Greetings from South Africa!
My friend brought me his newly acquired Wurly (from a storeroom at a university called Wits).
The only problem he had with it (after dealing with the electrics) was that the keys moved down when the sustain pedal was depressed and they couldn't be played. That was an easy fix - lubrication of all moving action parts
Something about this Wurly:
Model 206. Serial 69893L.
Then the confusing part, because www.drwurli.com and www.drwurly.com, but maybe I misunderstood the model production dates
:
Action date 15 November 1982 (21115299).
Keys date 10 November 1982 (21110088).
Roughly 11 months older than me
I felt some irregularities in the touch (key level, dip, lost motion, let-off and every other annoying mechanical grrr), which I told him about. My friend said he would like me try improve these things so that he doesn't have to worry about this later on down the road. He plays jazz.
Looking through the manual I found via Vintage Vibe:
I tried to regulate one key - the highest key (in a random place on the right, not in the middle as expected), that had no paper punchings under the foam punching. It led me down a rather frustrating rabbit hole.
I have since undone my changes, tried other keys and reverted those changes too.
The keys are all randomly balanced. One thing leads to another illogical result even after several passes, including leaving factory set mechanics alone.
And I'm really battling to put my thoughts into words.
(I have spent a few hours typing this.)
In a nutshell, I'm frustrated with this Wurly. I wish this were a Rhodes Mark II. I have had better tines with them...
What am I missing?
I'm most worried about the inconsistent lost motion between the keys.
The key leveling annoyed me because the keys would sink down as though there was no weight coming from the whip, but everything is smooth and I'm really suspect about those keys. Do I balance the keys with lead first?
I have tried so many different (undoable) things, but now I don't know how or where to begin. I need help, please.
My friend brought me his newly acquired Wurly (from a storeroom at a university called Wits).
The only problem he had with it (after dealing with the electrics) was that the keys moved down when the sustain pedal was depressed and they couldn't be played. That was an easy fix - lubrication of all moving action parts
Something about this Wurly:
Model 206. Serial 69893L.
Then the confusing part, because www.drwurli.com and www.drwurly.com, but maybe I misunderstood the model production dates
:Action date 15 November 1982 (21115299).
Keys date 10 November 1982 (21110088).
Roughly 11 months older than me
I felt some irregularities in the touch (key level, dip, lost motion, let-off and every other annoying mechanical grrr), which I told him about. My friend said he would like me try improve these things so that he doesn't have to worry about this later on down the road. He plays jazz.
Looking through the manual I found via Vintage Vibe:
- Key level is too high and impossible to make lower;
- Lost motion is either too little or too much;
- Irregular let-off;
- Key dip between 0.314in and 0.433in (8mm - 11mm)
- The reeds are not meant to point up and I can solder a sound cable better than whomever tuned this piano last
- Imperial measurements challenge me on the vernier, so I converted to metric. (My vernier does both.);
- Jack is now a fly;
- Whippen is just a whip.
I tried to regulate one key - the highest key (in a random place on the right, not in the middle as expected), that had no paper punchings under the foam punching. It led me down a rather frustrating rabbit hole.
I have since undone my changes, tried other keys and reverted those changes too.
The keys are all randomly balanced. One thing leads to another illogical result even after several passes, including leaving factory set mechanics alone.
And I'm really battling to put my thoughts into words.
(I have spent a few hours typing this.)
In a nutshell, I'm frustrated with this Wurly. I wish this were a Rhodes Mark II. I have had better tines with them...
What am I missing?
I'm most worried about the inconsistent lost motion between the keys.
The key leveling annoyed me because the keys would sink down as though there was no weight coming from the whip, but everything is smooth and I'm really suspect about those keys. Do I balance the keys with lead first?
I have tried so many different (undoable) things, but now I don't know how or where to begin. I need help, please.