Bob L

Thanks!

Does anyone know of a company/individual who restores Fender Rhodes electric pianos in the Bay Area? I have a Rhodes 73 Mark 1 that is in pretty good shape, but would love someone to go through it and restore it. If this is the wrong place to post I apologize and please let me know how to do it properly.

For me not so much songs as techniques. Always wanted to play New Orlean's style licks. Found some Professor Longhair tutorial vids with transcriptions on YouTube and given my proficiency it will keep me out of trouble for a while. Also want to learn some standards ("Fly Me To the Moon", "All of Me" ) with walking basslines for my duo act (great female vocalist, and the upbeat songs will perk the act up). Trying to talk my cover band into doing "Kid Charlemagne" as a stretch project to show off.

elpbook.com

This band is just getting put together and the guitar player and bass player (great guy who I played with in the past) want a keyboard player. So we are in the process of putting a set list together that will take advantage of everyone's talent. So the rare opportunity to engineer the set list around the instruments. I've gotten awesome feedback on this thread and appreciate everyone's input.

Looks like I am joining a band that is going to play mostly 90s. Female and male lead vocalist. The pop/dance stuff (Paula Abdul, Maria Carey, Whitney Houston) has a lot of keyboards (I think). Are there some gems that were reasonably big hits from the 90s that have distinctive keyboard parts that audiences would enjoy? Some genres like grunge seem to be barren waste lands with regards to keyboards. Full disclosure, when I was living through the 90s I mostly listened to jazz (was taking piano lessons and learning jazz) so I don't have any life experience to draw on. I know for some material I will be filling in stuff for songs that have no keyboards ( I think all keyboard players have to go with that for some songs), but I don't want to do that all night.

I've used distorted Wurly for songs like "Highway to Hell" (play the second guitar part). Hammond is a go to. Another approach is to say "what if the band had a keyboard player" and instead of providing background with Hammond or playing a guitar part add some rock and roll piano. My cover band does "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet, and I add rock piano that fits but has nothing to do with what either guitar player did. I also find that playing guitar leads that are harmonized with the guitarists in a band can sound very cool (your ear "wants" to hear it as a second guitar). We do that with "Burning for You", "Reeling in the Years", and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" ... my cover band has only one guitar player so this technique can be quite effective. Playing "synth guitar" tends to sound better in lower registers in my view (though that may be due to my patch selection). You've already gotten a lot of great advice on this thread! Enjoy!

You should also consider a Lester K pedal. It has an excellent overdrive sound and the Leslie sim is very good. I never owned a Vent so you may want to compare both to see which you like.

Steve Coscia - - My wife and I did the Excel thing also (spreadsheet on Google drive). Over the past few years with an improved stock market it started looking real that I could retire. I told my wife (I'm 61) that next year I am done (retiring in Jan I hope, or maybe if my employer gives me a part time option I will take that). Sent the material in the spreadsheet to our financial planner at my brokerage account and they told me the same thing (that I can retire). My wife worked for the state of Connecticut for 12 years before we moved to California 20 years ago so her pension and health care plan are a big help. Those on the forum in their 40s should invest time in a planning spreadsheet for sure. Time goes by fast. I'm not sure what I will do with all the time, but I've worked in tech since the mid 80s, and it is time to move on and start a different journey. I lift weights at the gym three days a week so I can still lift and carry all my gear. I have three music projects going. I am happier now than when I was trying to prove I was a man by working super hard to make a ton of $$$ (the ton of $$$ never came, and the time spent on it versus other things will never return). I wish the best to everyone on this forum as they approach retirement, or the younger ones on their planning and prioritizing for retirement. I do plan on breaking out all those jazz books I said I would get to "someday".... for me "someday" is right around the corner.

Since Beato typically covers rock oriented topics, I think this video is pretty cool. If some rockers (regardless of what instrument they play) listen to the video and get a better appreciation for jazz, for Oscar Peterson, for what a great instrument the piano can be (rock is a very guitar oriented world) then that is pretty cool stuff in my view.

adamcz - I use a low end Behringer mixer for my keyboards. The main output goes to the board, the monitor (Ctrl room output ) goes to a Behringer Powerplay P1. I get a monitor feed (same as would go into a wedge ) that goes into the second channel of the Powerplay P1. That monitor channel is for me (we each have our own mix) and has everything but keyboards. With the Powerplay, I mix the monitor channel (vocals, guitar , drums, etc.) with the monitor feed from the mixer that has just keyboards. This has worked well for me for a very long time. To use this technique you need your own monitor feed from the board that does NOT have keyboards.

My son decided new custom in ear monitors would be a great Father's day gift. This week I got fitted (they did the mold thing). I have been using Shure SE 215s. I've had no issue with them. Here are the choices that the folks that did the mold have (or I supposed I could go elsewhere). The lowest price model is $400. A step up from that is $600 (for dual driver), and then they go up to $1,500. Are dual drivers "all that" for a keyboard player? http://www.selectivesounds.net/custom-inear-monitors-earbuds-for-musicians.html My son is an adult with a good job, but I still don't want to spend a ton of his money since I am happy with the Shure s(non custom mold) that I use now. I have really enjoyed using in ears the past 8+ years or so as I can hear my voice well (I sing lead in my cover band) and at the end of the gig my ears are no worse for wear. Thoughts? Advice?

I would highly recommend Casio PX-5S. Around 24 lbs (I think). It has been my work horse for years and there is also a great community around it with sounds you can download and use. The stock sounds are great but the forum has some very nice Rhodes sounds (better than some of the built in). The Wurli's are good with some distorted sounds if you want it grungy.

Totally agree that it only makes to do things that are worth your time. Before COVID hit I got asked to play keyboards for a one time Simon and Garfunkle show. Would have been fun but so much time to invest for a one time show. I could not justify it. For my four piece cover band we just recently brought on a bass player and drummer and it is perhaps the best line up we have ever had. Learned a few songs but much of the dance/party music we had in the set list holds up. Everyone has to decide what brings them joy, and given limited time try to focus on that!

I do exactly the same thing for rehearsal. Just bring one keyboard, x-stand, cables. For gigs two keyboards, my own mixer, etc. etc. For rehearsal I forgo the perfect sound for some tunes so I can get in and out quick!