RHODES MONOLITH
'Monolith'
The Rhodes MK8 ‘Monolith’, the fifth Custom Shop release, is inspired by the uncompromising principles of brutalist architecture: minimal, industrial, and focused on materiality, form, and presence. Defined by raw texture and structural clarity, brought to life by meticulous hand-finishing.
Hand-built by Rhodes Master Builders in Leeds, UK, the MK8 ‘Monolith’ delivers the expressive depth, warmth, and dynamic range that define the MK8’s sonic reputation, with a unique visual identity drawn from architectural minimalism and exposed materials.
Produced in numbers defined by those who commit to the drop, and never to be repeated, the Rhodes MK8 ‘Monolith’ is a study in form and texture. Distinctive, industrial, and richly tactile, this piano feels carved, cast, and constructed – designed to match the lasting presence of great architecture.
- Hand-Painted & Distressed ‘Concrete’ Hood
- Hand-Painted & Distressed ‘Concrete’ Base
- Hand-Painted & Distressed ‘Concrete’ Cheekblocks
- Grey Stone-effect coated Sustain Pedal and Footplate
- Grey Stone-effect coated metal front panel, cross braces and hoodstrip
- ‘Machined Silver’ Inlays
- Custom slate Dial Caps
- Slate on ‘Machined Silver’ Logo Plates
- Precision-manufactured 73-note Kluge Klaviaturen GmbH (Steinway Group) keyboard.
- Rhodes custom stereo-analogue effect processor: compressor, phaser, chorus, delay. True bypass.
- Expression pedal control of phaser speed, chorus speed, delay time, delay feedback.
- Rhodes engineered MK8 analogue preamp featuring parametric EQ, analogue drive, envelope control, wah and vari-pan with 4 waveshapes, audio rate modulation capabilities and dual expression pedal control inputs.
- Available with or without MIDI. (MIDI + £1299)
Key Features
Materiality, Form & Presence
The ‘Monolith’s’ hand-painted, distressed concrete-effect hood anchors the design, each one uniquely crafted to echo the tonal variations of weathered stone and poured concrete. This material language extends across the concrete-effect base and cheekblocks, creating the impression of a continuous form, as if cast from a single pour – a cohesive, sculptural silhouette that feels deliberate, grounded, and architectural.
The front panel, cross braces, and hood strip reinforce this industrial materiality with a Grey Stone-effect coating that evokes the exposed materials associated with minimalist design. ‘Machined Silver’ inlays complement the central concrete theme, while custom slate dial caps and slate on ‘Machined Silver’ logo plates complete the composition. The sustain pedal and matching footplate, coated in the same stone-effect finish, heighten the instrument’s raw, unified identity.
- Hand-Painted & Distressed ‘Concrete’ Hood
- Hand-Painted & Distressed ‘Concrete’ Base
- Hand-Painted & Distressed ‘Concrete’ Cheekblocks
- Grey Stone-effect coated Sustain Pedal and Footplate
- Grey Stone-effect coated metal front panel, cross braces and hoodstrip
- ‘Machined Silver’ Inlays
- Custom slate Dial Caps
- Slate on ‘Machined Silver’ Logo Plates
- Precision-manufactured 73-note Kluge Klaviaturen GmbH (Steinway Group) keyboard.
- Rhodes custom stereo-analogue effect processor: compressor, phaser, chorus, delay. True bypass.
- Expression pedal control of phaser speed, chorus speed, delay time, delay feedback.
- Rhodes engineered MK8 analogue preamp featuring parametric EQ, analogue drive, envelope control, wah and vari-pan with 4 waveshapes, audio rate modulation capabilities and dual expression pedal control inputs.
- Available with or without MIDI. (MIDI + £1299)
