Rodgers 850 keyboard swap

[Hamman]

My '78 Rodgers keyboard is falling apart. Under the front of the key it looks as though Rodgers glued small "L" shaped pieces of veneer under each key and for some reason alot of them are peeling back and or are coming off. This is the only issue on this older analog....everything else works and looks great. Where the veneer pieces have fallen off, curled a bit, or are starting to peel back....the keys look ugly! So are keyboard transplants difficult, doable....for like a swap in of a wood core keyboard?

[arie v]

Hi,

Would these keyboards be Herrberger-Brooks keyboards - wood core naturals with plastic tops, and also tracker touch using magnets?

I'm sure Rodgers would not have any parts left for these. If the problem does not interfere with the playability of them, I would be inclined to leave well enough alone, even if it is a bit of an eyesore.

Trying to source different keyboards, good luck. Would not be easy to find keyboards from the same manufacturer that is long out of business, and made 35 years ago. Another issue is, the Rodgers keyboards were using parallel input, so it would be a major job.

I have done various key contact replacements for older Rodgers organs, and it is a royal pain. Seems that the system was designed to last 20 years with moderate use, and then a service call once or twice a year as the contact fingers would break.

Keyboards, along with pedalboards don't last forever without needing attention. I have had to work on numerous different makes of keyboards and pedalboards because of issues of one sort or another. Part of my job security I guess.

AV

[Hamman]

"Would these keyboards be Herrberger-Brooks keyboards - wood core naturals with plastic tops, and also tracker touch using magnets?"

Arie, I would have no ideal.....they play well and feel good to the touch but I'm kinda surprised at the "cheapness" of the quality. I do know that the material veneer underneath is a different material then on the top of the keys....its more like a thin formica.....but at second look where the veneer is coming off it does appear to be wood base. The tops and "diving board" are all in good shape

[toodles]

The two wooden core keyboards that Rodgers used (to the best of my knowledge) are Herbergerer Brooks (from England) and Laukhuff (from Germany). They also used Pratt Read and LoDuca Brothers metal & plastic keyboards. I think their uses of P-R was limited, though.

You can tell if you have wooden core keyboards by pressing a natural key and looking at the side of the adjacent key--if there is wood underneath the playing surface, the keyboard is wooden-core. If it is plastic, then you have metal & plastic keys.

Total keyboard transplants are possible, and it's easiest if you can replace the entire 2-keyboard assembly, keycheeks, pivots, and all. Then it is just a matter of wiring them, which is easiest if the wiring harnesses are left attached to the new keyboards. I believe on the 850 the keys are wired in parallel (61 wires plus the keying bus wire) rather than having any multiplexing done at the keyboard itself.

If they are wooden core keyboards, then it would be possible to have them reworked. Organ Supply Industries does this, but they don't often talk to any hobbyists--maybe you can catch them on a good day. Klann organ supply might do it, also, and they are friendlier to hobbyists.

[Hamman]

OK the keys do have plastic tops over wood "cores" The tops are just straight "diving" board style and then it looks like they just added some "L" shaped veneer under the front edge of the key. About 25% of those veneer fronts are peeling/curling off. I might just remove the bad ones and paint the exposed wood and dried up glue with white paint.