Rhodes Announces Custom Shop MK8 ‘Glacial’ and ‘Monolith’ Pianos
Two limited-edition designs inspired by winter landscapes and architectural minimalism
Leeds, United Kingdom, December 9, 2025 — Rhodes Music announces two new Custom Shop MK8 pianos, ‘Glacial’ and ‘Monolith’, releasing simultaneously. Each model is hand-built in Leeds by Rhodes Master Builders and shaped by a distinct visual influence. Glacial takes direction from winter landscapes, while Monolith reflects the material character of brutalist architecture. Both pianos are built to order and will not be reissued once the order window closes on January 9, 2025.
Custom Shop Glacial
The MK8 ‘Glacial’ is shaped by the quiet intensity of winter and the clarity of frozen landscapes. Its design centers on a hand-engraved transparent hood etched with a frost motif that recalls early-morning ice fractals, refracting light across the Arctic White harp beneath. This visual language extends across the Arctic White front panel, cheekblocks, tolex base, and matching sustain pedal, creating a sculptural silhouette. Subtle accents of Frostline Blue in the inlays, dial caps, and logo plates complete a palette inspired by the stark, reflective tones of cold-weather environments, pairing the MK8’s familiar sonic warmth with a design engineered to look as crisp as its name.
Key Features
- Hand-engraved transparent hood with frost motif
- Arctic White harp, front panel, cheekblocks, and tolex base
- Arctic White sustain pedal with matching footplate
- Frostline Blue inlays and dial caps
- Silver-on-Frostline Blue logo plates
- 73-note precision-manufactured Kluge keyboard
- Rhodes stereo-analogue FX: compressor, phaser, chorus, delay (true bypass)
- MK8 analogue preamp with EQ, drive, envelope control, wah, and vari-pan
Custom Shop Monolith
The MK8 ‘Monolith’ draws inspiration from brutalist architecture, focusing on materiality, form, and structural clarity. A hand-painted, distressed concrete-effect hood anchors the design, with tonal variations that mirror weathered stone and poured concrete. This textural language continues across the concrete-effect base and cheekblocks, giving the piano the appearance of a single cast form. Grey Stone-effect finishes on the front panel, cross braces, and hood strip reinforce the industrial aesthetic, while Machined Silver inlays and slate dial caps add subtle contrast. A matching stone-coated sustain pedal and footplate complete the unified identity, presenting the expressive sound of the MK8 in a design shaped by architectural minimalism and exposed materials.
Key Features
- Hand-painted, distressed concrete-effect hood
- Concrete-effect base and cheekblocks
- Grey Stone-effect front panel, cross braces, and hood strip
- Grey Stone-effect sustain pedal and footplate
- Machined Silver inlays and slate dial caps
- Slate-on-Machined Silver logo plates
- 73-note precision-manufactured Kluge keyboard
- Rhodes stereo-analogue FX: compressor, phaser, chorus, delay (true bypass)
- MK8 analogue preamp with EQ, drive, envelope control, wah, and vari-pan
Availability
The MK8 ‘Glacial’ and MK8 ‘Monolith’ are available exclusively through the Rhodes Custom Shop from December 9 until January 9, 2025. Each piano is built to order and will not be reissued once the window closes.
Pricing
Glacial
£12,295 GBP (+ VAT)
€14,345 EUR (+ local taxes)
$16,395 USD
Monolith
£11,995 GBP (+ VAT)
€13,995 EUR (+ local taxes)
$15,995 USD
Both models are available with or without MIDI, with MIDI offered as an additional £1299. Customers may secure their order with a 20% deposit or receive a complimentary Rhodes stand when paying in full.
To learn more, please visit https://rhodesmusic.com/rhodes-custom-shop/
About Rhodes
For Rhodes loyalists around the world, this is a new chapter in Rhodes' history, not a new book. With the Rhodes MK8, we’re returning to the principles, aesthetic, craftsmanship, and pride of Harold Rhodes’ originals. We’re paying homage to the past with our gaze fixed firmly on what lies ahead.
Hunter Williams
