Buying a 203 - question.

[Europanaut]

Hey all!

I've been offered a 203 for a reasonable price, and it looks and sounds great. With one exception. A single key doesn't make any sound. According to the seller, the key worked until recently, and the tine is not broken. He is not a heavy player, and the Wurli rarely gets any use. I'm not is the tine plays "acoustically", but I'll be attempting to find this out today.

So my question is....how should I go about diagnosing this? What are the common causes of a key just "not making a sound"?

Thanks!

[Abraham]

Probably the hammer doesnt reach the reed or else it doesn't go back fast enough not allowing the reed to vibrate, because of bad lubrication. May the screw in the back got loose enough for the damper not lifting... reasons my vary but thats a mechanical issue for sure, it won't be hard nor expensive to fix so if it's worth the price go ahead and buy it!!

Notice the whole harp frame is a big pickup, so there couldn't be any electrical reason for a single key not being amplified

[Alan Lenhoff]

It could be a broken hammer tip, or another broken action part (if you can't hear/feel the reed actually being struck). Those would be cheap, easy fixes.  (Pianotuner Steveo, a list member, or any of the vintage keys tech stores, would probably have those parts.)  The owner might not have inspected the tine, either. If it is broken, it's easily replaced, too.

There are other possibilities, too.  But, in any event, this sounds like a minor issue. If this is an otherwise nice piano at a good price, you might want to grab it before it's gone.

[Max Brink]

More than likely, it is something with the mechanics of the hammer or whip assembly. With a little intuition, you should be able to locate the problem yourself once you take it apart. Once you do, if you can post a better description of the issue I'm sure you'll find plenty of help from this community.

My bet would be that the hammer is coming too close to the harp bar and getting caught before striking the reed. Usually this could be remedied by adjusting the left/right of the hammer (if it is getting caught by some of the supports that drop between the hammers), or by shimming the supports, or filing down the front of the hammer arm so that it is no longer being caught (if it is getting caught on the front of the reed bar).

MB

[Europanaut]

Thanks for the help guys.

I pulled the trigger on the purchase, and piano should be here be the end of the month. I'll check the offending key, and report back with some results.

[Europanaut]

Hi!

Well the Wurlitzer arrived today. Quite nice. Good shape, not cheap, but in my opinion a reasonable price.

The second "C" from the left doesn't play fully, but you can faintly hear it. I'm optimistic about that.

The more annoying thing is the electrical noises that accompany the use of the sustain pedal. When I press the pedal, all seems well, but upon release, all kinds of interesting squealing sounds emerge enthusiastically from the speakers. There is also a bit of hum at all times. Sort of a single coil pickup noise, similar to a strat or tele.

Any suggestions for this otherwise very nice sounding Wurli?

Thanks!

[pianotuner steveo]

As far as the faint C note goes, it sounds like it is letting off too early.

I normally sell the let off tool on ebay but am recovering from major surgery, so I had to suspend my auctions.( I cant drive to the post office)

Squealing noises can be dust/dirt/pet hair on the reed bar. It can also be caused by condensation.

Try blowing the reeds off with air and see if thatvchanges it. ( Compressed air in a can can temporarily cause condensation, so it could get worse for a minute)

If these tricks dont help, it may be caps or a bad solder joint on the amp board.

[Europanaut]

Thanks!

I'll try the easy stuff today.

The seller said that everything worked perfectly before the move, and I believe him. It had an overnight stay in a very cold van, in a humid environment, so condensation is a likely problem.

Are the reeds accessed through the rear of the 203? I've never owned this "console" model of Wurli before.