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Messages - pianotuner steveo

#1
The phono Jack is an aux in Jack. It is not meant for a modern turntable with a magnetic cartridge. You need to connect some sort of a direct box or other device to the headphone out Jack. The signal is too 'hot' to connect to an amp, mixing board, etc. VV used to sell an inexpensive passive box for this, not sure if they still do.
#2
RE the headphone Jack: you need to replace that Jack with a stereo Jack and just connect the 2 (+) terminals together, then the sound will come through both sides. Be sure to use a Jack that cuts out the speaker.
#3
It sounds like issues 3 and 4 are related. Probably needs cleaning and lubing with Protek. The balance rail pins is where I would start.
Issue 5 sounds like either that Reed is installed crooked, or something is in there causing the Reed to short. NEVER file the pickup to make the slot wider. It will cause the Reed to be quieter than the rest and it is not reversible!

It sounds like you answered your own questions 1 & 2. A new amp would likely solve that.
#4
It still sounds like a Letoff issue to me. If you press the key slowly, does the hammer rise, then fall without touching the Reed, or does it just rise and stay there? You also may have taken away too much lost motion.
#5
Naphtha works better at removing the glue, and yes, to all reading this, never ever use acetone on any plastic piano parts.
#6
It's best to remove each key, one at a time. I use q tips to wipe it onto the pins if they are a little dirty. I don't put it directly onto the felt bushings unless they are squeaking, and even then, you don't want to add too much.

If pins are clean and it just needs lubing, use a pipette. Just a drop should do in most cases.
#8
I believe they clip on sideways.I'm sure someone else can confirm.
#9
Oops, I misread it, I thought you were asking for tine lengths. Why do you need the bar lengths?  Do those notes sound noticeably different?
#10
Sound only going to one side of the headphones is caused by using stereo headphones in the mono Jack. Either use mono headphones, or replace the mono Jack with a stereo Jack, and be sure to connect the + audio wire to both + terminals.
#11
Crackling noises in Wurlitzers can be caused by dust,dirt, pet hair or condensation on the reeds. Condensation happens when moving a Wurlitzer in cold weather, then turning it on too soon when brought indoors. Don't keep wasting money on parts until you are sure that parts are actually bad. Also, condensation can happen if you clean the reeds with compressed air.

If hammers are letting off too early, use the tool to adjust the capstan that trips the jacks. You will be turning the capstan clockwise (it's upside down, so left to right). Don't go too far or hammers may block against the reeds or even break them when hit hard. You may need to use long, needle nose pliers on the E and F n the middle of the keyboard where the metal braces are.
#12
Keys that have to be hit harder are usually letting off way too early. The Letoff tool is available on eBay. This is the single most common action adjustment needed in Wurlitzers.
#13
The hum in this model is sometimes caused by a worn out volume control.
#14
It was a page in the original service manual
It should be on this site somewhere
#15
There is a trim pot on the amp board, does turning this down lower the distortion?
Are you sure you don't have a bad output transistor?
I'm confused about why you were adding an 8 ohm resistor to the output.

True headphone outs should be about 32 ohms. (on modern equipment)
#16
Possible bad speaker(s). I've seen that happen more than once.
#17
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: 200A Key Reset Issue
January 11, 2023, 07:02:33 AM
Lubricate those trouble jacks first with Protek. Also, if this is happening on the treble end, be sure the hammers are not catching and hanging up on the Reed bar on their way back down. I just saw this problem 2 days ago.
#18
This is somewhat normal, but you might be able to reduce the noise if you gently squeeze the V shaped dampers with a clean pair of needle nose pliers. (Lift the dampers to squeeze)
Damper felts can get hard/crusty with age and kind of pluck the reeds a little.
The pliers usually soften the felts with 1 or 2 squeezes of the pliers, close to the end of the felt that sits on the reeds.
#19
I doubt that the rust will spread, but I need to ask, was there any evidence of mice being inside the piano? (droppings) if so, be careful, and wear gloves and a mask while cleaning. You can always clean the pins with WD40 on a rag, but I would not spray it into the piano for several reasons. Be sure not to get any near the reeds. If you do use wd40, don't leave the pins wet.

If you use a dremel wire wheel, wear a mask even if there is no mouse evidence. You don't want to inhale rust or pieces of wire from the wheel.
#20
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: 200A Key Reset Issue
November 28, 2022, 05:15:47 PM
Letoff. Hammers are letting off waaay too early. Tool is available on eBay. This is very common with Wurlitzers.
#21
The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Damper release bar
November 15, 2022, 05:28:49 PM
Yes, that is loud. Add felt to the parts that hit each other.
#22
You should never sand or file the sides of the reeds, but at least it worked. The reason why you shouldn't do this is that it can weaken the metal,but it is far easier and cheaper to replace a broken Reed than a hard to find pickup that was filed too much. There must have been a solder burr or something on the Reed that was causing it to be too close to the pickup. Glad it worked out.
#23
You may have caused your own problems by removing the "pants" shims. Why do you think dip is excessive? Are hammers blocking against the reeds? Are the fronts of the sharps getting buried under the neighboring white keys when depressed? If not, you shouldn't waste time and money on this step. Deep dip makes the action feel lighter, shallow dip makes it seem heavier. Excessively deep dip can cause hammers to block against the reeds. Excessively shallow dip makes the action feel choked.

 I would not have removed those cardboard "pants" shims. If they were under the front rail, they were for dip, not key height. You removed those shims, now you want to replace them with individual shims on each key.

Again,the BALANCE rail height (and thickness of back rail cloth) affects key height, the FRONT rail height affects the dip.
#24
The only way I know if to tell if the hum is caused by the volume pot is to replace it unfortunately, but I have seen this to be the cause of hum in 2 Wurlitzers over the years. ALWAYS check for simpler solutions first, such as a bad ground somewhere.
#25
Are you positive that the Reed in that slot is not shorting out to the pickup? You will see small sparks if it is. Try cleaning out the slot first. If that doesn't work, very carefully filing the side of the pickup (NOT the Reed) should solve the problem, but like you said, is not reversible without a spare pickup. This must be done with power disconnected, and just a tiny bit of filing at a time. Use a small metal file. Be sure none of the aluminum dust shorts out other pickups. This is a tedious job, but is possible. You have to remove Reed,file, install Reed and check, lather, rinse repeat unless you are lucky enough to get it right the first time.

WARNING: as you probably guessed,if you file too much, that Reed will be much quieter than the others...
#26
The front rail shims have nothing to do with key height. They adjust key dip, prevent hammer blocking, and the green felt cuts down on noise.
#27
Yes, that is the best method.
#28

Re hum: possible bad ground connection somewhere. Or, a very worn out volume control, but check for bad grounds first.
#29
Simple- if the Reed blob is loose and rattles, a drop of super glue in the crack usually solves the problem.
#30
No, turning them does not change the spacing. They should be adjusted so the flatter sides are on the sides, the rounded are front and back. The balance rail pins can be gently tapped with a screwdriver and a hammer if keys are crooked, or too much space on one side, too close on the other. If front key bushings are very worn, you can try to turn the front pins a little to see if that tightens them up, but I don't really like doing this personally. It's better to replace the worn bushings.
#31
I'm sorry, but I would not waste money on those key spacing tools. You may use common hand tools to achieve the same result, and you do not need to do this often. The main adjustment most Wurlitzers need is the Letoff adjustment. That tool is on eBay also.  It is rare for key height and other adjustments to be far off unless the piano is very worn out, or if someone messed around with it previously and did not know what they were doing.

Crooked keys can be adjusted by gently tapping the balance rail pin with a flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Oblong front rail pins may be turned with needle nose pliers with the key (and its neighbors) removed.

Specific key spacing tools tend to break after using a few times.
#32
It is normal, but you may GENTLY bend the aluminum pickup up that is hanging lower to see if that makes either of those notes louder. (unplug piano first)  If that doesn't help, I would remove the quieter reeds, one at a time, clean the Reed bar with WD40 on a Q-tip, and also clean and dry those reeds with the Q-tip.

Be SURE the piano is unplugged, and just remove and clean one Reed at a time. Be very careful not to install the Reed crooked or it will short against the pickup.

Use a nut driver to remove and reinstall reeds. Do not use pliers, or a power drill with a nut driver bit. It is easy to either chew up or snap the bolt heads off if you use the wrong tool.
#33
I personally have never heard of Avion. Is this a new company?
#34
It sounds like the pickup is too close to the tine to me.(and may possibly need a voicing adjustment- up/down of the tine to pickup) This is an easy test. Just slide the pickup back a little at a time to see if it improves. If you go too far, that note will be too quiet compared to its neighbors. Sometimes it will be obvious visually, comparing this one to its neighbors.
#35
The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: 240V
October 04, 2022, 06:52:35 AM
Adding a higher rated fuse could be very bad if there is a short inside. I would try what Tines & Reeds suggested first. If it blows right away, there is a problem, most likely in the power section. A reputable repair shop is recommended for repair if there is a problem, but it can be very expensive and you may need to help them to get a schematic from this website, unless they have experience with this model.
#36
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Model 206 questions
October 04, 2022, 06:38:14 AM
Yes, I agree. If you make action adjustments out of order, you can go around in circles trying to correct problems. Also, I'm not 100% sure, but solder blobs may have been turned to pointing up after your model was made, but I think pointing up is the way to go for slightly easier tuning.
#37
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Model 206 questions
September 17, 2022, 08:50:47 AM
Why do you think the solder on the reeds needs to point down? Only the earlier models were like that.
#38
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Model 206 questions
September 17, 2022, 08:49:23 AM
Are you talking about lost motion in the backs of the keys or the jacks? Tiny bit should be at the tops of the jacks (nobody calls Jacks "flys" anymore), but not the keys to the whips.

If the backs of the keys are not touching the bottoms of the whips at rest, the capstans on the bottom of the whips need to be lowered to touch the keys. Also- letoff adjustment is the #1 action issue I see in Wurlitzers. The same tool adjusts both of those capstans, available on eBay. Do not worry about key height unless the fronts of the white keys get buried below the front of the case, or if the front of the sharps get buried below the neighboring white keys.
#39
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Model 206 questions
September 12, 2022, 04:36:23 PM
Just like any acoustic piano, there should be a tiny amount of lost motion in a Wurli
#40
Adjusting dampers is very challenging in any piano. We piano techs call them the damn-pers....
#41
Your pickup voltage should be closer to 150vdc.
You may have some reeds shorted across their pickups. Or blown fuses.
#42
Is the DIN Jack above the word input there? In the photo it looks like it is missing.
#43
Although the Rhodes dip was originally changed by changing the thickness of the back rail cloth, you can make it shallower by adding paper shims under the front rail felts, just like in acoustic pianos. (Vandaking.com) If you make the dip too shallow, it will make the action feel heavier/harder to play. I personally like 7/16" key dip.
These shims come in different thicknesses, the color of the shim indicates the different thicknesses, I would recommend buy green or pink shims if you are new to doing this. If I remember correctly, pink is thicker than green. It may take a few shims per key. Make sure the fronts of the black keys do not get buried below the white keys when the black keys are depressed and the white keys are not depressed,
#44
You do it the same way as an acoustic piano. You need cauls to hold the felt in until the glue dries. Or, at the very least, the spring clamps made for this. Trim the felt after the glue dries, not before.
#45
1. No

2. No

3. Maybe, but probably not
#46
Teflon bushings in acoustic pianos ended up being a nightmare.
Not recommended.
#47
The Wurlitzer Reed bar can not operate with the 150vdc. It cannot be made passive.
#48
IMHO, I know the shape is supposed to affect the tone a bit, but lack of sustain could be related to how/where the Reed mounts to the Reed bar. The washers are concave, and the hump side goes up. Also, cleaning around the mounting holes and the end of the Reed with a light oil sometimes helps. Dirt/corrosion here affects the sustain.

Also, the 270 isn't known for having great "bark"
The non A 200s allegedly have the best "bark"
#49
Is the pickup itself not working and be amplified by the F's pickup?

Does the E tine have the correct tuning springs on it?
#50
I use TuneLab every day to tune acoustic pianos. I have tried it with a Rhodes, and didn't care for the results. I use a Korg chromatic tuner for tuning a Rhodes, and adjust the bass and treble to suit my ears. I do stretch the treble a little so that the notes don't sound flat.

My 2 cents. No pun intended. Lol