Messages

Hi .-)

If you are located in Germany, feel free to give me a call, maybe i can help with parts etc...

05722-81471

regards, Jenzz

Hi .-)

There is one of the crossbars between G and G# in the aluminum reedframe, so maybe the hammer is touching the crossbar?

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Shielding the Clavinets PCB will not solve the problem. The main issue is that the 2 clavinet pickups are sitting above the Wulys transformer when in place. The magnetic field of the transformer will be picked up by the PUs, causing hum. A late D6 has a metal shield plate at the bottom where the pickups are, but in this case that will not help that much.

Try to experiment with different positions or distance of the clavinet on top. In the end, the only way to get totally rid of hum will be to place the transformer outside of the piano...

Jenzz

Hi + welcome ;-)

A VV Piano is a kind of 'alternative', but not a 1:1 Rhodes replacement. There are lots of small differences in materials, parts design etc. which make the VVs sound like an own kind of mechanical E-Piano (very Rhodes-like, indeed).

In fact, the 'bark' is some kind of mechanical generated distoriton (esp. in the low end), so an EQ or drive pedal will only give approximate results...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Yes, you should see roundabout 170 - 180 ohms...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

You MUST solder the wire to the posts. The wire has a thin laquer coat (otherwise, the coil will be a complete 'short-circuit'), which you have to melt / tin before soldering.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

This the typical sound of hardened grommets + and a slightly off-set striking line or too hard hammertip. Move the harp back and forth, there will be a point were the 'zing' will reduce to an acceptable level...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Sounds to me that this note / tine is missing its tuning spring...?

Jenzz

Gresco GuitarWorks Rhodie Preamp



Jenzz

Hi .-)

The above mentioned schematic was done by me many years ago. It was taken from what i found in an original PianoBass.

Keep in mind, that in addition to the high frequency roll-off, the caps form a resonant circuit together with the pickups inductance, because if you dial the tone pot, the caps get more or less parallel to the pickups.

The fix 100nF cap together with the pickups (2,24H) forms a somewhat flat curved resonant circuit at roundabout 330Hz,.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Maybe you can restore the legs using the Cola / Alu-foil method (it really works!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz2g-yGyIOc

Jenzz

Hi :-)

I just wanted to mention that there is a 3rd version of how the PCB and rocker switches are mounted.... On this Version, the PCB and switches are mounted on a metal bracket that is screwed into the metal harp:



Jenzz

Hi all :-)

Since i have a 201 in for service (the 300 uses the same PCB), i will take some pics of the PCB tomorrow...

....stay tuned ...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

This is from '83, but you can see a typical Reggae keyboard setup from the past here:

Rhodes + Organ

Cp-70 + Clavinet + Prophet on top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_n0ODIBxS4


Regarding Wya, i think he often uses an auto-wah on the clav (played with its damper bar down!) to get more 'clank':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkndVzfOeRc


I have a tape cassette of 'In crowd' where the keyboards are organ, wurly and Solina string, so i think they use what fits in their style and what was available...

In the 'younger' days, i often saw Reggae keyborders using the piano sound of the Korg M1.


regrads, Jens :-)

Hi .-)

The 'noise' you mention is only a small matter of components... Do you have your sustain bar grounded? To me, this is the most important thing to do on any Rhodes, since any static of RF noise is coupled via the sustain bar into the the pickup colis, esp. in the lower keyboard range, because bar and pickups are pretty close there.

The 10K / 10K / 1uF circuit was just a treble roll-off design, it doesn't affect the bass. It indeed affects the overall volume if you turn up full, since the 1uF cap cuts out too much treble.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Here's what i'm running in the effetcs loop of my VV 64:


Boss BluesDriver: Not as an overdrive, but as a clean / solo boost and making the signal a bit more cutting and 'gritty' when on.

George Dennis GD-30 Wah: Optical wah which sounds not so 'peaking', noisy and bass-cutting than a CryBaby, but no so bland than a Morley.

Mutron Phasor 2: Simply a good sounding phaser with a different edge than SmallStone or Phase 90 (which i like, too!)


Jenzz

Hi .-)

The first 24 pickups on a 88 are wired in groups of 2. Then up to pickup 75, the wiring follows the regular 3-in-a-group scheme.

The last 13 pickups are wired:
1 Group of 3
3 Groups of 2
4 single pickups wired according to the 'back and forth'-scheme.

The 4n7 cap forms a high-pass to eliminate low frequency 'thumps' when the hammer strikes the tine.

Note that the last 13 pickups + high-pass are in parallel to the rest of the pickups, which forms a very complex inductive / capacitive circuit. This is part of the 'special' 88 Sound.


PS: Allways check the 4n7 cap to be REALLY a 4n7 cap. In the past, we had three 88 pianos with a 47n (!) installed right from the factory ! This will change to sound dramatically to a very dull, muffled Sound.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

88s are wired different on the last octave. Here's a schematic:

http://www.tasteundtechnik.de/bilder/88puschema.jpg

The last 12 pickups are connected via a condenser (the small part on the far right side of the harp) which forms a high-pass filter.


Jenzz

Hi .-)

The piano will work even without this wire. The wire doubles the connection that is already established by the aluminum tape that connetcs all pickup mounting brackets to ground.

The bare wire is used to connect the damper bar to ground, thus eliminating hum and buzz. If the damper bar is not grounded, capacitive coupling into the damper arms will induct hum and buzz to the pickups. Remember, the damper arms are going under the pickup coils, esp. in the upper ranges.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Looking at several Sidekick schematics, it's possible that it's the input stage of the amp that distorts. The volume pot works as a gain adjustment for the Input stage, so the pot doesn't affect the signal itself. If the input level gets to high, distortion will occur no matter how low the pot is turned.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

If your pickups are adjusted for a hot output (close to the PUs), distortion beginning at around 7 on the scale could be normal, due to the internal gain structure of the preamp. The Input stage has a gain of 22, the output stages add an additional gain of 2,2. Assuming an average harp output of 0,5Vpp on hard strikes, the output voltage of the pramp will be at around 25Vpp !

If you additionally increase the treble or bass, this voltage will increase rapidly, so distortion will occur.

Does the Avion supply +/-15V or maybe +/-12V? Did you check that?  If the preamps runs on +/-12V, ist pretty clear that distortion will appear earlier because of the lower headroom....

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Ist all in the text.... He's just doing what an audio-experienced tech should do to every Wurly. He just used quality parts at the important spots and did a clear re-wiring of power and audio cables.

No rocket sience... ;-)

Jenzz

Hi .-)

EMC is the official VV distributor in EU:

http://www.emc-de.com/


Jenzz

Hi .-)

Since i have a Pianet T actually on the bench, i took some measures.

Input DC resistance is 38 R
Output DC resistance is 2,57 k

Seems to be a 5:1 transformer that is used 'backwards'... When i feed 400Hz / 100mVpp into primary, i get roundabout 580mVpp on secondary (into a 1 Meg load...)

hope this helps bit...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

The 300 is a model that was build by Wurlitzer Germany (Hüllhorst is just around the corner from me, between Hannover and Bielefeld) for europe only. I think is was made to compete with the electric 'Home'-pianos like the Hohner Electra.

The innards and circuit are the same as the EP201, a EU-Version of the original 200. The amp is close to the 200 schematic, but has some additional things like a trimpot for adjusting tremolo Speed and two trimmers for power amp bias.

Until last year, they were building and servicing Wurlitzer musicboxes at Hüllhorst, but they are closed now and the wisdom about Wurlitzer pianos is long gone there...

Here's a pic of the factory in Hüllhorst....




regards, Jens

I prefer the Mutron 2, but i know what you mean... Phasing is an effect that works pretty well with Rhodes...

Steely Dan - Babylon Sisters Live
Bill Withers - Just the two of us
Billy Joel - Just the way you are


Jenzz .-)

Hi .-)

Seems that the connetor on the cabinet has been replaced. This is not original. The connector is a japanese microphone connector which is normally used for Mic connection on amateur radio etc...

https://www.pmr-funkgeraete.de/Funkgeraete/Stecker-Adapter/Mikrofon-Stecker:::48_69_160.html

Sorry, i only found a german site ad hoc....

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Check this out:

http://www.hohner-pianet.com/hohner_pianet/

...but ii is in german....

The effect inside the Pianet M is a Chorus based on the TDA1022 chip...



Jenzz

The move isn't permanent so the transformer is probably the way to go.  Do you know how many watts the 200A pulls?  Wondering if something like this is sufficient: http://a.co/imAiwOR
Thank you both!

This thing is rated 200 Watts which is more than enough... A 200A ist rated 55W max.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Switzerland has 230 V, so you will need a step-down converter, or have to replace the transformer.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

The problem is that the jack trips without touching the adjusment screw before. I have seen this on many Wurlitzers. In some cases, the jack spring was not tight enough, but in most cases, the felt at the hammer butt became fluffed, getting to big and then actuating the the jack.

Jenzz

Btw, did you check the two 4A fuses located near the speaker connectors on the amp chassis?

Jenzz

Hi .-)

What about the headphone connector? Are both channels working? If so, check the headphone socket. Remind that this socket is a switching socket which cuts off the speakers when a headphone is plugged. The switches inside the socket are always prone to corrosion, so check These...

Jenzz

"thumbs up" 

p.s.: regarding your Avatar: Is this the 'PianoArc' keyboard?

Jenzz

Hi .-)

In most cases. this is caused by broken pickup housings, so the magnets and coils come loose and therefore respond to case vibration.

Look out for cracks on the pickups mounting wings... It can be fixed in most cases by glueing...

Jens

Yes, this values are ok....

Jens

Hi .-)

Seems a matter of string placement / pickup alignment... There are six magnets in each pickup. Be sure that:

Every magnet detects 10 strings. Avoid a string going over the gab between the magnets, it will be significant lower in volume.

Be sure that the gaps of the upper and lower pickup are aligned to each other. This can be done by loosening the pickups mounting screws. Otherwise, you will get the effect that you are describing....

regards, Jens .-)

Here is what i use:

In the Workshop:

http://www.tuning-set.de/Prospekt5C_D.html


On Location:

http://www.turbo-tuner.com/


Jenzz

What about a Hohner Pianet T?

The only drawback might be that it has no sustain pedal...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Don't care about exact 0V on T9, the more important thing is to have the proper voltage accross R 37 / 38. I allways set this  to 5-10 mV. The annoying thing about the PCB design is that T9 should be attached to directly to the heatsink for optimum thermal coupling, since it works somewhat as a 'temperature sensor' and therefore regulates the bias / idle current.

So, with T9 in its original Position, bias current is very sensitive due to T9's actual temperature. After soldering anything around T9's area, allow 5 minutes to cool down before measuring, and re-adjust.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

On a distorted but otherwise playing 200A, ALLWAYS check the 2 fuses on the amp board. Due to the fact that these are soldered into the PCB and their somewhat obscure design, the inner fusing wire gets stressed over the years (warm up and cool down every time you Play) and fails / breaks, even when there was no 'electrical' incident.

So, before doing anything further, check these 2 fuses.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Audio path: 2x 4558
Tremolo LFO: 1x 1458

Jenzz

Look at this vid from Chris at VV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MozJadTEcsY&t=261s

It shows the importance of having consistend magnet pole direction throughout the pickup rail...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Anyone experienced using the VV ClaviGel strips on a Clavinet D6 with whammy bar? My thought is that the strings probably may stick / 'glue' on the gel strips, so the strings won't move free when the whammy stick is operated... With yarn, the strings will move free...

Any thoughts on this?

regards, Jenzz .-)

Hi .-)

These 3 are the filter caps for the pickup's voltage supply, so these are not that critical and normally don't have to be replaced.

But due to their mechanical size (and vibration inside the piano), their solder joints are often prone to breakage. So be shure to resolder all joints of these 3 caps.


Jenzz

Hi .-)
This is normal due to the 100nF (Part 18) cap at the power amp Input. With the 3k volume pot, this forms a low pass. I.e., if you turn the volume half way up (1,5k), this forms a low pass at roundabout 1kHz. The more you turn the volume up, the more treble you get....

Jenzz

Hi .-)

First, the 3rd part from the right (which has the thread that goes into the pianos leg flange) has to be fixed to the leg tube (welded or hard-soldered) on the non threaded side.

Put the inner leg into the outer tube with the rubber end-stop facing into the tube...

Now comes the tricky part: Put the 3 1/3 ring pieces around the innter leg while the conicle outside surface of these 3 pieces set into the rim of the outer tube. For securing, the O-Ring must be placed on top of the  3 1/3 rings. Please note that this part only fits in one direction. On the inner side, there is a plain and a conical end. The conical end should go towards the 3 1/3 rings. If all 4 pieces are propper in place, the inner leg should be centered inside the outer tube.
To secure these, put the knurled sleeve over the inner leg and screw onto the outer tube...

Jenzz

The big difference will be the signal flow. With the original clarifier, the harp Signal is fed directly into the circuit without the loading caused by the volume and bass boost circuit.

If using the sonic stomp pedal, you will have the volume and bass boost circuit in the signal chain, which causes a little loss of treble and tone clarity.

Jenzz

Hi .-)

You should try the BBE Sonic Stomp pedal... Ths circuit is pretty much the same and uses the same custom BBE chip...

http://www.bbesound.com/products/stomp-boxes/Sonic-Stomp_SS-92.aspx

..or get the BBE chip elsewhere and build your own, see clarifier schematics in attachment...


Jenzz

Maybe ask him yourself?

https://zachariasorgel.wordpress.com/das-clavinet/

There, you can find his mail address.... But i think you have to write in german ,-)



Another cool site dedicated to Ernst Zacharias:

http://www.hohner-pianet.com/hohner_pianet/

...contains some schematics and tech drawings...



regards, Jenzz