What guitar pedals for a Rhodes?

[adamcz]

I'm looking for specific pedal recommendations that I should consider buying for my Vintage Vibe. This page http://www.fenderrhodes.com/history/effects.html mentions a few pedals:

 

MXR Phase 90

Electro-Harmonix Small Stone

BOSS CE-1 Chorus Ensemble

 

Given that nearly 50 years have passed since the era this article describes, there must be thousands of new options to consider. I know for sure I want a phaser, a delay, and a fuzz/overdrive. Any recommendations?

 

(PS - I can't find this video of Chick Corea using a pedal that seemed to de-tune the instrument and make it sound glitchy - I'm open to cool/crazy effects like that too)

[obxa]

It's wide open-

 

RE: Chick Corea. Not sure what if you're referring to a Ring Modulator, as those were pretty common back in the day.

 

Live gigs: When I was doing a Regular Thursday jazz jam with my real Rhodes, I'd use: Boss tremolo pedal (which I think is essential to a proper Rhodes sound (unless the VV does it on it's own). Analog delay, and something that's actually very cool and different: the Dan Electro Chicken Salad vibrato if you can find one. I like it much better than phase 90/ Small stone since it doesn't kill the attack and definition as much. Also an ART or similar tube preamp.

 

Disclaimer, not a fan of chorused Rhodes. If I didn't feel like hooking all those up, I used one of those old kidney shaped Line 6 PODs that does just about everything- there are now a ton multi effect units that can do several things at once, if you don't want to mess with pedals and power supplies.

 

These days when tracking to DAW, go into my Apogee direct, and just use plugins. Have fun!

[Tom Williams]

The original, historic options were

Phase shifter

Leslie 60 (stereo tremolo)

Nowadays I would just go with a nice chorus. Maybe an exciter in front of it if the historically accurate Rhodes was too muddy.

[mate stubb]

Back in the day I ran an A/DA Flanger and a Roland Space Echo, then an early Deltalab DL-4.

[Doerfler]

 

(PS - I can't find this video of Chick Corea using a pedal that seemed to de-tune the instrument and make it sound glitchy - I'm open to cool/crazy effects like that too)

 

That would be a Ring Modulator. Many options there, a MoogerFooger MF 102 would be perfect, out of production, but many available on Reverb. (I'm not selling mine).

 

Donald Fagan used the MXR Phase 90, Richard Tee used the Small Stone. Use what you prefer.

[David R]

I would definitely get a good phaser â either an MXR Phase 90 or, if you're not concerned about being vintage accurate, maybe check out the Walrus Audio Lillian?

 

I also absolutely love Roland Space Echo on Rhodes (and on, well, everything), and I'm super inspired by my Strymon Volante these days.

 

I would be very curious to try a Meris Ottobit or the Hologram Microcosm on Rhodes.

 

A rehearsal space in town has the Rhodes hooked up through a vintage Boss CE-1. I'm not generally a chorus on Rhodes guy, but that pedal (I think because of the preamp in it) sounds fan-freakin'-tastic.

[KuruPrionz]

Tech 21 Double Drive 3x. You might have to hunt one down, would be worth it. Cascading dual gain knobs, one with even order harmonics, one with odd order harmonics. 3 band eq - standard Bass, Middle, Treble and an output control. 5 knobs.

 

3 footswitches. Create a sound, double click a pedal and it is saved. It will do clean sounds and a variety of distortion tones. Solid build quality, easy to use live and great tones.

 

Digitech Luxe is a fantastic de-tuner, run one side with and one without and your sound will become 3d and move in space. Nice.

 

TC Electronics Flashback X4. Another programmable pedal with 3 presets plus a tap tempo button -4 footswitches total. Some nice chorus and flange effects, reverse delay, all sorts of fun. TC's Tone Print web page has a ton of interesting presets for this pedal, I found a lush chorus on there and added it. Then I made a more insect sounding modulation and use the long delay.

It has stereo outs so you could just plug the Luxe into one side.

 

Those three will get you far. Add a talk box and you can do anything!!!!

[Marzzz]

The Small Stone was the 'Just The Way You Are' pedal for Rhodes. I know I wore one out with that song during prom season late 70s

[BRW]

As far as Chorus goes, Roland"s Dimension-D (which as a sound is really subtle, barely noticeable) was also very popular in the early 80"s Rhodes world - although that was technically a studio rack unit.

 

Then there was also the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase favored by Joe Zawinul and George Duke.

 

I wouldn"t hunt for vintage units unless you really want to (and have the $$$$$).

 

There are a gazillion options, but I still like Boss. All these are fantastic:

 

Boss MD-500 - covers all your modulation needs (phaser, chorus, flanger etc.)

Boss DD-500 - all your delay needs (Space Echo, tape echo, analog/digital delay etc.)

Boss RV-500 - a reverb powerhouse (also has some tape emulation stuff)

Boss DC-2W Waza - a fantastic emulation of the Dim-D, a quality piece made in Japan

 

Both the MXR-90 (a.ka 'script') and Small Stone have also been reissued (the latter as the really tiny EFX Nano as well).

[KuruPrionz]

I am with BRW on the Boss stuff. Get a Boss Katana, I've owned both the combos, 100 and 50. 100 has 8 presets available with one foot switch, 50 can get 4 presets.

The options in the computer interface that you can download for free include 60 Boss pedals but they have more "knobs" in digital world.

Use a high pass filter and run one side of your rig to the Katana. Run the full range side without a high bass for some low end.

 

You can add a couple of expression pedals to the footswitch for the 100. Not much you can't do with that. Layering effects with the original sound can make some huge tones.

[analogika]

My absolute favourites:

 

Roland SDD-320 Dimension D rack chorus (the Klark Teknik reissue is quite good).

 

Electro Harmonix Small Stone Phaser

 

Schulte Compact Phase

 

Boss CE-1 Chorus

 

Roland JazzChorus 120 Amp

 

Fender Fuzz-Wah (for those early 70"s Hancock bell-like distortion/wah sounds)

[Mark Zeger]

The Zawinul Rhodes sound. I wish I"d bought one of the reissues because the originals are $$$$.

 

EDIT: Looks like the reissue (smaller case) is available again! Now where did I put that $500 emergency effects pedal money?

http://pedalesdeguitarra.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/mu-tron-bi-phase-pedal-xl.jpg

[16251]

The Zawinul Rhodes sound. I wish I"d bought one of the reissues because the originals are $$$$.

http://pedalesdeguitarra.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/mu-tron-bi-phase-pedal-xl.jpg

 

:like:

[Winston Psmith]

The Line 6 M-series MFX have models of almost any classic Phaser, including a not-too-shabby model of the Bi-Phase.

 

Keeley's Bubbletron has dynamically driven Phaser, Filter and Flanger, so you don't have the constant background sound of the LFO. Very compact, very cool.

 

Bitquest's Dr. Scientist pedal isn't cheap, but it has a very useful Ring Mod effect, along with Flanging, Pitch Shifting, and other FX.

 

If you're looking for something slightly different, check out the Boss Tera Echo. It's a Filtered Delay effect. At extreme settings, it can resemble the sound The Edge gets at the beginning of "Mysterious Ways", at less extreme settings, I've found it very cool for KB's, especially Analog MonoSynths.

[ProfD]

I have a Zoom G3Xn multieffects pedal. It simulates amps, cabinets and most of the FX mentioned here.

 

The G3Xn FX can be chained together. It sounds good.

 

Yet, I hardly ever use the pedal as I prefer to hear the raw Rhodes tone.

[ElmerJFudd]

Vintage Vibe Quadrapuss

[video:youtube]

 

I ran across this pedal called the Captain Coconut some years ago I always thought would sound cool on a Rhodes. Provibe, Fuzz and Octave

https://www.foxroxelectronics.com/CaptainCoconut2.html

[video:youtube]

 

TC just updated their Juno 60 Chorus Pedal.

https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/tc-electronic-june-60-v-2-version-two/

[video:youtube]

 

Jimi Hazel Echo and Phaser in one amazing looking pedal.

https://robertkeeley.com/jimi+hazel+echo+phase

[video:youtube]

[adamcz]

Keeley's Bubbletron has dynamically driven Phaser, Filter and Flanger, so you don't have the constant background sound of the LFO. Very compact, very cool.

Found some videos of this - it sounds great!

[The Real MC]

Not a guitar pedal but the ADA STD-1 sounds excellent with Rhodes. It's a multitap delay with very short delay times that can be modulated, it is not your typical chorus pedal sound. It can get some real pearly chorus effects, also great for subtle stereo imaging.

 

Not an easy box to find.

[jazzpiano88]

- Wah pedal

- Phase 90

- Chorus

- Flanger (optional if the Sound Guy is running the entire mix through a Flanger like the Doobie Brothers)

[MAJUSCULE]

Pedals are as big a world as keyboards, if not bigger. Plenty of choices in both boutique and mass-produced stuff.

 

One of the most musical pedals I've ever owned is the MXR Carbon Copy, a fantastic and very simple analog delay.

 

If you're into multieffect units, the Helix/HX stuff is pretty darn good.

 

Bitquest's Dr. Scientist pedal isn't cheap, but it has a very useful Ring Mod effect, along with Flanging, Pitch Shifting, and other FX.

 

Dr. Scientist (which is the company) is a great example of a great small boutique pedal company. Handmade pedals, three person operation. The Bitquest is great, so is the Frazz Dazzler, the Atmosphere, and the Dusk. And there are so many great companies out there just like them, all making awesome pedals.