page 56
In 1959, Harold met a man named Leo Fender and they
decided to do something together. Leo had developed
the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar and had a great
knowledge of amplifying strings. Together these two
gentlemen could develop a great electric piano. Unfor-
tunately, it seems they couldn't cooperate in the way
Harold wanted because Leo didn't like the sound of the
treble tines. As a result, between 1959 and 1965, they
released only one model, a 32-note bass version called
Piano Bass. Nevertheless, during this period Harold
continued to develop his ideas further and constructed
an 88-note electronic piano.
In January 1965, the large corporation CBS bought the
Fender Company and, as a result, Harold Rhodes finally
got the opportunity to put his newly designed instru-
ment into serious production. The model is called the Fender Rhodes Suitcase 73, where the "73" stands
for the number of keys on the piano. This model had a built-in pre-amp, amplifier, and speakers. Although
Leo Fender was no longer a part of the company, CBS decided to use both of the gentlemen's names in
conjunction with the product, supposedly for marketing reasons. Fender was a big name at the time - and
still is. Interestingly enough, Fender actually joined the company later on again for a period of time, and
it seems Harold and Leo together developed a new tone generator for the Fender Rhodes electric piano. As
a result, they filed a joint patent on August 4, 1970.
The Fender Rhodes Suitcase 73 was a hit on the market. Harold continued to refine his ideas, and every
year he improved the piano mechanically. After five years, the time came for a new model. It was called
the Fender Rhodes Mark 1 Stage piano. While it featured several hardware improvements, this instrument
lacked the built-in amplifier and speakers of the Suitcase model. The target group was, of course, touring
bands who demanded a more lightweight keyboard. While the Mark 1 Stage piano had only a line-level
output and a Bass EQ knob, the Suitcase model sported a "Vibrato" knob for controlling the stereo effect
that Harold had developed. In truth, "Vibrato" wasn't the correct word, as the effect was really tremolo --
an amplitude modulation effect.
From 1970 to 1979, CBS released two electric pianos: the
Mark I and the flat-topped Mark II. It was during this pe-
riod that CBS decided to drop "Fender" from the logo and
use only the Rhodes name. In 1980, the Rhodes 54 hit the
market, yet another attempt to fill the needs of touring mu-
sicians in search of a more compact and lightweight key-
board. The last Rhodes developed during the CBS era was
the Mark III, which contained a built-in two-voice synthe-
sizer(!). It was not a success. In 1983, Rhodes was sold to
William Schultz and Harold designed the Rhodes Mark V
with the help of Steve Woodyard. Harold himself consid-
ered the Mark V the ultimate electric piano. It took Harold
25 years to get to this point. Something like 5,000 units of
the Mark V had been built and, two years after its launch,
A Rhodes Suitcase 73 Mark I. The Suitcase models feature
built-in speakers facing the audience.
A
Rhodes Stage Piano Mark II. The top was cut down
t
o make a flat top, perfectly amenable to supporting an-
other keyboard.