Yamaha CP70 -- PIANO amps??

[kingmetal]

Our studio just took in a Yamaha CP70 (believe it's a CP70B, due to the XLR outputs) and I had a tuner come out on Friday and get it dialed in. It's a little worn around the edges, but the electronics and mechanics seem to be totally in order -- it fits with our vibe and a couple of my artists are proper excited about it.

The experimentation options are a little daunting, the thing is pretty quiet and doesn't sound particularly wonderful unamplified, but this is a stage piano. Ran it through the first amp in reach, a Fender Blues Deluxe, and it started to make more sense. The acoustic feedback and feel plus a little wonky electric warmth was a lot more to my liking, and the built in tremelo is fun.

Anyone have a favorite amp for a CP70? Haven't spent enough time with electric pianos (even Rhodes or Wurlis) to really know what's commonplace to try.

I'll report back if I find anything interesting.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

The best recording amp I ever found for my Rhodes is a old tube Kent with a 15" jensen. It looks a little like the one in this video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF4X1ko6RrI
It's more or less a Fender Deluxe with a 15" speaker. It's too quiet for stage use but great for recording.
Depending on what you're going for a Deluxe (or some kind of knock off) might be the trick. If you want cleaner and louder a twin is the go-to for lots of Rhodes players. I also used and liked a Super Reverb and a Traynor Custom Reverb or Traynor bass master (both are Bassman type circuits. The Custom has reverb and trem).

[kingmetal]

I've got access to a Twin and that was going to be next on my list -- my instincts were saying Fender-type (bassman / deluxe / twin / whatever). I've got a Showman bottom floating around somewhere that I suspect would sound nice.

The trouble is, I don't know what I'm going for. In a studio, the piano has the problematic handicap of being a good enough reproduction of a traditional acoustic piano for me to be really critical of it. It won't make it far on a recording trying to be a regular piano, but with a little bit of colorful help from the right amp I think it could be a really nice sound.

Thanks for the advice!

[kslight]

I would suggest a higher wattage Fender... Super Bassman 100 or a Twin. Especially if you get the 4x12 pyramid config cab...for a really unique setup. I run keys sometimes into a Tweed Bassman (50 watts into 4x10 combo) which is not bad, but a little bit on the dirty side. Bassmen (?) go for nothing on Craigslist these guys, if you were going to buy something dedicated to the job then that's what I'd consider...and they are cool to have around the studio for guitar/bass as well...

I'd also look at a Roland JC 120. Yeah its solid state, but they are another great amp to have around. Sometimes all you need is some air moving to make keys come alive anyway.

[jgimbel]

I've never used a CP70 (though they seem awesome, congrats!) but I love the Rhodes here into the silverface Bassman. It's a Bassman 50 though so louder can be a little grittier, which is sometimes great, but something with more power (like a twin or 100 watt Bassman) would probably be a bit better for a more standard sound. To me, the difference between a Rhodes through a 12" and a Rhodes through a 15" is similar to a guitar through a 10" vs. through a 12", so I'd bet a 15" would be really nice and full (like the Kent that A.David.MacKinnon mentioned).

[llmonty]

If you are going for recording level, wurly types of sound, versus clean piano, you should try a vox pathfinder or 2. seriously. for my cp-30 it is amazing amazing. and can run through an external cab if needed. but super awesome.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

If you are going for recording level, wurly types of sound, versus clean piano, you should try a vox pathfinder or 2. seriously. for my cp-30 it is amazing amazing. and can run through an external cab if needed. but super awesome.

+1 on the pathfinder. I've gigged with my rhodes and a pathfinder. It's a really good sounding combo.

[llmonty]

yeah, it really shocked me how good they sound. Better than some of the nicer/vintage tube amps. good crunch, dimension. trem and reverb are helpful.

[Jim Williams]

I recorded those back in the early 1980's. They were the answer then for an acoustic piano sound with portability.

The internal preamp is all jfet designed, throw some LSK170 jfets in there and noise will go down.

I recorded it always with a DI. Retaining the higher harmonics was important to the acoustic piano sound. A guitar amp will filter that stuff out.

[kingmetal]

Awesome feedback everyone, thanks!

Been meaning to pick up a Pathfinder for the studio for forever -- I'm assuming you all are talking about the 15R (single 8" speaker) and not the Pathfinder 10 Bass (2x5" speakers). I'll pick one of those up in the next week or so once I know which one is preferred.

Really interested in seeing what kind of sounds I'll get out of it with an amp + DI set up, and being able to do weird things like micing the hammers is enticing. Way beyond excited!

[A.David.MacKinnon]

The pathfinder is pretty great for combo organs as well. Every now and again I gig with a Farfisa VIP 400 and the pathfinder. Anytime I run the Farfisa into a tube amp the organ output just crushes the pre-amp section and makes it impossible to get a decent clean organ tone. No such issue with the pathfinder.

Back to the Yamaha piano, you might also try something super clean and solid state for a more natural sound. I sometimes use a yorkville powered monitor for digital piano. It's nothing sexy but it's the best amp option I've found when the piano needs to sound like a piano. Something like that might be a nice option for you on a sessions where the piano player is in the room with the band and doesn't want to wear headphones (and maybe you want a little piano leaking into the other mics).

[Darlington Pair]

The best recording amp I ever found for my Rhodes is a old tube Kent with a 15" jensen. It looks a little like the one in this video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF4X1ko6RrI
It's more or less a Fender Deluxe with a 15" speaker. It's too quiet for stage use but great for recording.
Depending on what you're going for a Deluxe (or some kind of knock off) might be the trick. If you want cleaner and louder a twin is the go-to for lots of Rhodes players. I also used and liked a Super Reverb and a Traynor Custom Reverb or Traynor bass master (both are Bassman type circuits. The Custom has reverb and trem).

I use my CP-35 mostly with a Traynor Custom Reverb and 2x15 or a showman 2x12 for warm clean tones. Sometimes I use a Traynor bassmate or Vibrolux for dirtier sounds. If I want nice tight bright sounds with big reverb I use an Oliver PA-100xr with an Ampeg 4x10.

Or any combination thereof

[cgarges]

The pathfinder is pretty great for combo organs as well.

I have a small solid-state amp that Vox made for three years in the late sixites called a Pacemaker (they did make a tube version, as well). It's a CRAZY-good little amp and I've had far more offers from people on that amp than on any other at the studio. I use it for all kind of keyboards including Rhodeseseseseses and Wurlis and it sounds great for that stuff.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[winky dinglehoffer]

As a CP70 owner, I largely tend to agree with Jim Williams on this one. Even if you don't DI, you need an amp with good high end reproduction, like a good keyboard amp. The CP70 is not a Wurly or a Rhodes or a CP30; it's much more like a real piano than any of those. While I'm certainly not opposed to using guitar amps with keyboards, including the CP70, don't deny yourself the full range of the sound it offers to you.

[llmonty]

agree that if you want to amplifier a natural piano sound you need something clean and full range. Most keys players I know hate most keyboard amps. They end up with small PAs alot if they want clean, full range piano. Funky amps if they want a dirtier/bent sound.