The Rhodes piano was invented during WWII by Harold Rhodes in an effort to provide a piano that injured servicemen could practice while in bed. Rhodes entered into a joint venture with Fender in 1959 and the piano was know as the Fender Rhodes for 15 years.

The first Fender-Rhodes product was the Piano Bass in 1959, and no other models were mass-produced until after the CBS takeover of Fender in 1965. Shortly afterwards, the 73-note Fender Rhodes Electric Piano went into production.

The Fender Rhodes' action is quite different from that of a conventional piano. Instead of the keys causing the hammers to strike sets of strings, in a Rhodes piano the hammers strike the tines instead. The result is a unique, fat sound with a bellish attack and good sustain.

In 1987 the Rhodes trademark was acquired by Roland, but they only applied the name to digital pianos, never manufacturing a real electro-mechanical Rhodes piano. Harold Rhodes was reportedly very disappointed with the Roland-Rhodes instruments and bought back the Rhodes name in 1996. Harold Rhodes died in 2000.

Joseph A. Brandstetter acquired the rights to the Rhodes name from the Rhodes family in 2003 and announced plans to introduce new Rhodes piano products in 2007.