Fender Rhodes Electric Piano: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This electric piano was made by the Fender Rhodes Company in Fullerton, California around 1971-1973. It is a Mark I stage piano, which was produced from 1969-1975. This piano is serial number 24761, and has a compass of 6ix octaves, Rhodes action, with hammers facing the keyboard, metal bars with resonator bars and coils to turn vibrations into electrical charges, rubber pads on plastic shank hammers, 2 hand stops: tone regulator and volume regulator, wood frame, an imitation leather-covered wood case, and a folding metal base.

U. S. Patent #2972922, dated February 28, 1961 by Harold B. Rhodes for an electrical musical instrument in the nature of a piano.

U. S. Patent #3270608, dated September 6, 1966 by Harold B. Rhodes for a piano action.

U. S. Design Patent #200439, dated February 23, 1965 by Harold B. Rhodes for an electric piano.

U.S. Design Patent #200440, dated February 23, 1965 by Harold B. Rhodes for an electric piano.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1971-1973
• maker: Fender Rhodes Company
• Object Name: piano
• Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 24 in x 48 in x 12 in; 60.96 cm x 121.92 cm x 30.48 cm
• Place Made: United States: California, Fullerton
• ID Number: 1988.0047.01
• accession number: 1988.0047
• catalog number: 1988.0047.01
• Credit Line: Gift of John E. Hasse
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.