Best Stage Pianos for an Authentic Vintage Sound
Get that classic EP sound.
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The electric piano remains one of the most distinctive and timeless sounds in recorded music history. We’ve selected some of the best stage pianos available for recreating classic Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds both in the studio and on stage.
A marvel of post-war engineering, the electric piano’s original designs used a system in which hammers strike thin metal rods called tines which are connected to tone bars and amplified with pickups that perpetuate sound in a similar way to the electric guitar.
Where the Rhodes and the Wurlitzer differ is the fact that the Wurlitzer uses metal reeds as opposed to rods. This, of course, produces a different sound, and while the Wurlitzer has a unique midrange bite, the Rhodes has a longer sustain.
Best Stage Pianos
Choosing the Best Stage Pianos
Although many collectors and enthusiasts as well as members of our Gearnews team have vintage Rhodes or Wurlitzer pianos, they aren’t always the most practical for life on the road.
Another aspect is that the evolution of digital sampling has provided the technology to design keyboards that can mimic all the sonic characteristics of classic electric pianos, as well as instruments like organs, clavinets, and even the famous mellotron.
The electric piano sound really took off in the 1970s and has since become synonymous with a range of musical styles, including Jazz, RnB, Soul, Disco, Rock, Hip-Hop, and House.
Nord Electro 6 – Best Stage Pianos
The bright-red Nord Electro pioneered the modern vintage-style stage piano by combining Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and Clavinet sounds with a tonewheel organ simulation in a portable, gig-friendly instrument. More than two decades later, the Nord Electro is still a staple on stages across the world, and it’s come a long way since the first version appeared in 2001.
The latest generation not only boasts 1 GB of memory in the piano section, which you can fill with the samples of your choice from the extensive Nord Piano Library. It also features the B3 organ emulation from the Nord C2D, along with a sample synth with 512 GB of memory. Needless to say, all the necessary effects are also included.
The Nord Electro 6 is available in three versions: a 73-key piano-focused version with hammer-action keys (Nord Electro 6 HP), and two organ-focused models with 61 or 73 waterfall keys.
The Nord Electro 6 is available from Thomann*.
Crumar Seventeen – Best Stage Pianos
The Crumar Seventeen is a classic-style stage piano with a range of sound engines, including Tine Electric Piano, Reed Electric Piano, Electric Grand, Clavi, DX Digital E.P., MKS Digital E.P., Japanese Acoustic Grand, German 274 Acoustic Grand, synth piano, piano-string, and combi sounds.
In addition, the two effects slots give you access to Tremolo, Vibrato, Wah Wah, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Reverb, Delay, 3-band EQ, and AMP simulation.
The Crumar Seventeen is available at Thomann*.
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Viscount Legend `70s Compact – Best Stage Pianos
The Legend `70s Compact is a modular stage piano equipped with the physical modeling electric piano and high-definition sampling sound collection module which features 100 sounds including Pad, Strings, Choir, Brass, Keyboard, Organ, Bass, Guitar, Bells, and Marimba.
The effects and tone-shaping capabilities are extensive with two equalization stages. Moreover, there’s Tremolo, Vibrato, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Wah-wah, Amp, Rotary, Delay, Compressor, and Reverb. You can also add additional modules to expand the Legend keyboard even further.
The Viscount Legend `70s Compact is available at Thomann*.
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Roland V-Stage – Best Stage Pianos
The Roland V-Stage pairs a physical-modeling-based acoustic piano section with electric piano sounds from the SuperNATURAL engine. The electric piano section offers a choice of four models (Tine, Reed, Digital Piano, Clavinet) with dedicated effects such as chorus, phaser, wah, tremolo, and an amp simulation.
In addition, the V-Stage offers a full-fledged organ emulation with four models, as well as a dual-layer synth based on Roland’s ZEN Core engine. Each section has a dedicated set of knobs for plenty of hands-on control.
The V-Stage is available in two versions. If your main focus is on piano and vintage keys, the 88-key model with hammer-action keys is a great choice. The smaller 76-key model offers waterfall-style keys optimized for organ playing.
Both versions are available from Thomann*.
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Yamaha CP73 – Best Stage Pianos
If you’re a stage musician, the Yamaha CP73 is optimized for live performance in every way. The extensive sound library features seamless sound switching. Furthermore, it gives you access to a wide range of vintage and modern tine and reed electric pianos.
In addition, you get grand and upright pianos, FM pianos, organs, and clavinets, as well as synths, strings, brass, and more. The authentic virtual circuitry modeling effects also mimic the character of vintage effects and studio processors.
The Yamaha CP88 and CP73 are available at Thomann*.
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Korg SV-2 – Best Stage Pianos
With the Korg SV-2 stage piano, you get a selection of 72 sounds, ranging from vintage electric pianos, organs, and clavinets to pianos, string, brass, choir, and synth sounds.
The EDS-X engine gives you 128 voices of polyphony, with the ability to layer and split 3 different timbres. What’s more, the effects section includes real tube circuitry, as well as speaker modeling and a range of other classic effects.
The Korg SV-2 and SV-2S (with built-in speakers) are available at Thomann*.
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More about Best Stage Pianos:
- Best Stage Keyboards for Organ Players
- Rhodes Music Official page
- Thomann’s Online Guide to Stage Pianos
- All about electric pianos
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