Rhodes MK8/80AE: Stunning Ultra-Limited Anniversary Edition Is Ready for Pre-Order!
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Rhodes is celebrating 80 years of electric piano history with a drop-dead gorgeous special limited edition. Want one? The Rhodes MK8/80AE is now available for pre-order!
All About the Rhodes MK8
Rhodes MK8/80AE: Celebrating 80 Years of Rhodes History
Rhodes Music has unveiled a striking special edition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Rhodes Piano. Like previous limited editions, the MK8/80AE is a true beauty – and you can pre-order yours today!
Five years ago, the 75th anniversary edition sold out in a matter of minutes. And as the MK8/80AE is strictly limited to just 80 instruments, you’ll need to be super-quick to get your hands on this one-of-a-kind electric piano.
While it’s based on the standard-edition MK8, you can tell at first glance that the MK8/80AE is something very special. The first thing that meets the eye is the custom black keyboard and the black oak cabinet with a high-gloss finish. Even the legs are made of black oak, and there’s a black stand frame with chrome leg braces.
The hood, however, is transparent, letting you take a peek at the inner workings. Here, too, you’ll find many details finished in black, such as the black tine and pickup rails.
It goes without saying that the anniversary edition features the full set of electronics, including Rhodes’ custom-designed preamp with Volume, Drive, EQ, Envelope, and Vari-Pan controls, as well as the stereo effects unit with a compressor, phaser, chorus, and delay. The special edition is available with or without the MIDI option.
Price and Availability
If you want to call this ultra-exclusive electric piano your own, you can now pre-order the MK8/80AE with MIDI from Thomann* for $18,666 / £17,090 / €19,499.
More Information
Rhodes Custom Shop American Classic MK8: This Stunning Limited Edition Will Sell Out Fast
[04 August 2025] The new Rhodes Custom Shop is officially open! The first in a series of highly exclusive limited editions is the American Classic MK8 – a chrome-clad dream for all fans of classic muscle cars. But you’ll need to be quick!
In the world of guitars, “Custom Shop” stands for hand-crafted special editions made by expert builders – highly exclusive, but also very expensive instruments for true enthusiasts. Rhodes is now doing the same and officially unveils the new Rhodes Custom Shop first announced at NAMM 2025. The first Custom Shop model is the stunning American Classic MK8.
If you’re a fan of classic muscle cars, you’ll love the design, which is inspired by the legendary 1965 AC Shelby Cobra. The cover in “Guardsman Blue” is emblazoned with “Wimbledon White” racing stripes and the panel is made of hand-polished chrome. With additional details like a walnut front logo plate, a custom black-on-silver rear logo, and all-black knob caps, the American Classic MK8 looks simply stunning.
Under the hood, it’s a Rhodes MK8 with all the bells and whistles. In addition to a preamp with overdrive, envelope, wah, and vari-pan, the Custom Shop model includes an analog effects unit with compressor, phaser, chorus, and delay. A MIDI option is also available at additional cost.
Price and Availability
If you want to call the exclusive Rhodes Custom Shop American Classic MK8 your own, you’ll need to be quick: The limited edition is only available to order for 48 hours. Every instrument is hand-built to order and individually numbered. Rhodes says that the American Classic will never be reissued after the 48-hour order period ends. Future Custom Shop releases will be limited in the same way.
While Custom Shop guitars can cost several times as much as the regular models, the American Classic MK8 is only moderately more expensive than the standard MK8 at $15,995 / £11,995 / €13,995 plus tax where applicable. The MIDI option is available for an additional £1,299. If you pay in full at the time of ordering, you’ll receive a Rhodes stand for free. Alternatively, you can pay 20% up front and the rest at delivery.
The standard Rhodes MK8 is also available at Thomann*.
More Information
Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano, 61-Key Stage Piano, More to Be Unveiled at NAMM
[08 January 2025 / Adam Douglas] Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano plus unique finishes at the Custom Shop as well as a new 61-key stage piano are on their way. Fingers at the ready!
Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano and More at NAMM
NAMM 2025 is almost here. The event kicks off in Anaheim on January 21 and it’s looking like it’ll be something of a return to form for the annual musical instrument conference. Rhodes Music will be there too, and today the company has announced two new instruments that will debut at the show.
The Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano is what it sounds like: the company’s flagship MK8 now with integrated MIDI functionality. The Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano is more than just a MIDI retrofit kit codged onto an MK8 though. Rhodes is promising proprietary sensing technology, ensuring “seamless expression with high-resolution monitoring of key position,” according to the company.
The new MIDI MK8 Piano will also sport aftertouch. Not just channel aftertouch but full polyphonic aftertouch. This is exciting news indeed.
“These innovations enable players to achieve unparalleled control and dynamic range, whether performing on stage or composing in the studio,” says Rhodes. “At the 2025 NAMM Show, attendees will have the opportunity to experience this enhanced functionality firsthand, demonstrating how the MK8 blends tradition with cutting-edge technology.”
Rhodes Custom Shop
Along with the new Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano, the company will launch its Rhodes Custom Shop at the show. The shop will allow you to customize a MK8 with “completely unique finishes.” It is unclear how the Rhodes Custom Shop will be different from the current customization options on the Rhodes site.
New 61-Key Stage Piano
As if a Rhodes MIDI MK8 Piano wasn’t enough, the UK company will also be unveiling a new 61-key stage piano. Information is scarce so far, but the press release boasts that it will have Rhodes’ “iconic sound” in a compact and portable form factor.
Exciting stuff coming from Rhodes. We’ll have more information as it arrives from NAMM.
More Information
Rhodes MK8 Earth Edition: Stunning Special Edition for Earth Day 2024
[22 April 2024] Rhodes has announced the Rhodes MK8 Earth Edition in celebration of Earth Day. The strictly limited special edition not only sports a highly unique design but also features sustainable materials and actively helps conservation efforts. They’re only making 50 of these, so be sure to put your order in when pre-orders open on Thursday!
Rhodes MK8 Earth Edition
Today is Earth Day! In celebration of this global event highlighting environmental protection and sustainability, Rhodes has unveiled a stunning special edition of the MK8 electric piano. With earthy aesthetics that make it look like it came straight out of the woods, the Rhodes MK8 Earth Editionis a unique eye-catcher. But looks aren’t everything: Rhodes says that this new limited edition also actively contributes to preservation and sustainability efforts.
The most striking design element is the forest-green top. Even the pedal cover sports this unique color. The base and hand-turned legs are sandblasted to highlight the natural grain of the wood, making each instrument unique. The metal parts feature a special rust effect coating (although they’re not really rusty, of course!). Moreover, beautiful custom inlays and side panels give the Rhodes MK8 Earth Edition an especially sophisticated look.
According to Rhodes, the MK8 Earth Edition features eco-conscious materials. The wooden parts are made from FSC-certified American Walnut, while the cover consists of recycled ABS. In addition to this, Rhodes says that it will plant 500 trees per unit sold to support global reforestation efforts. The manufacturer plans to make 50 instruments, bringing the total to 25,000 trees.
On the technical side of things, the special edition comes with the (normally optional) effects unit pre-installed. This includes a VCA compressor, 4-stage phaser, and bucket brigade chorus and delay effects.
Price and availability
The Rhodes MK8 Earth Edition is limited to 50 units and costs $13,495 / £10,995 / €12,995. Pre-orders will open on the Rhodes website on Thursday, 25 April 2024, 9 PM BST (4 PM EST). You can either pay in full at the time of ordering or put down a 50% deposit. The manufacturer says that shipping will begin in January 2025.
More information about the Rhodes MK8 Earth Edition
- Product page (password protected until 25 April 2024, 9PM BST)
- More from Rhodes
Rhodes Limited Edition MK8/75AE Piano Available from 15th September
[01 September 2022 / Robin Vincent] The MK8/75AE has been teased since March, appeared at Superbooth and was even given away in a prize draw, but soon you’ll be able to secure one for yourself for $13,495 plus tax.
Rhodes Music has totally nailed the whole vibe of the classic Rhodes electric piano with the MK8. It’s one of those products that’s impossible to dislike even though few of us will get to own one. Playing one is a sublime experience that brings a connection you can only find with a real instrument.
However, despite the many customization options, Rhodes Music decided to tweak the untweakable and come up with a limited edition version to celebrate the 75th anniversary of this classic piano. Chief product manager Dan Goldman and industrial designer Axel Hartmann collaborated on a version with a few premium touches.
What touches exactly? Well, it’s a bit dark and menacing with the all-black keybed. It does look rather splendid with the gold accents and transparent top. It comes with the analogue effects section as standard, which really balances out the front. But every detail has been painstakingly worked on my Dan and Axel to ensure that this is the finest version ever built.
The MK8/75AE is undoubtedly a superb-looking instrument that is going to make 75 people very happy. That’s right, there will only be 75 of them made. I would have thought that Rhodes could have come up with some proper photos of the piano rather than the renders that have been supplied, but I guess the piano hasn’t been made yet.
The order book will open at 9pm BST on Thursday, the 15th September and orders will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll need 50% of that $13k asking price, and you can expect to see it delivered in 6 months.
Rhodes MK8/75AE: Mysterious Special Edition MK8
[29 March 2022 / Robin Vincent] Rhodes is rolling out a slow reveal on the MK8/75AE, a mysterious special edition version of the new electric piano. It will probably take months but you can also win one.
We know the MK8 is the latest in the long line of Rhodes electric pianos and the first since Rhodes was picked up and re-established as a brand last year. The MK8 has an interesting look that reflects a lot of the vintage while looking strange enough to have a character all of its own. It’s available in all sorts of configurations from transparent to gold and sparkly, and from simply a piano to adding a whole effects section. So, what would a special edition look like?
Rhodes has decided to build a short run of ten MK8/75AE pianos to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary. They will feature analogue bucket brigade effects and some premium design tweaks. The first revealed tweak is the gold name badge – gosh, that’s exciting. Perhaps more interesting is the custom blacked-out keyboard designed by Kluge Klaviaturen that’s been revealed today.
These reveals are probably going to continue for, I imagine, longer than we can bear it. But maybe every month there will be a little peak of interest as the next clue arrives in our inbox. The MK8 is a premium instrument that few can afford and so there’s really only a handful of people who have any hope of securing themselves the MK8/75AE and so I think the interest will wane.
Competition
However, it is also possible to win one! And that might be enough to keep your attention. All you have to do is follow this link and complete the sign-up form. You can increase your number of entries by doing lots of social media type things. There are 135 days left until somebody wins and 50 runners-up might get some sort of t-shirt or keyring – fabulous.
I would love to win one, of course. I mean how great would it be to have a genuine Rhodes piano in your house or studio, let alone a limited edition collectable like the MK8/75AE? So, soak up the marketing emails and hope for the best.
Here’s a video from the official launch event at Ronnie Scotts. Someone get that man (Dan Goldman) a suitably flamboyant shirt worthy of the legendary status of the piano. Hoodies, Rhodes? Hardly jazz is it?
Customise your Dream Rhodes MK8 and Weep at the Price
[02 December 2021 / Robin Vincent] The stunning Rhodes MK8 customiser is open now to everyone and the options are fabulous and the price is extraordinary. This is one serious and beautiful electric piano.
The VIP period has passed and now the Rhodes website is open for everyone to enjoy dreaming about this electric piano. Everyone now has access to the Rhodes MK8 customiser where you can tailor your MK8 to your exact aesthetic requirements. I had no idea there’d be so many options available from the hood colour to the body finish to the type of control panel. You want your MK8 to be in hot pink? No problem. You want sparkles? We’ve got sparkles!
Here are your options:
- Hood – Black, Gold Sparkle, Silver Sparkle, Violet, Baby Blue, Pink, Mint Turquoise, Khaki, Traffic White, Red, Orange, Warm Grey and Smoked Transparent.
- Bottom Shell – Black, Walnut.
- Front Panel – Black, Silver
- FX Panel – None, Black, Silver
- Preamp Panel – Black, Silver
- Stand – None, Black, Silver
As you make your choices you get a rendered image of what it would look like which you can download, print and hang on your wall as a reminder of this awesome instrument that you’re unlikely to be able to afford.
Premium Pricing
The basic model is £6,795 or £8,154 including VAT and is all in black, without the stand or FX panel. The most expensive version is £9,115 or £10,938 including VAT and adds in the FX panel and stand, makes the hood transparent and finishes the body in walnut.
A quick search on Reverb suggests that vintage Rhodes Mark I pianos sell for around £4,000. As a comparison Vintage Vibes based in New Jersey has been restoring Rhodes pianos for many years and sell hand-crafted Mark I-like Classic and Deluxe pianos from around £4,000 to £6,000 ex VAT although they are very basic compared to the Mk8.
Of course, pricing is a very subjective and perceptual thing but few electronic instruments make you gasp when you first glimpse the price tag. That’s not to say the Rhodes MK8 is not worth every penny or that there’s not a market for this sort of premium instrument, it’s just a bit of a shock. I probably felt something similar when I first came across the Moog One – it’s not meant for me, it’s meant for people who are able to invest in a serious and beautifully made instrument that will bring an enormous amount of joy and pleasure simply by existing in your space.
The Order Process
You can customise and order yours now with a 20% deposit. The aim is to make around 50 pianos a month up to 500 a year and they will be built by Rhodes’ skilled and dedicated craftsmen in the factory in Leeds. When your turn comes they will get in touch to make sure all the specifications are correct.
I’ve enjoyed the ride and dreaming about the possibility of owning one.
More Information from Rhodes
Rhodes Unveils the full Specs of the Upcoming Rhodes MK8
[27 October 2021 / Lasse Eilers] After making our mouths water for several months with a string of teasers, Rhodes Music Group has today unveiled the full details of the upcoming Rhodes MK8. The new electric piano will feature a custom preamp and an optional analog effects unit.
Ever since we learned that Rhodes had shifted owners and was working on a new version of the legendary electric piano, the company has given us small bits of information every couple of weeks or so. So we already knew many of the details unveiled today. Nevertheless, it’s great to finally see the new Rhodes in its full glory.
The mechanical section of the instrument consists of custom tines and tonebars. The keybed is provided by German manufacturer Kluge Klaviaturen, which is part of the Steinway Group. The hammers are made of ABS and are internally lubricated. The custom-wound Alnico pickups feature an anti-slip adjustment system for precise intonation. The pedal uses a flexible cable and stays in place thanks to an integrated rubber mat.
Integrated Preamp, Optional Effects
The integrated custom preamp offers knobs for volume, envelope (auto wah) and drive. There’s also an analog equalizer, as well as a vari-pan circuit with a choice of four waveforms.
If you fancy inbuilt effects, you can order the Rhodes MK8 with an optional analog effects unit. It features a VCA compressor, a phaser and bucket-brigade-based chorus and delay effects.
The audio connections are found on the left side of the instrument. In addition to stereo 1/4” outputs, the Rhodes MK8 features balanced XLR outs. The effect send and return jacks provide an opportunity to use external effects. The send jack can also be used as a direct output for the pickups, bypassing the preamp. There’s also a headphone output.
Two expression pedals can be connected to the jacks on the right side. These can be used to modulate a variety of settings, such as volume, wah, pan rate, pan depth and a bunch of effect parameters. Interestingly, the Rhodes MK8 also has a USB port for future firmware updates. This means that there must be some sort of digital wizardry going on, although the manufacturer says that the audio signal path from the pickups to the outputs is entirely analog.
Price and Availability
Rhodes is keeping one last secret: We still don’t know when the MK8 will be available, and what it will cost. If you subscribe to the company’s newsletter by November 1, 2021, you’ll get access to the full website with additional information on that date. All others will have to wait until December 1 to gain access.
More Info about the Rhodes MK8
Is this the first Photo of the Rhodes MK8?
[06 October 2021 / Robin Vincent] Casually thrown into a Rhodes update email is a photo of Chief Product Officer Dan Goldman and Grammy award-winning Bill Laurance leaning on what looks like the new Rhodes MK8.
After months of teases, glimpses and behind-the-scenes photos we’ve still not had a proper look at the forthcoming MK8 piano – until now. Without any fanfare, they just drop in this photo that had me checking Google images to make sure it’s not some other version of this classic piano that I hadn’t seen before.
For me the look is giving off a Mark I vibe, going back to their roots with a classic shape and layout. The mechanical section encased in a smooth black dome has some nice lines going on. The silver front is more pronounced than we’ve seen in any other version, protruding from the front and surrounding the controls. On the left are the Preamp, EQ and Vari-pan plus a couple of buttons. We’ve seen a glimpse of an effects section that should sit on the right on the Rhodes logo but this photo confirms that they will be an optional extra. It looks good, tidy, understated and yet strong.
In the email Dan Goldman remarked:
“Rhodes became a part of my life,” says Dan. “It represented everything I wanted in an instrument, and I felt like I could truly express myself on it. I just felt a natural affinity with it – it didn’t matter if it was my own Rhodes’, or a battle scarred one, I always felt that same connection.”
Bill Laurance was visiting the factory in Leeds and had this to say about his encounter with the MK8.
“That’s inspiring. That’s what you want when you play an instrument.
Making it a kind of Rhodes synthesiser while still maintaining the heritage of the traditional MKI and MKII. It’s beautiful. This is a really serious instrument.”
So, we’ve got to be close to the full reveal of all the details, all the options and the pricing.
More Information from Rhodes
Rhodes Begins Teasing its Forthcoming Electric Piano
[29 September 2021 / Robin Vincent] “It’s almost time for you to meet the new Rhodes,” and the recently formed Rhodes Music Group gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of the new Rhodes piano.
The Return of a Legend
I’m finding myself increasingly excited by the prospect of a new Rhodes electric piano. While many people point to what’s come before I really like the idea of a fresh but hopefully reverential approach to this classic instrument.
The Rhodes Music Group says its been deep in research and development in the two years since the company was formed. Rhodes has been looking back at the best bits of the piano’s history and forward into what materials and technology can help produce the best Rhodes yet. R&D has taken place at the Leeds based Rhodes factory with a cast of experts and enthusiasts in the hope of making the most extraordinary electric piano imaginable.
“Compared to the old pianos it’s got all the vibe and soul, but everything that wasn’t precisely built has been precisely built and with massive detail, I think it’s the ultimate collision of the vintage world and the modern world. I think what we’ve achieved in the last two years is going to blow people’s minds.”
Dan Goldman, Rhodes Chief Product Officer and long-time Rhodes fan and player, on the new Rhodes piano.
Updates
This is turning out to be the tease of the century. Every couple of weeks we seem to get another update with information about another aspect of the piano without actually showing us the thing or letting us hear it played.
We now know that the website will be officially live with all the details on the 1st November so we’ve got another month of titbits and teases to go.
There will be a “MK8 customiser engine” which will let you choose from a range of colours, sparkle finishes and whether it comes with the stereo effects and a stand.
We’ve heard how Rhodes brought in internationally renowned Kluge Klaviaturen Gmbh (Steinway Group) to design the keyboard.
The custom engineering preamp features a parametric EQ, independent drive control, envelope control, wah, vari-pan with 4 waveshapes, audio rate modulation capabilities and dual expression pedal control inputs.
There will be an effects section built into the Rhodes Mk8 which will include a VCA compressor, analogue stereo phaser, BBD stereo chorus and delay. What’s interesting is that the effects appear to be optional. Maybe the front panel will have removable sections for upgrades or maybe there will be versions with and without the effects? We don’t know because we’re still not there yet.
I am looking forward to having my mind blown. The photos from behind the scenes demonstrate that this is going to be a real instrument, not some sort of advanced modelling computer-based emulation but a real electro-acoustic music-making machine.
Rhodes left out any mention of exactly when we’ll get to witness and hear this piano so we’re just going to have to be patient.
More information from Rhodes
Video
This might also interest you
5 responses to “Rhodes MK8/80AE: Stunning Ultra-Limited Anniversary Edition Is Ready for Pre-Order!”
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Instagram. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from X. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information
Can’t wait…had one in the eighties but the young generation friends needed a keyboard so dummy me lent it to them ..never saw it again…so this is good news… hopefully I’ll be able to afford one..
“Rhodes is keeping one last secret: We still don’t know when the MK8 will be available, and what it will cost.”
So. Two secrets.
Excelente notícia.
Para ser competitivo num mercado atual que contém vários pianos ditais de qualidade ,o Rhodes não pode ultrapassar os 3mil dolares.
What is the required maintenance on the Mk8?
This is gonna cost 5-10 grand