The Fender Rhodes Mark I Stage piano is an iconic electromechanical instrument produced from the early 1970s until 1979. Unlike the Suitcase model, which had a built-in amplifier, the Stage model features detachable legs, a passive control panel (volume and bass EQ), and requires an external amplifier or DI box to produce sound.
It uses a mechanism in which felt-covered hammers strike metal tongues (or “leeds“), which vibrate within a magnetic field (similar to that of a guitar).
The Fender brand ceased production under its own name in 1975, and the pianos were then produced simply as “Rhodes“. Around this time, plastic hammers with square, durable tips were introduced.
