Nord User Forum

New to this venue. Please bear with me. What Nord (or any other brand) product has WEIGHTED (or Semi-) 5 1/2 inch (white) keys and 3 1/4 inch (black) keys like a Fender Rhodes Electric Piano. [I have a 1973, Fender Rhodes Seventy-Three "Stage" model electric piano and those (above) are the correct depth measurements of the keybed; All "weighted" and "hammer action" keyboards I have come across have the standard 6 inch white keys, and 3 3/4 to 4 inch black keys] My hands "prefer" the shorter depth keybed (like plastic synths have) BUT with weighted keys, like my Fender-Rhodes. Help, please.

richclark60 wrote:What Nord (or any other brand) product has WEIGHTED (or Semi-) 5 1/2 inch (white) keys and 3 1/4 inch (black) keys

I've never seen any weighted (hammer action) board that didn't have full (6") piano-sized keys. Yes, you can get semis, but semis are just unweighteds with some weight attached, and don't feel anything like a hammer action board. But if you want to check into some smaller-than-6" semis that I think are still above average in piano-playability, I'd look at the Vox Continental and the Kurzweil PC4-7 (and presumably the SP6-7, though I haven't played that one). For pianos, I prefer them over Nord's semi-weighteds (like Electro 6D), largely because they don't push back as much, but they're closer to that Nord action than they are to a hammer action board (like any Nord 88).

Are you talking about the end-to-pivot length, or how much of the key is visible?

Are you sure either of these will be relevant if the key weight, resistance and release characteristics are not like a Fender Rhodes?

Elias wrote:Are you talking about the end-to-pivot length, or how much of the key is visible?

Are you sure either of these will be relevant if the key weight, resistance and release characteristics are not like a Fender Rhodes?

Yes. Visible. My Hammond (aka "waterfall") length is even less (5 1/4" White ; 3 1/8" Black)
Good point! I'm just hoping to get as "close as possible" to the Fender Rhodes feel. All the 6"-ers I've tried just feel way to heavy in comparison.

anotherscott wrote:

richclark60 wrote:What Nord (or any other brand) product has WEIGHTED (or Semi-) 5 1/2 inch (white) keys and 3 1/4 inch (black) keys

I've never seen any weighted (hammer action) board that didn't have full (6") piano-sized keys. Yes, you can get semis, but semis are just unweighteds with some weight attached, and don't feel anything like a hammer action board. But if you want to check into some smaller-than-6" semis that I think are still above average in piano-playability, I'd look at the Vox Continental and the Kurzweil PC4-7 (and presumably the SP6-7, though I haven't played that one). For pianos, I prefer them over Nord's semi-weighteds (like Electro 6D), largely because they don't push back as much, but they're closer to that Nord action than they are to a hammer action board (like any Nord 88).

OK. Thanks much.

richclark60 wrote:Yes. Visible.

Ok. The only way that the visible part length would matter is if your fingers are touching the panel that extends partly over the keys when you play. I have a hard time believing this. To emphasise the point I made earlier: This will be completely irrelevant if the key (and action) weight is at all different, or if the entire key (end to pivot) is not the same length. If the action is otherwise identical and you close your eyes, you will not notice the extra 1/2" of plastic that is not hidden under a metal panel.