WUrlitzer 206 in the house!

[RhoooodesMan]

Hello!  I just want to share my latest acquisition.  I just picked up a Wurlitzer 206 last weekend.  She is in need of some lovin'.  The keys are extremely sticky and I get no sound when I turn it on, though the light does light up.  I do plan on chopping this as I don't have space for another console type piano.  I payed $150 for her.  I ordered the new fuse line and the vibrato/aux out mod from VV and also the Key Bushing Tool among other things.  I certainly have my work cut out for me with needing to give the Rhodes a once over and now this. 

I have a '67 Bassman with a 2x12 cabinet that I plan to run the Wurly through.  Though I have been toying with the idea of selling my Leslie 251 to fund a Deluxe Reverb.  What to you fine people think about that?  I have a Leslie 145 also so I won't be without Leslie.  I'm also going to need another place to live because my wife is going to kick me to the curb! haha.

Here's some pics:

[mvanmanen]

Lovely find! It sounds like it will be a really fun project.

I am hopefully checking out a Deluxe Reverb tonight. Last time I played through one, it was a fantastic amp for a wurlitzer. It should be a nice contrast to the Bassman if you are looking for earlier breakup. If it is more for the reverb you could also consider something like a reverbamate (http://vanamps.com/products/reverbamate/). I use one with my Showman and it does the job nicely.

I am going to follow your thread in case you find a solution for the wife issue.

[RhoooodesMan]

We just play in my little basement jam room.  Which is getting more and more crowded for some reason...  I'm not sure if the Bassman will give me the tone at the volume that we'll be playing. I know it'll sound good.   Plus the effects on the Deluxe Reverb.  The biggest drawback is that I already HAVE the Bassman.   I, of course, need to bring the Wurly back to life before any of that stuff even matters though.

I'll have to report back about a solution for my prettier half.  It usually starts with this... This is the LAST one, I PROMISE!

[DocWurly]

If you aren't moving it around to gigs, I wouldn't chop it.  You get that big bass speaker!!!  wow, you got a deal on that, for sure.

[DocWurly]

Read more carefuly....I see it's a space issue and you have an amp solution....

[RhoooodesMan]

I may certainly consider keeping the cabinet part though.  I may have to rearrange some things.   Getting the feet with the casters on it would be pretty nice!  I do like the look of it. 

[Student Rhodes]

I have a 206, and I'm glad I didn't chop it.  It's basically the same footprint if you're going to put legs on it, and the cab definitely sounds better than the speakers.  And you still have an output if you want to run it to a cab, or a mixer/recorder.
If you're not hauling if from place to place, I'd suggest you try to make it work with the cab.  These things have their own mojo that is worth keeping if you can.   I'm thinking of making mine a cooler color.  Red? Green? Gold?  It can be done...

Ray

[RhoooodesMan]

So what all did you do to your 206 then? 

[RhoooodesMan]

How would one go about doing a "convertible" 206.  So I can keep the Wurlitzer on the cabinet, hooked up to it's own speakers, but when it's time to jam I unhook it and put it on top of my A100.  Put the 8 ohm dummy load on the aux out? how would I hook the piano up to the internal speakers?

[cinnanon]

The aux out does not require a dummy load when not I'm use. The amp (speaker) out does. A switching 1/4" jack is used on standard 200 series wurlitzers to switch between the onboard speakers ( which you don't have) and a dummy load. You can wire up the console speakers the same way.

[yorgatron]

does a solid-state amp require a load? I thought that was only tube amps.

[Student Rhodes]

I was thinking the same thing.  I don't think you need a dummy load.  There's a switch on the 206 for turning the speakers off.  You only have to have a load if you're running a tube amp, which you're not.

[cinnanon]

I am no electronics expert by any means. You are correct that there is a speaker shutoff switch in the 206's, but if you open that switchbox up, you'll find an 8 ohm 5 watt dummy load in there.

[cinnanon]

From the yahoo ep-forum

"I have a model 214 which is the 200 amp pcb.  I have removed the speakers from the unit and without a dummy load, or speaker load, R14 200 ohm 5w connected to the output 8 gets really hot.  It will smoke if left on for a min or so.  It has output from the aux output."

There may be something wrong with his amp too.

[K-man]

Nice thing, congrats - You are WuuurliMan now

[RhoooodesMan]

I may not be thinking about this correctly.  So if I make it a "convertible"  will it be hooked up differently to the console on which it will sit than from when I hook it up to say the Bassman?  I'm assuming yes, but I'm not sure.  Sorry for the noob question. 

[cinnanon]

Yes that's correct (or at least the way I would do it).  I'd use the AUX out for the bassman. That output is irregardless of the console being connected or not.

For the rest of it (amp/speaker out) I'd wire up another 1/4" jack (a switching jack this time). When the keyboard is sans console, the switching jack will be shorted to an 8-ohm 5 watt resistor (already is one in the console somewhere). Then, when you plug the console speakers in via that mono 1/4" switching jack I mentioned above, the jack will "switch" the load from the resistor to the speakers. Label the 1/4" jacks so you don't mix em up.

The headphones outputs on 200 series are wired up this way. That is why the speakers cutout when you plug headphones in. Same switching jack. The wiring is a little different but the same principle.