FENDER RHODES MARK 1(1975-1979)

Description

Sometime in 1974, CBS Musical Instruments decided to drop the Fender name from the Rhodes line of products, in order to establish Rhodes as its own brand. This allowed music stores that were not Fender dealers to carry Rhodes pianos, without an obligation to stock other CBS products. As was common throughout the piano's production history, the new "Rhodes" logos and serial plates were introduced as they became available to the factory, making the official transition date difficult to pinpoint. Aside from the branding, nothing really changed about the piano's construction during 1975.

Of the changes during this period, the enhancements to the Suitcase Piano's amplifier are also noteworthy. The new FR7710 amp was now 100W stereo (2 x 50W), with pairs of 1/4" inputs and outputs for running the piano's signal to and from a mixing console. This made it unnecessary to mic the Rhodes amp in a live performance situation. The FR7710 amp was also packaged as a standalone upright cabinet known as theJanus I System. These amps could be used as an upgrade for the Stage Piano (replacing the previous Super Satellite system), or to triple the Suitcase Piano's output by sending the Preamp Output channels to a pair of Janus cabinets(!) for an effective 300W RMS.

On the front panel, the concentric knobs were abandoned in favor of a pair of sliders for EQ and individual knobs to control the rate (Speed) and depth (Intensity) of the Vibrato effect. The 1/4" Accessory jacks functioned as a send (#1) and return (#2) for an effects loop.