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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by pianotuner steveo on Yesterday at 06:24:31 AM »
No problem guys!  James bought the tool from me. I don't have much work now because of the virus, so I have more time to be on here... it's hard to troubleshoot pianos and EPs on the internet and on the phone, but that picture James posted helped a lot.
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by jamessh on June 03, 2020, 11:54:58 PM »
I second that! Thank you so much, Steveo, for the time and thought put into my issues. It was like a tutorial that I hope will benefit others, too.
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by OZDOC on June 03, 2020, 08:03:33 PM »
In case no one else is noticing, great work Steveo. Above and beyond the call of duty.
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by jamessh on June 03, 2020, 11:18:18 AM »
Thanks for the clarification! I commandeered some shims (three!) from other keys (robbing Peter Tork to pay Paul McCartney!) and it helped a lot. It doesn't seem to have discernibly affected the other keys, but I suppose I should replace the shims at some point. And no, the brown felt is the same as the other keys. So I think I'm set for now - I've done as much as I feel comfortable doing with let-off and lost motion, and really appreciate the help doing that. I'm anxious to get it back together and start enjoying it! (Though I'm sure there will be other issues.) Thanks again.
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by pianotuner steveo on June 02, 2020, 05:50:24 AM »
Did someone add anything to the brown felt on the back of the key to make it thicker?
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by pianotuner steveo on June 02, 2020, 05:44:41 AM »
No, ADDING punchings (front pin, under green felt) shallows the dip. The punchings on the balance rail are for leveling keys mostly. (Key height) Dip will be affected by changing balance rail shims, but the keys should be all level. Those should only be added or subtracted for leveling. Mass leveling is by cardboard shims under the balance rail in the keybed. You usually don't need to touch those unless a previous owner messed with them. Altering the balance rail punchings is not the correct way to change the dip. Set height first, then dip. (You don't always need to change these, but that is the correct order in regulating steps)

Removing front punchings = deeper dip. Too much dip can cause this issue, and can cause hammers blocking against the reeds. You also may need to lower the Letoff capstan (turn towards the keyboard)
When turning the Letoff capstans, just turn a little at a time. It's very easy to turn too far then cause the opposite problem.

And yes, the part hitting is called either the whip or the whippen.
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The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano / Re: Intermittent Suitcase noises/hums
« Last post by stevie keyz on June 02, 2020, 12:35:46 AM »
is your synth on top of the rhodes? maybe it is an electromagnetic interference and could be fixed with some shielding. not sure just a thought
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Newbie Questions!
« Last post by jamessh on June 01, 2020, 10:54:13 PM »
According to the manual, you would shallow the dip by removing any shims on the balance rail pin - is that right? The only thing on it is one felt ring - no shims; but if I take out, it no longer reaches as high, but obviously something is needed there. Would just a thinner piece of felt help?
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Re: Where to start on this chopped 203
« Last post by pianotuner steveo on June 01, 2020, 09:02:09 PM »
If you really don't know what you are doing, I recommend downloading the service manual and have a pro look at it.  There are shock hazards inside a Wurlitzer. The reed bar is powered with about 150vdc for one thing. A common cause of distortion in these are the fuses that are soldered onto the board being blown, but it sounds like you have other issues too.
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The Wurlitzer Electric Piano / Where to start on this chopped 203
« Last post by oranginafiend on June 01, 2020, 08:21:01 PM »
Hi all,

I picked up a chopped 203 today at the local music store for only $400. Pretty happy about it all around. Problem is that it's definitely got some electrical issues and my electrical knowledge consists of being able to wire a basic 12v circuit.

It turns on and actually will produce sound through the aftermarket 1/4" jack, so long as the volume is turned all the way up. However it's very distorted.

Looking at the amp, I see two wires from the power transformer that aren't connected to the circuit board, and I also see a green clip on a single capacitor.

My first thought is just to solder the connections from the power transformer and give it a whirl, but as stated, I have no real electrical knowledge and don't know how to do this without possibly shocking myself. That's my biggest worry. I'm a huge DIY guy and I can figure most anything out, but for most things I get a lot of chances to fail and redo and learn from my mistakes. Won't be a whole lot of learning if I get shocked to death the first time I try lol.

Any ideas on what the best course of action is? Do I need to read electronics 101 before I start working on this thing? Or is it relatively safe?

https://streamable.com/8ckr2f
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