RMI Electra-Piano 368x

RMI Electra Piano

Model 368x

By Rocky Mountain Instruments

As used by:

Dr John on “right place wrong time”

Professor Longhair

Allen Toussaint

Keith Emerson

Genesis

Sly Stone

Leon Russell

A classic keyboard in good used condition. Great alternative to the more obvious and somewhat overused hohner clavinet, Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos.

Introduced in 1974, this model was identical to the 368 with the exception that the unit was manufactured in a hard shell plastic case. Two colors were available, black or brown. This model was the last mass production model in this series. The retail cost of the instrument was $1195.

More about the keyboard:

The RMI Electrapiano from US manufacturer, Rocky Mount Instruments, was a popular electric piano/harpsichord in certain musical genres of the '70s.

To be accurate, the Electrapiano was actually an electronic piano - whereas other electric pianos at the time were electro-magnetic using tines hit by hammers that were amplified using pickups, the Electrapiano's sound was generated electronically.

It is thoroughly unrealistic and sounds very little like a real piano (or even an electric piano!) but it is a pleasant and distinctive sound nonetheless sounding somewhere between a harpsichord and a guitar... being charitable, let's just say that it has a piano or harpsichord 'quality'!

Despite its aspirations to be a portable piano, the Electrapiano was not - unbelievably - touch sensitive! This was to come much later at the end of its life and even then, the velocity sensitive model was only available to order before the product was completely discontinued.

The Electrapiano featured piano, harpsichord and lute and had a curious 'organ' mode which modified the envelope for more sustained sounds and these were generated electronically with impressive internals...

The Electrapiano was very popular with many prog-rock bands of the '70s. Probably the most famous user was Tony Banks of Genesis and you can hear it in abundance on many of their albums most notably, perhaps, in 'The Carpet Crawlers' from their album 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' where it provides a rapidly arpeggiated backdrop throughout the whole song (in those pre-sequencer days, his fingers must have ached when they performed that one live!). He was also known to put it through a fuzz box when duetting and trading guitar licks with the band's guitarist, Steve Hackett. Other prog users include Rick Wakeman, Dave Greenslade, Gryphon and others all of whom (presumably) appreciated it for the sound it makes rather than as a substitute for a real piano.

However, prog was not the sole province of the RMI Electrapiano and it has also been played by Sparks, John Lennon, Wings, Steve Wonder, Ray Manzarek, Chick Corea, Dr John, Keith Jarret, Leon Russell and John Lord (who had his RMI custom built into his Hammond B3).