Rhodes

Rhodes

Also known as: Fender Rhodes, Rhodes Piano

Unclaimed

Rhodes is the maker of the Rhodes electric piano, the electro-mechanical tine-based keyboard instrument originally developed by Harold Rhodes. Rhodes began crafting his first instrument — a 29-note xylophone-like keyboard built from B-17 aluminum tubing — while teaching piano to wounded servicemen during World War II. The design evolved into the Piano Bass and the full-size suitcase and stage m...

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Rhodes is the maker of the Rhodes electric piano, the electro-mechanical tine-based keyboard instrument originally developed by Harold Rhodes. Rhodes began crafting his first instrument — a 29-note xylophone-like keyboard built from B-17 aluminum tubing — while teaching piano to wounded servicemen during World War II. The design evolved into the Piano Bass and the full-size suitcase and stage models that became fixtures of jazz, soul, funk, fusion and pop after Fender (and later CBS) brought them to mass production from the late 1960s onward. Harold Rhodes reacquired rights to the name in 1997, and following further ownership changes Rhodes Music Group Ltd was formed in 2021 by audio company Loopmasters.

The brand's flagship hardware is the MK8, a tine-based electric piano built in Leeds, UK, using a Kluge Klaviaturen keybed (Steinway Group) and electronics designed by former Moog engineer Cyril Lance, with industrial design by Axel Hartmann. A more portable Stage 61 sits alongside it, and the company also produces software including the Rhodes V8 plugin, the V-Rack effects suite, and the Pianology and Anthology titles, plus official spares and a Custom Shop program.

The Rhodes sound — a bell-like, percussive timbre produced by hammers striking steel tines amplified by pickups — is a defining voice on records by Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Stevie Wonder, Donald Fagen, Joe Zawinul and countless others, and it remains a staple of neo-soul, hip-hop production and contemporary jazz.

Rhodes has 21 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Virtual Instrument, Vintage & Electric Pianos, and Portable & Arranger Keyboards. Their gear is featured by 7 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Electronic, and Pop. Notable users include Daniel Kim, Flume, and Andy Wood. Rhodes's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.

Artists Who Use Rhodes

Daniel Kim uses 1 Rhodes product

Daniel Kim

Guitarist, Composer · wave to earth

Flume uses 1 Rhodes product

Flume

Music Producer, DJ · What So Not

Andy Wood uses 1 Rhodes product

Andy Wood

Guitarist · Rascal Flatts

Jacob Tilley uses 1 Rhodes product

Jacob Tilley

Guitarist · Young the Giant

Keith Merrow uses 1 Rhodes product

Keith Merrow

Guitarist · Conquering Dystopia

Extrawelt uses 1 Rhodes product

Extrawelt

Music Producer

Anthony Marinelli uses 1 Rhodes product

Anthony Marinelli

Keyboardist, Composer

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