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140-688: The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano ) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes , which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano , the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, the hammers strike thin metal tines , which vibrate next to an electromagnetic pickup . The signal is then sent through a cable to an external keyboard amplifier and speaker . The instrument evolved from Rhodes's attempt to manufacture pianos while teaching recovering soldiers during World War II . Development continued after

280-598: A "fiasco" in the media, investigating boards in 1933–1934 recommended organizational and modernization changes that again set the Air Corps on the path to autonomy and eventual separation from the Army. A force of 2,320 aircraft was recommended by the Drum Board, and authorized by Congress in June 1936, but appropriations to build up the force were denied by the administration until 1939, when

420-610: A "team player". The open insurgency between 1920 and 1935 of airmen foreseeing a need for an independent air force in order to develop fully the potential of airpower had cost the careers of two of its near-legendary lights, Foulois and Mitchell, and nearly cost the reputation of two others, Pratt and Henry H. Arnold . In terms of the principle of civilian control of the military in peacetime, their tactics and behavior were clearly inappropriate. The political struggle had temporarily alienated supporters in Congress, had been counterproductive of

560-779: A 32-note keyboard bass approximating the string bass's range (E1-B3), known as the Piano Bass. The instrument introduced the design that would become common to subsequent Rhodes pianos, with the same Tolex body as Fender amplifiers and a fiberglass top. The tops came from a boat manufacturer who supplied whatever color happened to be available; consequently a number of different colored piano basses were produced. Some recent, undocumented sources place Piano Bass manufacture as early as 1959. Actual production (for retail sale) in Fender's Fullerton plant, however, began early in 1962—following manufacture of prototypes that "[had then] been in use throughout

700-515: A 36-week course for junior and mid-career officers that included military aviation theory. The Bombardment Section, under the direction of its chief, Major Harold L. George , became influential in the development of doctrine and its dissemination throughout the Air Corps. Nine of its instructors became known throughout the Air Corps as the " Bomber Mafia ", eight of whom (including George) went on to be generals during World War II. Conversely, pursuit tacticians, primarily Capt. Claire Chennault , Chief of

840-567: A Rhodes piano extensively in his studio and live performances. Film composer Angelo Badalamenti composed and recorded the theme song for the TV series Twin Peaks , created by David Lynch , using the Rhodes. Electric piano Early electric piano recordings include Duke Ellington 's in 1955 and Sun Ra 's India as well as other tracks from the 1956 sessions included on his second album Super Sonic Jazz (a.k.a. Super Sonic Sounds ). The popularity of

980-461: A Rhodes. He achieved particular prominence with his soundtrack music for A Charlie Brown Christmas and other Peanuts / Charlie Brown films. Billy Preston was described as the "Ruler of the Rhodes" by Music Radar; he played Rhodes during the Beatles' rooftop concert in 1969, and on the Beatles' hit single " Get Back ". Many of Stevie Wonder 's recordings from the 1970s, such as " You Are

1120-465: A Tailfeather " in the film The Blues Brothers . Donald Fagen of Steely Dan has regularly used the Rhodes. He has also used the Rhodes in all his solo albums and has played it at every one of his touring performances since 1994. The Rhodes features in "Angela", the 1978 instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi by Bob James . The French band Air make regular use of the Rhodes piano in their recordings. German pianist and composer Nils Frahm uses

1260-779: A base. As their numbers and utility declined, they were replaced by a series of 50 twin-engine and single-engine small transports and used for staff duties. Pilot training was conducted between 1927 and 1937 in the Consolidated PT-3 trainer, followed by the Stearman PT-13 and variants after 1937. By 1933 the Air Corps expanded to a tactical strength of 50 squadrons: 21 pursuit, 13 observation, 12 bombardment, and 4 attack. All were understrength in aircraft and men, particularly officers, which resulted in most being commanded by junior officers (commonly first lieutenants) instead of by majors as authorized. The last open-cockpit fighter used by

1400-555: A bright spot. The first action to repair the damaged image of the Air Corps involved the movement of ten YB-10s from Bolling Field to Alaska, ostensibly for an airfield survey, but timed to coincide with the release of the Baker Board's report in July. The successful development of the B-10 and subsequent orders for more than 150 (including its B-12 variant) continued the hegemony of the bomber within

1540-485: A combatant arm of the line of the United States Army . There followed a six-year struggle between adherents of airpower and the supporters of the traditional military services about the value of an independent Air Force, intensified by struggles for funds caused by skimpy budgets, as much an impetus for independence as any other factor. The Lassiter Board, a group of General Staff officers, recommended in 1923 that

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1680-479: A distinctive bell-like tone, fuller than the Wurlitzer, with longer sustain and with a "growl" when played hard. The Hohner Pianet uses adhesive pads made from an undressed leather surface cushioned by a foam rubber backing. The leather is saturated with a viscous silicone oil to adhere to and pluck metal reeds. When the key is released, the pad acts as a damper. An electrostatic pickup system similar to Wurlitzer's

1820-415: A group of students using headphones. The term "Electric piano" can refer to several different instruments which vary in their sound-producing mechanisms and consequent timbral characters. Yamaha , Baldwin , Helpinstill and Kawai 's electric pianos are actual grand or upright pianos with strings and hammers. The Helpinstill models have a traditional soundboard; the others have none, and are more akin to

1960-501: A key results in a hammer striking a thin metal rod called a tine connected to a larger "tone bar". The tone generator assembly acts as a tuning fork as the tone bar reinforces and extends the tine's vibrations. A pickup sits opposite the tine, inducing an electric current from the vibrations like an electric guitar. Simply hitting tines does not need an external power supply , and a Rhodes will make sound even when not plugged into an amplifier , though like an unplugged electric guitar,

2100-510: A lack of legally specified duties and responsibilities, the new position of Assistant Secretary of War for Air , held by F. Trubee Davison from July 1926 to March 1933, proved of little help in promoting autonomy for the air arm. The Air Corps Act gave authorization to carry out a five-year expansion program. However, a lack of appropriations caused the beginning of the program to be delayed until 1 July 1927. Patrick proposed an increase to 63 tactical squadrons (from an existing 32) to maintain

2240-571: A long-range capability for these new single-engined fighters was not undertaken until combat losses of bombers forced the issue. Notable fighters developed during the late 1930s and early 1940s were the Bell P-39 Airacobra (first flown April 1938), Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (October 1938), Lockheed P-38 Lightning (January 1939), North American P-51 Mustang (October 1940), and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (May 1941). Technological development of fighters occurred so rapidly that by December 1941 both

2380-527: A lump of solder at the free end of the reed. Replacement reeds are furnished with a slight excess of solder, and thus tuned "flat"; the user is required – by repeated trial and error – to gradually file off the excess solder until the correct tuning is achieved. The Columbia Elepian (also branded as Maestro), the Brazilian-made Valente, and the Hohner Electra-Piano use a reed system similar to

2520-677: A modification of the Joint Action statement on coastal defense issued in 1926, was not endorsed by the Joint Army-Navy Board and never had authority other than a personal agreement between the two heads of service. Though the Navy repudiated the statement when Pratt retired in 1934, the Air Corps clung to the mission, and provided itself with the basis for development of long-range bombers and creating new doctrine to employ them. The formulation of theories of strategic bombing gave new impetus to

2660-403: A nickname) use flat steel reeds struck by felt hammers. The reeds fit within a comb-like metal plate, and the reeds and plate together form an electrostatic or capacitive pickup system. This system produces a very distinctive tone – sweet and vibraphone -like when played gently, and developing a hollow resonance as the keys are played harder. The reeds are tuned by adding or removing mass from

2800-562: A philosophical rift developed between more traditional ground-based army personnel and those who felt that aircraft were being underutilized and that air operations were being stifled for political reasons unrelated to their effectiveness. The USAAC was renamed from the earlier United States Army Air Service on 2 July 1926, and was part of the larger United States Army . The Air Corps became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941, giving it greater autonomy from

2940-457: A piano, its sound is very different. Vibrating tines produce a mellower timbre, and the sound changes with the tine's relative position to the pickup. Putting the two close together gives a characteristic "bell" sound. The instrument has been compared with the Wurlitzer electronic piano , which uses a similar technology, but with the hammers striking metal reeds. The Rhodes has a better sustain, while

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3080-560: A plan that would have included the purchase of 144 four-engine bombers but approval was reversed in July when the moratorium against the long-range bomber program was imposed by the Joint Board. The purchase of 67 B-17s (five squadrons) in FY 1940 as an increment of the Woodring program, using carryover funds, was cancelled by Craig. The moratorium also resulted from the enmity of the Navy incurred by

3220-575: A profusion of pursuit, observation, and bomber aircraft during its 15-year history. The advent of the new generation of monoplanes and the emergence of strategic bombardment doctrine led to many designs in the mid and late 1930s that were still in use when the United States entered World War II . Among the key technology items developed were oxygen and cabin pressurization systems, engine superchargers (systems essential for high-altitude combat), advanced radio communication systems, such as VHF radios, and

3360-510: A revision of the doctrinal guide for the Air Corps, training regulation TR 440-15 Employment of the Air Forces of the Army . A year earlier MacArthur had changed TR 440-15 to clarify "the Air Corps's place in the scheme of national defense and ... (to do away with) ... misconceptions and interbranch prejudices." The General Staff characterized its latest revision as a "compromise" with airpower advocates, to mitigate public criticism of

3500-434: A ruling that it could foresee no use for a long-range bomber in future conflict. As a direct result, the last planned order of long-range bombers (67 B-17s) was cancelled by Craig and a moratorium on further development of them was put into effect by restricting R&D funding to medium and light bombers. This policy would last less than a year, as it went against not only the trends of technological development, but against

3640-473: A separate air arm, the Army activated the General Headquarters Air Force for centralized control of aviation combat units within the continental United States, separate from but coordinate with the Air Corps. The separation of the Air Corps from control of its combat units caused problems of unity of command that became more acute as the Air Corps enlarged in preparation for World War II. This

3780-479: A solid-body electric guitar . On Yamaha's pianos, such as the CP-70 the vibration of the strings is converted to an electrical signal by piezoelectric pickups under the bridge. Helpinstill's instruments use a set of electromagnetic pickups attached to the instrument's frame. All these instruments have a tonal character similar to that of an acoustic piano. Wurlitzer electronic pianos (sometimes called "Wurli" as

3920-531: A subordinate element of Army General Headquarters, which would be activated to control all Army units in case of war mobilization. In anticipation of military intervention in Cuba in 1933, the headquarters had been created on 1 October but not staffed. The Drum Board of 1933 had first endorsed the concept, but as a means of reintegrating the Air Corps into control by the General Staff, in effect reining it in. Among

4060-437: A thirteenth aircraft for stress testing, with deliveries made from January to August 1937. The cost of the aircraft disturbed Secretary of War Harry Woodring , who denied requests for further purchases, so that although the air arm embraced strategic bombing as its primary doctrine after the creation of GHQ Air Force, by 1938 there were still only thirteen strategic bombers on hand. On 18 March 1938 Secretary Woodring implemented

4200-429: Is amplified through electromagnetic pickups, circuitry and a speaker system, making it the world's first commercially available electric piano. Many types were initially designed as a less-expensive alternative to an acoustic piano for home or school use. Some electric pianos were designed with multiple keyboards that could be connected for use in school or college piano labs, so that teachers could simultaneously instruct

4340-529: Is essentially an electric clavichord . A rubber pad under each key presses the string onto a metal anvil, causing the "fretted" portion of the string to vibrate. This is detected by a series of pickups, which convert them into an electrical signal. United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps ( USAAC ) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I , as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare,

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4480-460: Is significantly lighter than earlier models. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek began using Rhodes instruments when the group formed in 1965. He played basslines on a Piano Bass with his left hand, while playing organ with his right. He also played a full-sized Rhodes in the studio, such as a Mark I Stage 73 on " Riders on the Storm ". According to Manzarek, "If Mr. Rhodes hadn't created the keyboard bass,

4620-461: Is used. The tone produced resembles that of the Wurlitzer but brighter and with less sustain, largely owing to the design having no sustain pedal mechanism. The same firm's " Cembalet " uses rubber plectra and separate urethane foam dampers but is otherwise almost identical. Hohner's later "Pianet T" uses silicone rubber suction pads rather than adhesive pads and replaces the electrostatic system with passive electromagnetic pickups similar to those of

4760-454: The 3rd Attack Wing in 1932, protecting the southern border , at which time the 1st became the 1st Pursuit Wing. The three wings became the foundation of General Headquarters Air Force upon its activation in 1935. The Air Corps adopted a new color scheme for painting its aircraft in 1927, heretofore painted olive drab . The wings and tails of aircraft were painted chrome yellow , with the words "U.S. ARMY" displayed in large black lettering on

4900-579: The Air Service be augmented by an offensive force of bombardment and pursuit units under the command of Army general headquarters in time of war, and many of its recommendations became Army regulations. The War Department desired to implement the Lassiter Board's recommendations, but the administration of President Calvin Coolidge chose instead to economize by radically cutting military budgets, particularly

5040-591: The Curtiss P-1 Hawk (1926–1930) and Boeing P-12 (1929–1935) families, and before the 1934 introduction of the all-metal monoplane, most front-line bombers were canvas-and-wood variants of the radial engined Keystone LB-6 (60 LB-5A, LB-6 and LB-7 bombers) and B-3A (127 B-3A, B-4A, B-5, and B-6A bombers) designs. Between 1927 and 1934, the Curtiss O-1 Falcon was the most numerous of the 19 different types and series of observation craft and its A-3 variant

5180-535: The Materiel Division . Of the new law and organization, however, Wesley F. Craven and James L. Cate in the official history of the United States Army Air Forces concluded that: The bill which was finally enacted purported to be a compromise, but it leaned heavily on the Morrow recommendations. The Air Corps Act of 2 July 1926 effected no fundamental innovation. The change in designation meant no change in status:

5320-643: The Norden bombsight . As a further consequence of the Air Mail scandal, the Baker Board reviewed the performance of Air Corps aircraft and recognized that civilian aircraft were far superior to planes developed solely to Air Corps specifications. Following up on its recommendation, the Air Corps purchased and tested a Douglas DC-2 as the XC-32, which subsequently became the flying headquarters of Gen. Andrews. The DC-2 so exceeded Air Corps specifications that 17 were purchased under

5460-546: The University of Southern California in 1929 to support his family through the Great Depression by full-time teaching. He designed a method that combined classical and jazz music , which became popular across the United States, and led to an hour-long nationally syndicated radio show. Rhodes continued to teach piano throughout his lifetime, and his piano method continues to be taught today. He continually refined and updated

5600-481: The tables of organization . Administratively it organized the forces into four geographical districts (which later became the first four numbered air forces) that paralleled the four field army headquarters created in 1933. The General Staff perceived its creation as a means of lessening Air Corps autonomy, not increasing it, however, and GHQ Air Force was a "coordinate component" equal to the Air Corps, not subject to its control. The organizations reported separately to

5740-430: The " Prop and Wings " as its branch insignia through its disestablishment in 1947. Patrick became Chief of the Air Corps and Brig. Gen. James E. Fechet continued as his first assistant chief. On 17 July 1926, two lieutenant colonels were promoted to brigadier general for four-year terms as assistant chiefs of Air Corps: Frank P. Lahm , to command the new Air Corps Training Center , and William E. Gillmore, in command of

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5880-585: The "Xylette," and a 1945 newspaper described its materials and their source: "The Xylette is being constructed by patients in the craft shops of the convalescent hospitals. The [aluminum] xylophone bars are made from discarded hydraulic systems, the plywood from hatchways, keys from the fuselage spruce, and hammers from the hardwood of the propellor.” On 18 March 1945 Rhodes visited the Santa Ana (CA) Army Base Convalescent Hospital, bringing with him eight Xylettes, and having visited seven similar military hospitals across

6020-459: The 1980s because of competition with polyphonic and digital synthesizers such as the Yamaha DX7 and an inconsistent quality control caused by cost-cutting . In 1987, the company was sold to Roland , which manufactured digital versions of the instrument without authorization from Harold Rhodes. In the 1990s, the instrument experienced a resurgence in popularity, resulting in Rhodes re-obtaining

6160-637: The AAF came into being in June 1941. Three other long-range bombers began development during this period, though only mock-ups were produced before World War II: the B-29 (study begun in 1938), the Consolidated B-32 Dominator (June 1940), and the Convair B-36 Peacemaker (April 1941). In a special message to Congress on 12 January 1939, President Roosevelt advised that the threat of a new war made

6300-457: The Air Corps had obtained a mission in coastal defense that justified both the creation of a centralized strike force and the development of four-engined bombers, and over the resistance of the General Staff lobbied for another mission, strategic bombardment, with which it could persuasively argue for independence from the Army. The cost of the General Staff's resistance in terms of preparedness had been severe, however. Its policies had resulted in

6440-464: The Air Corps increased in number, so did higher command echelons. The 2nd Wing , activated in 1922 as part of the Air Service, remained the only wing organization in the new Air Corps until 1929, when it was redesignated the 2nd Bombardment Wing in anticipation of the activation of the 1st Bombardment Wing , providing a bombardment wing on each coast. The 1st Bomb Wing was activated in 1931, followed by

6580-532: The Air Corps on 12 May 1938 when it widely publicized the interception of the Italian ocean liner Rex by three B-17s while it was 610 nautical miles (1,100 km) off-shore of New York City. Possibly under pressure from the Navy, Craig placed a limit of 100 nautical miles (190 km) on all future off-shore flights by the Army. The services together issued a revised Joint Action statement in November reasserting that

6720-605: The Air Corps that resulted in a feasibility study for a 35-ton 4-engined bomber (the Boeing XB-15 ). While it was later found to be unsuitable for combat because the power of existing engines was inadequate for its weight, the XB-15 led to the design of the smaller Model 299, later to become the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress , whose first flight was at the end of July 1935. By that time the Air Corps had two projects in place for

6860-538: The Air Corps was still a combatant branch of the Army with less prestige than the Infantry. The position of the air arm within the Department of War remained essentially the same as before, that is, the flying units were under the operational control of the various ground forces corps area commands and not the Air Corps, which remained responsible for procurement and maintenance of aircraft, supply, and training. Because of

7000-518: The Air Corps, the Boeing P-26 Peashooter , came into service in 1933 and bridged the gap between the biplane and more modern fighters. The Air Corps was called upon in early 1934 to deliver mail in the wake of the Air Mail scandal , involving the postmaster general and heads of the airlines. Despite an embarrassing performance that resulted from numerous crashes and 13 fatalities and was deemed

7140-457: The Air Corps. The U.S. Army Air Service had a brief but turbulent history. Created during World War I by executive order of President Woodrow Wilson after America entered the war in April 1917 as the increasing use of airplanes and the military uses of aviation were readily apparent as the war continued to its climax, the U.S. Army Air Service gained permanent legislative authority in 1920 as

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7280-605: The Army , on 15 April 1940. In the fall of 1937, the Army War College 's course on the use of airpower reiterated the General Staff position and taught that airpower was of limited value when employed independently. Using attaché reports from both Spain and Ethiopia , and endorsed by a senior Air Corps instructor, Col. Byron Q. Jones , the course declared that the Flying Fortress concept had "died in Spain", and that airpower

7420-588: The Army's middle-level command structure. During World War II , although not an administrative echelon, the Air Corps (AC) remained as one of the combat arms of the Army until 1947, when it was legally abolished by legislation establishing the Department of the Air Force . The Air Corps was renamed by the United States Congress largely as a compromise between the advocates of a separate air arm and those of

7560-583: The Army's. The Lampert Committee of the House of Representatives in December 1925 proposed a unified air force independent of the Army and Navy, plus a department of defense to coordinate the three armed services. However another board, headed by Dwight Morrow , was appointed in September 1925 by Coolidge ostensibly to study the "best means of developing and applying aircraft in national defense" but in reality to minimize

7700-527: The Army’s Ft. Thomas (KY) convalescent hospital. Soon after, Rhodes won a service award for his therapy achievements. Rhodes, in California, next developed an electrically-amplified 38-key instrument, again without strings—instead, using carbon steel rods and advertised as "never needing to be tuned." It was labeled the "Pre-Piano," also being advertised as the "Bantam Piano" to broaden its appeal. Its public debut

7840-531: The B-17 while belatedly recognizing that coordinated air-ground support had been long neglected, decided that it would order only two-engined "light" bombers in fiscal years 1939 through 1941. It also rejected further advancement of Project A, the development program for a very long range bomber. In collaboration with the Navy, the Joint Board (whose senior member was Army Chief of Staff Gen. Malin Craig ) on 29 June 1938 issued

7980-477: The Chief of Staff, the Air Corps as the service element of the air arm, and GHQAF as the tactical element. However, all GHQ Air Force's members, along with members of units stationed overseas and under the control of local ground commanders, remained part of the Air Corps. This dual status and division of authority hampered the development of Air Corps for the next six years, as it had the Air Service during World War I, and

8120-486: The Doors would never have existed." The Rhodes piano became a popular instrument in jazz in the late 1960s, particularly for several sidemen who played with Miles Davis . Herbie Hancock first encountered the Rhodes in 1968 while booked for a session with Davis. He immediately became an enthusiast, noting that the amplification made him much more audible in groups when compared to the piano. Hancock continued to experiment with

8260-607: The General Staff. The War Plans Division of the Army reacted to the recommendations of the Baker Board by insisting that men and modern equipment for seven army divisions be procured before any increase in the Air Corps was begun, and opposed any immediate attempt to bring the Air Corps up to the 1,800 plane-strength first authorized in 1926, for fear of antagonizing the Navy. President Roosevelt approved an open-ended program to increase strength to 2,320 aircraft (albeit without any proviso for funding) in August 1934, and Secretary Dern approved

8400-764: The Joint Action Statement, but the newest revision parroted the anti-autonomy conclusions of the Drum and Baker Boards, and reasserted its long-held position (and that of the Secretary Dern) that auxiliary support of the ground forces was the primary mission of the Air Corps. TR 440-15 did acknowledge some doctrinal principles asserted by the ACTS (including the necessity of destroying an enemy's air forces and concentrating air forces against primary objectives) and recognized that future wars would probably entail some missions "beyond

8540-604: The Military Affairs Committee of the Congress rejected all bills set forth before it on both sides of the issue. They fashioned a compromise in which the findings of the Morrow Board were enacted as law, while providing the air arm a "five-year plan" for expansion and development. Maj. Gen. Mason Patrick , the Chief of Air Service, had proposed that it be made a semi-independent service within the War Department along

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8680-572: The Morrow Board's recommendations, the act created an additional Assistant Secretary of War to "help foster military aeronautics", and established an air section in each division of the General Staff for a period of three years. Two additional brigadier generals would serve as assistant chiefs of the Air Corps. Previous provisions of the National Defense Act of 1920 that all flying units be commanded only by rated personnel and that flight pay be awarded were continued. The Air Corps also retained

8820-648: The P-39 and P-40 were approaching obsolescence, even though both had been in production less than 18 months. Bombers developed during this period were the Douglas A-20 Havoc (first flown October 1938), North American B-25 Mitchell (January 1939), Consolidated B-24 Liberator (December 1939), and Martin B-26 Marauder (November 1940). Except for the B-24, P-47, and P-51, all of these had production deliveries that began before

8960-579: The Rhodes Mark 7, followed by an offering from Vintage Vibe . The Neo-Bechstein electric piano was built in 1931. The Vierlang-Forster electric piano was introduced in 1937. The RCA Storytone electric piano was built in 1939 in a joint venture between Story & Clark and RCA. The case was designed by John Vassos , the American industrial designer. It debuted at the 1939 World's Fair. The piano has normal strings and hammer action but no soundboard. The sound

9100-408: The Rhodes over the following years, including playing it through a wah-wah . Other former Davis sidemen, Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul , started using the Rhodes prominently during the 1970s. Beginning with In a Silent Way (1969), the Rhodes became the most prominent keyboard on Davis's recordings until the mid-1970s. Vince Guaraldi started using a Rhodes in 1968, and toured with both a piano and

9240-499: The Rhodes, known as Dyno My Piano. It included a lever that moved the relative position of the tines to the pickups, modifying the sound, and fed the output signal through additional electronics. This sound was emulated by the Yamaha DX7 with a patch known as the DX7 Rhodes that was popular during the 1980s, and caused several players to abandon the Rhodes in favor of the DX7. In 1983, Rhodes

9380-490: The Rhodes. The Pianet T has a far mellower sound not unlike that of the Rhodes instruments. None of the above instruments have the facility for a sustain pedal . A close copy of the Cembalet is the "Weltmeister Claviset", also marketed as the " Selmer Pianotron". This has electromagnetic pickups with a battery-powered preamplifier, and later models have multiple tone filters and a sustain pedal. Although not technically pianos,

9520-506: The Southwest for more than a year.” The earliest-known national advertisement for the instrument was in Down Beat's July 1962 issue. Fender was bought by CBS in 1965. Rhodes stayed with the company, and released the first Fender Rhodes piano, a 73-note model. The instrument comprised parts — the piano, and a separate enclosure underneath containing the power amplifier and loudspeaker. Like

9660-408: The Suette Piano, another reed electric piano that was made in Brazil in the 1980s. The tuning fork here refers to the struck element having two vibrating parts. In Fender Rhodes instruments, the struck portion of the "fork" is a tine of stiff steel wire. The other part of the fork, parallel and adjacent to the tine, is the tonebar, a sturdy steel bar which acts as a resonator and adds sustain to

9800-405: The Sunshine of My Life " feature him playing the Rhodes. He often used one alongside the Hohner Clavinet . Donny Hathaway regularly used the Rhodes; his hit single, " This Christmas ", which receives seasonal radio play on African American stations, makes a prominent use of the instrument. Although better known for playing the Wurlitzer , Ray Charles played a Rhodes on his performance of " Shake

9940-409: The U.S. When Rhodes had visited the Army's Fort Logan (CO) convalescent hospital a month earlier, he supervised construction of Xylettes and provided instruction, noting that "exercise afforded by a keyboard instrument is effective in the restoration of neuro-muscular coordination of fingers, hands and arms.” A Popular Mechanics article in June 1945 pictured recovering veterans playing their Xylettes at

10080-499: The War Department, 14 four-engine planes were delivered to the air force up to the outbreak of World War II in September 1939." A major step toward creation of a separate air force occurred on 1 March 1935 with the activation of a centralized, air force-level command headed by an aviator answering directly to the Army Chief of Staff . Called the General Headquarters Air Force , the organization had existed in Army planning since 1924 as

10220-528: The Wurlitzer but with electromagnetic pickups similar to the Rhodes piano . In 2015, Brazilian inventor Tiago Valente created the first prototype of the Valente Electric Piano, an electromechanical instrument where the hammers strike reeds, similar to the ones used in a Wurlitzer. In 2020, the Valente Electric Piano was launched commercially; at the time of launch, Valente said that he took inspiration from

10360-468: The Wurlitzer produces significant harmonics when the keys are played hard, giving it a "bite". According to Benjamin Love of Retro Rentals, an equalization spectrum analysis of the instrument will have a gap where the frequency of a lead vocal can be. This means the instrument can easily support a voice performance without overpowering it. Harold Rhodes started teaching piano when he was 19. He dropped out of

10500-440: The acquisition of obsolete aircraft as first-line equipment, stifled design development in the private sector of better types, retarded the development of radar and ordnance, and handicapped training, doctrine, and offensive organization by reneging on commitments to acquire the B-17. "From October 1935 until 30 June 1939, the Air Corps requested 206 B-17's and 11 B-15's. Yet because of cancellations and reductions of these requests by

10640-501: The activation of GHQ Air Force in December 1934. GHQ Air Force took control of all combat air units in the United States from the jurisdiction of corps area commanders, where it had resided since 1920, and organized them operationally into a strike force of three wings. The GHQ Air Force remained small in comparison to European air forces. On its first day of existence, the command consisted of 60 bombers, 42 attack aircraft, 146 pursuits, and 24 transports, amounting to 40% of strength in

10780-423: The actual electro-mechanical instruments in the 2010s, due to the small size, light weight, and versatility of digital instruments, which can produce a huge range of tones besides piano tones (e.g., emulations of Hammond organ sounds, synthesizer sounds, etc.). However, some performers still perform and record with vintage electric pianos. In 2009, Rhodes produced a new line of electro-mechanical pianos, known as

10920-651: The argument for an independent air force. Strategic or long-range bombardment was intended to destroy an enemy's industry and war-making potential, and only an independent service would have a free hand to do so. But despite what it perceived as "obstruction" from the War Department, much of which was attributable to a shortage of funds, the Air Corps made great strides during the 1930s. A doctrine emerged that stressed precision bombing of industrial targets by heavily armed long-range aircraft. This doctrine resulted because of several factors. The Air Corps Tactical School moved in July 1931 to Maxwell Field , Alabama , where it taught

11060-403: The blame on him for the Air Corps' failures, he was investigated by a congressional subcommittee alleging corruption in aircraft procurement. The matter resulted in an impasse between committee chairman William N. Rogers and Secretary of War George Dern before being sent to the Army's Inspector General, who ruled largely in favor of Foulois. Rogers continued to severely criticize Foulois through

11200-461: The choice to two of the three assistant chiefs, Henry Conger Pratt and Oscar Westover . Pratt appeared to have the superior credentials, but he had been in charge of aircraft procurement during the Foulois years and was looked upon warily by Dern as possibly being another Mitchell or Foulois. Westover was chosen because he was the philosophical opposite of the two insurgent airmen in all respects, being

11340-661: The concept one step further in March 1930 by recommending that the types instead be light and heavy , the latter capable of long range carrying a heavy bomb load that could also be used during daylight. The Air Corps in January 1931 "got its foot in the door" for developing a mission for which only it would have capability, while at the same time creating a need for technological advancement of its equipment. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William V. Pratt wanted approval of his proposition that all naval aviation including land-based aircraft

11480-400: The continuing movement within the Air Corps for independence, cooperated to resist it. On 11 September 1935, the Joint Board, at the behest of the Navy and with the concurrence of MacArthur, issued a new "Joint Action Statement" that once again asserted the limited role of the Air Corps as an auxiliary to the "mobile Army" in all its missions, including coastal defense. The edict was issued with

11620-564: The design and development of the original instrument for the Cannon Guild Company, a premier harpsichord maker located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This instrument had an aluminium bar frame, a spruce wood soundboard, bar magnetic pickups, and a Plexiglas (clear plastic) openable lid. The prototypes and design were sold to Baldwin who made some modifications, and then manufactured the instrument under their own name. Hohner's " Clavinet "

11760-513: The design of the instrument up to 1984. By 1942, Rhodes was in the Army Air Corps , where he created a piano teaching method to provide therapy for soldiers recovering from combat in hospital. From scrapped airplanes, he eventually developed miniature pianos that could be played in bed. Rhodes was discharged from the Army Air Corps in September 1944. He named his (non-amplified) lap instrument

11900-586: The designation C-33 to equip the first permanent transport unit, the 10th Transport Group, activated in June 1937 at Patterson Field in Ohio . In 1939 the Air Corps recognized that it might soon require large numbers of modern air transports for use in war and purchased 35 DC-2/ DC-3 hybrids, designated the C-39. After the fall of France, the Air Corps in September 1940 ordered 200 untried and unproven Curtiss C-46 Commandos from Curtiss-Wright and 545 Douglas C-47 Skytrains ,

12040-528: The development of longer-ranged bombers, Project A for a bomber with a ferry range of 5,000 miles (8,000 km), and Project D, for one of a range of up to 10,000 miles (16,000 km). In June 1936 the Air Corps requested 11 B-15s and 50 B-17s for reinforcing hemispheric defense forces in Hawaii, Alaska, and Panama. The request was rejected on the basis that there were no strategic requirements for aircraft of such capabilities. The Army and Navy, both cognizant of

12180-424: The development of the Air Corps in the short run, and had hardened the opposition of an already antagonistic General Staff. But through their mistakes and repeated rebuffs, the airmen had learned what they were lacking: proof for the argument that the Air Corps could perform a unique mission—strategic bombardment—and the real threat of another world war would soon reverse their fortunes. In March 1928, commenting on

12320-405: The electric piano began to grow in the late 1950s after Ray Charles 's 1959 hit record " What'd I Say ", reaching its height during the 1970s, after which they were progressively displaced by more lightweight electronic pianos capable of piano-like sounds without the disadvantages of electric pianos' heavy weight and moving mechanical parts . Another factor driving their development and acceptance

12460-473: The existing electromechanical elements. The overall effect was that of a Rhodes piano and a synthesizer being played simultaneously. The instrument was unreliable with a problematic production, particularly when a shipment of 150 units to Japan caused interference with local television reception. Compared to the new polyphonic synthesizers being marketed at the same time, it was limited in scope and sound, and very few units were sold. The final Rhodes produced by

12600-567: The existing two-piece style, featuring four detachable legs (used in Fender steel pedal guitars), a sustain pedal derived from a Rogers hi-hat stand and a single output jack. Although the Stage could be used with any amplifier, catalogs suggested the use of the Fender Twin Reverb . The older style piano continued to be sold alongside the Stage and was renamed the Suitcase Piano. An 88-note model

12740-519: The following are electric harpsichords and clavichords. Baldwin's "Solid-Body Electric Harpsichord" or "Combo Harpsichord" is an aluminum-framed instrument of fairly traditional form, with no soundboard and with two sets of electromagnetic pickups, one near the plectra and the other at the strings' midpoint. The instrument's sound has something of the character of an electric guitar, and has occasionally been used to stand in for one in modern chamber music . Roger Penney of Bermuda Triangle Band worked on

12880-647: The forerunner of the more than 10,000 C-47s and related variants that served in World War II. Even with the doctrine of strategic bombardment as its priority, the Air Corps belatedly sought to modernize its tactical combat force under GHQ Air Force, bringing into service the Northrop A-17 and Douglas B-18 Bolo in 1936, the Seversky P-35 in 1937, and the Curtiss P-36 in 1938. All of these aircraft were obsolete by

13020-492: The geopolitical realities of coming war. In August 1939 the Army's research and development program for 1941 was modified with the addition of nearly five million dollars to buy five long-range bombers for experimental purposes, resulting on 10 November 1939 in the request by Arnold of the developmental program that would create the Boeing B-29 Superfortress , which was approved on 2 December. Between 1930 and 1938

13160-508: The instrument at $ 189.50 with amplification either built into the instrument or as an outboard unit, though it "also plays without amplification." The instrument weighed twenty pounds by itself, and thirty pounds including its tubular base with attached seat, and the Baris were then using it in performances at Palm Springs' Desert Inn. In 1958, Rhodes began a business affiliation with Leo Fender to manufacture instruments. For Fender, Rhodes developed

13300-419: The intent of again shoving an upstart Air Corps back into its place. However, the bomber advocates interpreted its language differently, concluding that the Air Corps could conduct long-range reconnaissance, attack approaching fleets, reinforce distant bases, and attack enemy air bases, all in furthering its mission to prevent an air attack on America. A month later (15 October 1935), the General Staff released

13440-524: The lack of survivability in combat of his unit's Keystone LB-7 and Martin NBS-1 bombers, Lt. Col. Hugh J. Knerr , commander of the 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field , Virginia , recommended that the Air Corps adopt two types of all-metal monoplane bombers, a short-range day bomber and a long-range night bomber. Instructors at the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS), also then at Langley, took

13580-547: The lines of the Marine Corps within the Navy Department, but this was rejected; only the cosmetic name change was accepted. The legislation changed the name of the Air Service to the Air Corps, (in the words of one analyst) "thereby strengthening the conception of military aviation as an offensive, striking arm rather than an auxiliary service." The Air Corps Act (44 Stat. 780) became law on 2 July 1926. In accordance with

13720-450: The mantle of the radical airmen, and Westover soon found himself on "the wrong side of history" as far as the future of the Air Corps was concerned. Lines of authority were also blurred as GHQ Air Force controlled only combat flying units within the continental United States. The Air Corps was responsible for training, aircraft development, doctrine, and supply, while the ground forces corps area commanders still controlled installations and

13860-408: The mission of the Air Corps in coastal defense was only for supporting the Navy if called upon to do so, while simultaneously authorizing for the Navy the long-range shore-based coastal patrol mission denied the Air Corps. Westover, who stridently opposed cancellation of the Woodring program, was killed in an air crash on 21 September 1938 and was succeeded by Arnold. The Air Corps tested and employed

14000-524: The most numerous of the attack planes that fulfilled the observation/close support role designated by the General Staff as the primary mission of the Air Corps. Transport aircraft used during the first ten years of the Air Corps were of largely trimotor design, such as the Atlantic-Fokker C-2 and the Ford C-3 , and were procured in such small numbers (66 total) that they were doled out one airplane to

14140-519: The new Air Force Combat Command organization for front-line combat operations; this new element, along with the Air Corps, comprised the USAAF. The Air Corps ceased to have an administrative structure after 9 March 1942, but as "the permanent statutory organization of the air arm, and the principal component of the Army Air Forces," the overwhelming majority of personnel assigned to the AAF were members of

14280-410: The next decade: an all-metal low wing monoplane, closed cockpits, rotating gun turrets, retractable landing gear, internal bomb bay, high-lift devices and full engine cowlings. The B-10 proved to be so superior that as its 14 operational test models were delivered in 1934 they were fed into the Air Corps mail operation, and despite some glitches caused by pilot unfamiliarity with the innovations, were

14420-626: The opening chapter of the Air Corps manual be a doctrinal statement developed by the G-3 that "left little doubt" that the General Staff's intention was "to develop and employ aviation in support of ground forces." The Air Corps Board, on the orders of Arnold, developed a secret study for "defense of the Monroe Doctrine " that recommended development of long-range, high altitude, high-speed aircraft for bombardment and reconnaissance to accomplish that defense. The War Department, seeking to stifle procurement of

14560-519: The original company was the Mk V in 1984. Among other improvements, it had a lighter plastic body and an improved action that varied the dynamics with each note. The Mark V is the easiest of the original Rhodes pianos for touring musicians to transport. Rhodes pianos produced under the original run had an inconsistent quality as the company wanted to mass-produce the instrument. During the late 1970s and 1980s, Chuck Monte manufactured an after-market modification to

14700-429: The personnel manning them. An example of the difficulties this arrangement imposed on commanders was that while the commander of GHQ Air Force was responsible for the discipline of his command, he had no court martial authority over his personnel, which was retained by the corps area commander. Base commanders of Air Corps installations reported to as many as four different higher echelons. The issue of control of bases

14840-641: The piano bass, it was finished in black Tolex, and had a fiberglass top. During the late 1960s, two models of the Fender Rhodes Celeste also became available, which used the top three or four octaves, respectively, of the Fender Rhodes piano. The Celeste did not sell well and is now hard to find. In 1969, the fiberglass lid was replaced with vacuum-molded plastic; the earlier models became known retrospectively as "silvertops". The Student and Instructor models were introduced in 1965. They were designed to teach

14980-444: The piano in the classroom. By connecting the output of a network of student models, the teacher could listen to each student in isolation on the instructor model, and send an audio backing track to them. This allowed the teacher to monitor individual students' progress. Production of educational models ceased in 1974. In 1970, the 73-note Stage Piano was introduced as a lighter (130 pounds (59 kg)) and more portable alternative to

15120-462: The political impact of the pending court-martial of Billy Mitchell (and to preempt the findings of the Lampert Committee). It declared that no threat of air attack was likely to exist to the United States, rejected the idea of a department of defense and a separate department of air, and recommended minor reforms that included renaming the air service to allow it "more prestige". In early 1926

15260-459: The primary defenses against interception. In both 1932 and 1933, large-scale maneuvers found fighters unable to climb to altitude quickly enough to intercept attacking B-9 and B-10 prototypes, a failure so complete that Westover, following the 1933 maneuvers, actually proposed elimination of pursuits altogether. 1933 was a pivotal year in the advancement of aviation technology in which the all-metal airplane came of age, "practically overnight" in

15400-466: The probability of war became apparent. Instead, the Air Corps inventory actually declined to 855 total aircraft in 1936, a year after the creation of GHQ Air Force, which by itself was recommended to have a strength of 980. The most serious fallout from the Air Mail fiasco was the retirement under fire of Major General Benjamin Foulois as Chief of Air Corps. Soon after the Roosevelt administration placed

15540-421: The program of the Lassiter Board already in effect, but Chief of Staff Gen. John Hines rejected the recommendation in favor of a plan drawn up by ground force Brig. Gen. Hugh Drum that proposed 52 squadrons. The act authorized expansion to 1,800 airplanes, 1,650 officers, and 15,000 enlisted men, to be reached in regular increments over a five-year period. None of the goals was reached by July 1932. Neither of

15680-519: The recommendations of the Baker Board , established in the wake of the Air Mail scandal, was that the proposals of the Drum Board be adopted: an increase in strength to 2,320 aircraft and establishment of GHQ Air Force as a permanent peacetime tactical organization, both to ameliorate the pressures for a separate air force and to exploit emerging capabilities in airpower. In the absence of a general headquarters (i.e. peacetime), GHQ Air Force would report to

15820-517: The recommendations of the Baker Board inadequate for American defense and requested approval of a "minimum 3,000-plane increase" for the Air Corps. On 3 April 1939, Congress allocated the $ 300 million requested by Roosevelt for expansion of the Air Corps, half of which was dedicated to purchasing planes to raise the inventory from 2,500 to 5,500 airplanes, and the other half for new personnel, training facilities, and bases. Orders for B-17s, which had been held in abeyance since June 1938, resumed in

15960-475: The relatively modest increases in airplanes or officers was accomplished until 1938 because adequate funds were never appropriated and the coming of the Great Depression forced reductions in pay and modernization across the board in the Army. Organizationally the Air Corps doubled from seven to fifteen groups , but the expansion was meaningless because all were seriously understrength in aircraft and pilots. ( Origin of first seven groups shown here ) As units of

16100-477: The resonance of the instrument slightly. In 1977 the power amplifier design was changed from an 80 to a 100-watt model. The Mk II model was introduced in late 1979, which was simply a set of cosmetic changes over the most recent Mk I models. A 54-note model was added to the range. The Rhodes Mk III EK-10 was a combination electric piano and synthesizer , introduced in 1980 before CBS bought ARP Instruments in 1981. It used analog oscillators and filters alongside

16240-403: The rights to the Rhodes piano in 1997. By then, he was in ill health and died in December 2000. In 2007, his former business partner Joe Brandstetter acquired the rights to the name and re-formed Rhodes Music Corporation. The company introduced a reproduction of the original electric piano, the Rhodes Mark 7, housed in a molded plexiglass enclosure. In 2021, a new company, Rhodes Music Group Ltd,

16380-417: The rights to the piano in 1997. Although Harold Rhodes died in 2000, the Rhodes piano has since been reissued, and his teaching methods are still in use. The Rhodes piano's keyboard is laid out like a traditional acoustic piano, but some models contain 73 keys instead of 88. The 73-key model weighs around 130 pounds (59 kg). The keyboard's touch and action is designed to be like an acoustic piano. Pressing

16520-405: The same time, the General Staff ordered studies from all the service branches to develop drafts for the coming field manuals. The Air Corps Board, a function of the ACTS, submitted a draft in September 1938 that included descriptions of independent air operations, strategic air attacks, and air action against naval forces, all of which the General Staff rejected in March 1939. Instead, it ordered that

16660-477: The school's Pursuit Section, found their influence waning because of repeated performance failures of pursuit aviation. Finally, the doctrine represented the Air Corps' attempt to develop autonomy from the General Staff, which enforced subordination of the air arm by limiting it to support of ground forces and defense of United States territory. New bomber types under development clearly outperformed new pursuit types, particularly in speed and altitude, then considered

16800-430: The sound. The tine is fitted with a spring which can be moved along its length to allow the pitch to be varied for fine-tuning . The tine is struck by the small neoprene (originally felt) tip of a hammer activated by a greatly simplified piano action (each key has only three moving parts including the damper). Each tine has an electromagnetic pickup placed just beyond its tip (see also tonewheel ). The Rhodes piano has

16940-516: The sphere of influence of the Ground Forces" (strategic bombardment), but it did not attach any importance to prioritization of targets, weakening its effectiveness as doctrine. The Air Corps in general assented to the changes, as it did to other compromises of the period, as acceptable for the moment. TR 440-15 remained the doctrinal position of the Air Corps until it was superseded by the first Air Corps Field Manual, FM 1–5 Employment of Aviation of

17080-444: The summer of 1935, threatening future Air Corps appropriations, and despite public support by Dern for the embattled chief, the administration was close to firing Foulois for his perceived attitude as a radical airman and his public criticisms of the administration during the controversy. He retired in December 1935 for the good of the service. The Roosevelt administration began a search for his replacement in September 1935, narrowing

17220-619: The summer of 1939 with incremental deliveries of 39 B-17Bs in 1939–40, 18 B-17Cs in 1940, and 42 B-17Ds in the first quarter of 1941. The first large order for heavy bomber production, 512 combat-capable B-17Es , was placed in July 1940. In June 1939 the Kilner Board recommended several types of bombers needed to fulfill the Air Corps mission that included aircraft having tactical radii of both 2,000 and 3,000 miles (revised in 1940 to 4,000). Chief of Staff Craig, long an impediment to Air Corps ambitions but nearing retirement, came around to

17360-548: The time they came into service, and the outbreak of war in Europe spurred development of more capable types. By October 1940, over a year before the United States was drawn into the war, every piston-driven single-seat fighter eventually used by the USAAF during World War II was in flight test except the P-47. However, the press of the enormous tasks confronting the Air Corps and the primacy of strategic bombing doctrine meant that development of

17500-409: The traditionalist Army high command who viewed the aviation arm as an auxiliary branch to support the ground forces. Although its members worked to promote the concept of air power and an autonomous air force in the years between the world wars , its primary purpose by Army policy remained support of ground forces rather than independent operations. On 1 March 1935, still struggling with the issue of

17640-427: The undersurface of the lower wings. Tail rudders were painted with a vertical dark blue band at the rudder hinge and 13 alternating red-and-white horizontal stripes trailing. The painting of fuselages olive drab was changed to blue in the early 1930s, and this motif continued until late 1937, when all new aircraft (now all-metal) were left unpainted except for national markings. Most pursuit fighters before 1935 were of

17780-406: The volume level and tone will be diminished. The Suitcase model Rhodes includes a built-in power amplifier and a tremolo feature that bounces the output signal from the piano across two speakers. This feature is inaccurately labeled " vibrato " (which is a variation in pitch) on some models to be consistent with the labelling on Fender amplifiers . Although the Rhodes functions mechanically like

17920-403: The war and into the following decade. In 1959, Fender began marketing the Piano Bass, a cut-down version; the full-size instrument did not appear until after Fender's sale to CBS in 1965. CBS oversaw mass production of the Rhodes piano in the 1970s, and it was used extensively through the decade, particularly in jazz , pop , and soul music , as well by many rock artists. It was less used in

18060-482: The words of one historian, because of the availability of the first practical variable-pitch propeller . Coupled with "best weight" design of airframes, the controllable pitch propeller resulted in an immediate doubling of speeds and operating ranges without decreasing aircraft weights or increasing engine horsepower, exemplified by the civil Douglas DC-1 transport and the military Martin B-10 bomber. The B-10 featured innovations that became standard internationally for

18200-606: Was Chicago's Lyon & Healy music store, where he demonstrated the instrument on July 21-22-23, 1948. During the summer of 1948 pianist and song-stylist Gwen Bari was Rhodes's representative and demonstrator in Philadelphia,—including a local television broadcast. She likewise appeared for promotions in Cleveland, New York, and Chicago. Her husband and violinist-partner Gene Bari was Rhodes's sales agent in Palm Springs (CA), advertising

18340-474: Was ameliorated in 1936 when GHQAF bases were exempted from corps area authority on recommendation of the Inspector General's Department, but in November 1940 it was restored again to Corps Area control when Army General Headquarters was activated. In January 1936, the Air Corps contracted with Boeing for thirteen Y1B-17 Flying Fortress prototypes, enough to equip one squadron for operational testing and

18480-496: Was by definition tied to carrier-based fleet operations. Pratt reached an agreement with new Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur that the Air Corps would assume responsibility for coastal defense (traditionally a primary function of the Army but a secondary, wartime function of the Navy) beyond the range of the Army's Coast Artillery guns, ending the Navy's apparent duplication of effort in coastal air operations. The agreement, intended as

18620-455: Was formed by the audio company Loopmasters who licensed the trademark rights from Brandstetter. They announced a new model, the MK8, in development. The MK8 was made available for pre-order in November with 500 units planned for production in 2022. The MK8's case was designed by Axel Hartmann and its electronics were designed by former Moog Music technician Cyril Lance. At 75 pounds (34 kg), it

18760-757: Was in Los Angeles on 21 May 1948, at the Broadway department store. Rhodes was present as demonstrator, as was songwriter Jimmy McHugh ; by that date, Rhodes had built 100 of the instruments in his factory space at 2370 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena. By mid-1948 the Pre-Piano was being used for teaching in the Los Angeles Public School System, and was eventually adopted in other cities, including Chicago. Among Rhodes's promotional appearances away from Los Angeles

18900-539: Was introduced in 1971. The Rhodes became increasingly popular during the 1970s. In 1976, the company posted an advertisement claiming that of the top 100 Billboard albums featuring electric pianos, 82% of them used a Rhodes. During the 1970s various changes were made to the Rhodes mechanics. In 1971 the hammer tips were changed to neoprene rubber instead of felt, to avoid the excessive need for regular maintenance, while in 1975 harp supports were changed from wood to aluminum. Although this made production cheaper, it changed

19040-560: Was not overcome until the necessity of expanding the force occurred with the onset of World War II. The commanding general of GHQ Air Force, Maj. Gen. Frank M. Andrews , clashed philosophically with Westover over the direction in which the air arm was heading, adding to the difficulties, with Andrews in favor of autonomy and Westover not only espousing subordination to the Army chain of command but aggressively enforcing his prohibitions of any commentary opposed to current policy. Andrews, by virtue of being out from Westover's control, had picked up

19180-402: Was resolved by the creation of the Army Air Forces (AAF), making both organizations subordinate to the new higher echelon. On 20 June 1941 , the Army Air Corps' existence as the primary air arm of the U.S. Army changed to that of solely being the training and logistics elements of the then-new United States Army Air Forces , which embraced the formerly-named General Headquarters Air Force under

19320-539: Was sold to CBS boss William Schultz, who closed the main factory in 1985 and sold the business to the Japanese corporation Roland in 1987. Roland introduced digital pianos known as the Rhodes MK80 and MK60 in 1989, and were essentially re-engineered versions of Roland's own RD-1000 (which they closely resembled), but Harold Rhodes disapproved of the instruments, which were made without his consultation. Rhodes re-acquired

19460-436: Was the progressive electrification of popular music and the need for a portable keyboard instrument capable of high-volume amplification. Musicians adopted a number of types of domestic electric pianos for rock and pop use. This encouraged their manufacturers to modify them for stage use and then develop models primarily intended for stage use. Digital pianos that provide an emulated electric piano sound have largely supplanted

19600-473: Was useful mainly as "long range artillery." Air Corps officers in the G-3 Department of the General Staff pointed out that Jones' conclusions were inconsistent with the revised TR 440-15, but their views were dismissed by Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Stanley Embick with the comment: "No doctrine is sacrosanct, and of all military doctrines, that of the Air Corps should be the last to be so regarded." At

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