The third Custom Shop release draws from The Doors' legendary 1960s stage piano.
Rhodes Music has just unveiled the Golden Brown MK8, the latest instalment in their Custom Shop series, and it’s a love letter to a piece of keyboard history. Inspired by the Rhodes Gold Sparkle Piano Bass that The Doors famously took onstage in the 1960s, this limited-edition release merges that era’s visual magic with contemporary Rhodes engineering.
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The attention to detail is what makes this drop special. With a shimmering Gold Sparkle hood paired with a Chestnut Brown tolex base, the first non-black tolex finish on an MK8, this keyboard immediately stands out. Chrome front panel with black inlays, Harvest Gold dial caps, and individually numbered construction mean each piano feels personal. Hand-built by master builders in England, there’s real craftsmanship baked into every unit.
The MK8 brings its signature 73-note Kluge keyboard (the same keybed you’d find in Steinways), a custom stereo-analogue FX processor loaded with compressor, phaser, chorus, and delay, plus the MK8’s parametric EQ, analogue drive, envelope control, wah, and vari-pan capabilities. Full MIDI integration is available as an optional add-on if you need it.
Each Golden Brown MK8 is made to order, individually numbered, and Rhodes isn’t making them again once the ordering window closes on October 30th. Each one is genuinely unique and won’t be reissued.
Whether you’re after an unmistakable vintage aesthetic or a statement piece that sounds as good as it looks, Golden Brown ticks both boxes. If this speaks to you, head to the Rhodes Custom Shop directly – there’s no messing around with restocks once these are gone.
