Any feedback from Vintage Vibe Piano owners?

[OB Dave]

When I had my Rhodes I used to play it through a Mesa Boogie Mark I Reissue. The clean channel is quite similar to a Fender Twin but the Boogie has a single 12" speaker and weighs at least 20 lbs less.

[adamcz]

Fender Twin Reverb re issue. Will bring the house down

 

Vibrato and spring reverb for the VV channel, plain Jane for the synth channel.

Oh interesting. I was thinking I'd use a pedal board for effects but I'll check this out too.

[adamcz]

When I had my Rhodes I used to play it through a Mesa Boogie Mark I Reissue. The clean channel is quite similar to a Fender Twin but the Boogie has a single 12" speaker and weighs at least 20 lbs less.

At first glance it looks like this is out of production and not an easy find on the used market. Still, good to know about.

[jimkost2002]

Adamcz, the difference to watch for is between active (preamp built inâlike the suitcase) and passive (no preamp-like a stage).

 

The preamp gives you stereo outputs trem/vib and potentiality for a hotter, more overdriven sound.

 

I have an Active Classic 73 with the Chick mod for action.

 

Mine was about 2-ish months if I remember correctlyâ¦.

 

Congrats, it will last you a lifetime with proper care.

[adamcz]

Mine will be active as well. I think you have to request specifically to get a passive. They quoted me around three months for delivery. When I get a little closer to delivery I"ll start working on a pedalboard. I know I want a phaser and a delay; maybe distortion as well. I have a board for my bass guitar but I"m assuming regular guitar pedals will be a better fit for the frequency range of the VV.

[jimkost2002]

sounds like a plan!

â¦..although it might be interesting to try your bass pedalboard out to see how it behaves with the VV

[adamcz]

I finally have the piano and filmed something I can share!

 

[video:youtube]

[Mark Zeger]

The VV sounds great!

 

I love playing Herbie"s 'Tell Meâ¦' also on flugel. That AEA mic is perfect for it. Couesnon?

[adamcz]

It's a Yamaha flugel. I have all the model numbers in the video description if you're curious.

[Doerfler]

reviving this thread, still hoping for one myself one day

 

 

[Docbop]

The other day a new Nord YT came out with someone doing amazing playing like all the Nord videos.    Later that day the same person posts on the web a picture of their brand new VV that just arrived.   Day or two later a well known local Jazz club post some video of the person playing there and you see the new VV with a synth sitting on top.  I wonder if Nord will be calling the person to say your timing sucks. 

[adamcz]

 

[Doerfler]

liked and subscribed to your YT channel. thanks for posting 

[Morrissey]

@adamcz - nice video.  I daydream about buying a VV and enjoy living vicariously through your purchase.

 

Your comment that most intrigued me is that you think 64 keys would be adequate.  Years ago I would've insisted 73 keys is necessary but these days I think I agree with you... I don't find myself playing the extremities of the 73 key Rhodes too often.  Can get dumpy at the bass end and too tinkly in the treble. 

 

Keep enjoying that VV board!

 

[Docbop]

Rachel Eckroth got her new VV and 64 key and no prob' make Caravan sound good. 

 

 

[drohm]

I have always liked the VV sound. I could certainly enjoy owning one of these. Some really nice examples shared here on Keyboard Forum. Maybe I need another midlife crisis keyboard  

 

[Mills Dude]

3 hours ago, Docbop said:

Rachel Eckroth got her new VV and 64 key and no prob' make Caravan sound good. 

Love this, makes me want to buy a VV.  I wonder if she got a stock model or had it specifically voiced.  The model in the video is definitely "bark-y" with a slight wurley-ish sound but think they can voice them to be less aggressive.  I know the VVs don't sound quite "rhodes-ish"  but I sure do like the sound of this one.  Sounds like it would cut pretty well, maybe not with 2 overly loud electric guitarists who need to get their "tone".

When I dream shop for VV, I usually think about the 73 but after seeing this, 64 would work very well.  But dream on, as much as I would like one, too big an expense for something that would just be a home show piece for me.  If I were to start gigging again, one of the Nords (Stage/Electro) or a YC would probably be my choice.  

 

If they could nail a late 70's Herbie Rhodes, and I'm not sure they can't, then maybe I'd start squirreling some nuts away and pay VV a visit.  They're not too far from me and if I bought one I'd want to see the factory, get the whole experience.

 

[Doerfler]

It's a deluxe model with her name affixed to the right front over the keys. Custom voiced, possibly, who knows. Could also be how it was recorded. Through a guitar amp? Direct into a DAW using a guitar amp plug in? 

What I do find interesting is that the few people I have read that own one say they wish they had bought larger or smaller, meaning the people who bought a 73 wish they had bought a 64 and vice versa.

Jon Ginty gigs a 64 with Allman Betts Band. Anyone who has gigged a Wurlitzer 200 (myself included) should be fine with a 64. Anyone who has gigged with a Rhodes 73 (myself included) would want a 73.

If I ever break down and buy one it will be a 73. I would not be gigging with it, so might as well go all in if it ever happens. 

[The Real MC]

If I were a Rhodes player I would not want an 88 key model.  The wiring of the pickups between 73 and 88 key models is different, which results in a different tone.  The 73 key model has THE classic tone, and if you want THAT tone you won't get it from an 88 key model.  Unless VV was wise to this and had figured out how to wire them for same tone.

[Art-0252]

35 minutes ago, The Real MC said:

If I were a Rhodes player I would not want an 88 key model.  The wiring of the pickups between 73 and 88 key models is different, which results in a different tone.  The 73 key model has THE classic tone, and if you want THAT tone you won't get it from an 88 key model.  Unless VV was wise to this and had figured out how to wire them for same tone.

FWIW I much prefer the tone of my 88 key mk1 Rhodes to the 73 key Mk1 in the local studio I frequent. I'm learning that so much of the Rhodes tone is determined by the EQ knobs on the preamp or amp you're using....

[Morrissey]

45 minutes ago, The Real MC said:

If I were a Rhodes player I would not want an 88 key model.  The wiring of the pickups between 73 and 88 key models is different, which results in a different tone.  The 73 key model has THE classic tone, and if you want THAT tone you won't get it from an 88 key model.  Unless VV was wise to this and had figured out how to wire them for same tone.

 

I had an 88 key Rhodes for awhile.  The keys beyond the 73 range sounded awful.  I didn't bond with that board.

[Art-0252]

2 minutes ago, Morrissey said:

 

I had an 88 key Rhodes for awhile.  The keys beyond the 73 range sounded awful.  I didn't bond with that board.

I would have to agree about the extreme registers not sounding that nice. But for that matter, I don't really love the tone of the extreme registers of any acoustic piano I've ever played either.

[Phil Aiken]

I have a '73 Mark I and also a VV 64.  The 64 is perfect for local gigging for me. I can carry it ih one hand in its padded bag, it is big enough to put a clone wheel or synth on top, and small enough to set up in an "L" with another mid to large sized board.

I started loving it when I stopped thinking of it as an ersatz Rhodes and started treating it like its own thing.   

 

All of that said, I covet a Mark 8 something fierce and the only way I'd ever justify that is by selling the VV and either the Mark I or one of my Wurlies. I am reluctant to do that.But those of you who own those other keyboards can take solace in the fact that within a month of my selling the Rhodes they will be going for $10K.  (See exhibit (Model) D)  

 

 

[Stokely]

Dumb question, but does VV also make "whole" clavinets, or do they retrofit existing ones?  I was watching the Jamiroquai keyboardist Matt Johnson play his and somehow got the impression the whole thing was new.

[Morrissey]

25 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Dumb question, but does VV also make "whole" clavinets, or do they retrofit existing ones?  I was watching the Jamiroquai keyboardist Matt Johnson play his and somehow got the impression the whole thing was new.

 

Yes, they made their own Vibanet for awhile, but I recall maybe they halted production.  

[Morrissey]

Here is announcement video from several years ago.  But I don't see them offered for sale on the VV website anymore.
 

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

I'm probably in the minority but I prefer the sound of the Vintage Vibe in the Caravan video to anything I've heard from the Rhodes MK8...it has more of the Rhodes tone I like. Then again I've never gotten to play a real Rhodes in good shape.

[Doerfler]

If one wants a Vibanet, all that is needed is to contact the company directly. One will make a deposit, then one will wait until it is finished being built (typically a 4 to 6 month waiting period).

After that one will pay the remaining balance and it will be shipped. Easy peasy. 

[adamcz]

Just loaded my 73 into the car... does anybody out there want to buy a 64 deluxe, drive it to Wisconsin and trade me straight up? 😅

 

More realistically, does anybody have a recommendation for a cart I can use to haul the VV, a prophet, and 2x loudspeakers around? I definitely need to change how I'm doing this. I assume there's some foldable cart that I can stash in my hatchback next to the keyboards?

[CyberGene]

On 5/7/2022 at 3:31 AM, Dave Ferris said:

Just re-posting this one from almost seven years ago now. I remember it garnered  a lot of positive comments when someone (maybe me but can't recall for certain) posted it.

 

I’ve watched this many times. The guy is a famous Bulgarian jazz pianist who is based in New York and teaching there too. We’ve never been known for jazz but that fellow countryman makes me proud! Check his albums, he mixes jazz with the typical Bulgarian odd meters in his first records.