Rhodes
The Fender Rhodes is an electromechanical piano using hammer-struck tines and electromagnetic pickups, producing a distinctive bell-like tone iconic in jazz, soul, and funk.
In Depth
Harold Rhodes developed the instrument through several iterations from the 1940s, with the Fender company manufacturing the definitive models from 1965 to 1984. The mechanism involves small hammers striking tuned metal tines mounted next to electromagnetic pickups, similar in principle to an electric guitar. This produces a warm, bell-like attack that gives way to a rounder sustain, with natural tremolo and overdrive characteristics.
The Rhodes became the keyboard of choice for an entire generation of jazz, soul, and fusion musicians. Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, Stevie Wonder's albums of the early 1970s, and Miles Davis's electric period all feature the Rhodes prominently. Its warm, slightly detuned character has proven impossible to fully replicate digitally, and original Mark I and Mark II models are highly prized. The instrument was reissued in 2007 and continues to be manufactured.
Harold Rhodes built his first keyboard instruments from aluminum tubes salvaged from B-17 bomber parts to help rehabilitate wounded soldiers in Army hospitals during World War II.