Bringing home a Rhodes MK8 isn’t like bringing home any old instrument.
Treated properly, the MK8 piano could, quite literally, change your life.
Here’s some advice from Rhodes Chief Product Officer (CPO), Dan Goldman, for starting your relationship with the MK8 off on the right note.
Pay your respects
We predict there’s a 99.9% chance you’ll be doing this anyway, but before your Rhodes MK8 arrives, we believe it’s of paramount importance to revisit the Fender Rhodes masters.
We’re talking the likes of George Duke, Crusaders, Paul Simon, Chick Corea, Return to Forever, Joe Sample and, of course, Herbie Hancock.
By purchasing a Rhodes MK8, you’re now a part of that legacy. We think that’s a pretty special thing.
“Diving into the vaults for inspiration is the perfect way to prep yourself for delivery of your new instrument,” says Rhodes CPO, Dan Goldman.
Carve out the time
Whether you’re an expert or a newbie, the Rhodes MK8 – just like every iteration of the Fender Rhodes before it – deserves our full attention.
That’s why we recommend making sure you take at least one full day (and preferably several) away from work/significant others/children/responsibilities so you can really get to know your Rhodes MK8.
“This type of instrument only comes into your life once, and we don’t think we can take a single moment for granted,” says Dan.
Do your due diligence
According to Dan, who’s played Fender Rhodes pianos since he was a kid, the Rhodes MK8 will arrive ready to play. “There’s not a lot to think about,” he says. “Plug it in, connect the pedal, and you’re good to go.” Oh, and you’ll definitely want to choose the right sound system to play it through. No half measures here.
Lean into your new community
We talked about legacy before, but by purchasing a Rhodes MK8, you also gain access to a huge community of Rhodes loyalists.
Whether it’s on Reddit, Facebook, or any number of the online Fender Rhodes Electric Piano forums, you’ll find thousands of passionate and highly engaged Rhodes aficionados to talk to, compare notes with, learn from and swap sound bites with.
“I spend a fair bit of time on the more popular forums – particularly ep-forum.com” says Dan. “I’m always happy to connect with and respond to messages from Rhodes fans and enthusiasts.”
Stay tuned to Rhodes channels
As well as manuals and technical info, Rhodes.com will also be the home of Rhodes MK8 tips, hacks, tutorials, history, inspiration and general advice and miscellany.
It’ll be your go-to resource for diving deeper into the Rhodes story, and you can keep up to date with everything that’s happening at the Rhodes Music Group by subscribing to our newsletter at the foot of our website pages.
“We want your relationship with your Rhodes MK8 to evolve over time, and we want to help facilitate that by always finding ways to introduce you to new ideas, ways of playing, and ways of growing your relationship with your instrument,” says Dan.
“We’re here for the long haul, and we want to help you reach new levels of playing wherever and whenever we can.”
Just play
Once you’ve done all of the above, the rest is up to you. Plug in, play the thing, and enjoy.
We hope you enjoy the experience as much as we think you will. “There’s honestly nothing quite like this instrument,” says Dan. “It’s in a class of its own.”
