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WIP - Wurlitzer 112 In Progress

Started by Jezza, November 17, 2012, 12:18:59 AM

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Jezza

A good friend of mine gave me a 1955 Wurlitzer 112. '55 was the first year Wurlitzer was making electric pianos, so it's a super cool relic in rare near-mint cosmetic condition.  However, while it was not abused it was severely neglected. I got what I paid for - 75lbs of unusable instrument so old nobody knows how to fix it or find parts. It was an unplayable disaster that only amplified the sound of the power in the walls. And so began my restoration journey...

Since the people on this board are far more likely to be interested in these than anybody I know I thought I'd post photos in this thread and eventually audio of a kick-ass fully restored 1995 Wurlitzer 112.  It will be a warning to some and an encouragement to others.

This photo is where I started.  Actually, I started like this minus about 15 reeds.  These reeds were only made for a very short while and nobody is re-manufacturing them, so it took a WHILE to find them.  Step 1 was to find the reeds, because without them the rest doesn't matter.  Only after I found the reeds did I begin the restoration.  (It took about a year, but I wasn't trying very hard.)

- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

Step 2 was to get a better image of the schematic.  The manual is available from Vinatage Vibe, but the schematic in that manual is slightly different than the schematic that was inside my Wurli.  This is the tiny schematic scanned so I could print it larger.

- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

My expertise is mechanical, not electrical, so I started by studying the schematic and labeling the components so I was completely clear what was what.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

#3
My amp was only amplifying the sound of the power in the walls, so I replaced the tubes and the power supply caps.  In hindsight the tubes may have been an unnecessary expense because in this case they were practically unused.  I know the Wurli sat in an uninsulated garage for decades and lived through daily thermal cycles, but I don't think that bothers tubes very much.

This is my butler Mr. Winston delivering my first new components.  These replace the big can cap that's not pictured and the big orange one you see in the photo.  They made it so the amp was functional again, although it was still very buzzy.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

Tuning a Wurlitzer is a real hassle.  I put it off for as long as I could, but eventually I had to grit my teeth and do it.  These are tools required, and on this model it's impossible to tune with the reed bar installed in the piano.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

Some of the keys were sluggish so I pulled them all to ease them, straighten and pivot the pins where necessary, vaccuum, etc.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

Since the amp was halfway working I couldn't resist and put it mostly back together just to hear what it sounded like.  This was the first time I heard it play.  It was somewhat usable at this point, but the action was in serious need of regulation, the strike points were abysmal, and the amp was humming like crazy.  Still, it was a cool experiment and worth doing for sure.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

The Wurli came with the pedal, but it was cracked and broken and not working.  This is the very last step of the pedal repair after gluing and painting the enclosure back to it's original state.  The cable was pretty scratchy too, so I lubed the hell out of it.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

My old damper felts were falling apart and were as soft as cotton balls, so I sliced them all off with a razor blade.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

My new damper felts installed and glowing white.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

You know it's a major overhaul when you can't tell the difference between an instrument and a student desk!  I was lubing the action so I also took the opportunity to lube the key pins and vacuum everything out one more time.  Even the most beloved of instruments only look like this about twice a century.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

pianotuner steveo

Those pics are aweome, thanks for that.
The 112 was not the first model, they actually started selling wurlis in 1954, but the early ones are really hard to find such as the 100,110,111

Yours is early enough! Glad to see it being restored instead of being junked.

Just keep in mind that this will not sound exactly like a 200 when you are done, but more like a 120.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Jezza

The thinner and smaller reeds on the early Wurlis give them a unique sound that I like very much.  This one has no tremolo, but it's a very easy effect to add with pedals or plug-ins.  I really look forward to the day that this new toy is finished and ready to play.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

pianotuner steveo

Where did the purple felt on the hammers come from?


1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Jezza

The hammer felt is original.  Is it usually red?
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

AFeastOfFriends

Awesome post and pictures! I almost jumped on a Wuril 111 that popped up, but I missed it by a day. Then it happened to pop up again later, but once again I was just a little bit too late. If I had gotten it, I would've probably played What'd I Say until my neighbors went crazy.

Also, out of curiosity, how hard to move is the 112? I've heard their horrible for gigging, but it doesn't look too unmanagable.

Jezza

It's heavy, but definitely manageable with one person.  Imagine a full size weighted keyboard in a hard case - it's about the same weight.  It's better with wheels but you can pick it up by the handle and carry it down the block if you need to.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

pianotuner steveo

The wooden case wurlitzers with removable legs are in the 75-85 lb range. A 200 without legs is 56 lbs

The hammer felt color is usually white- I think someone added a layer of purple felt unless someone else here knows the 112's better than I do.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Jezza

I was given this Wurli by the original owner who bought it new.  He played it in an amateur band for a few years and after too many reeds broke he put it under his bed for a few decades.  I'm pretty confident that nobody has ever done serious work on this instrument, and it's likely that nobody has ever opened it before me.  One never knows for sure in a 55 year old instrument but everything looked very clean and untouched inside, with just a light layer of dust from all the years and 15 broken reeds scattered around. 

I don't know how he got up to 15 broken reeds before he stopped playing it, but that's a whole different vein of speculation.   ::)
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Fred

The purple hammer tips are original. My 111 has the same tips as Jezza's, and the same finish (also the same finish as the 110). Later 112's and 112a's had a black/white/brown speckle finish. At some point during the 112 run, Wurlitzer switched to green tips as well...
Head Designer of the Vintage Vibe Tine Piano
Collector
Electric Piano Technician in New Haven, Ct.
(203) 824-1528

pianotuner steveo

Thanks Fred. I have never worked on any model prior to the 120 and the 112 manuals do not have color photos. I played 112's in High School, but I never opened one.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Jezza

My action and reed bar are now re-installed, as is the new speaker.  The dampers need to come off for final the tuning, letoff adjustment, and strike point adjustment.  On this model it's a hassle because each damper comes off with it's own individual screw, and once they're off it's still a hassle to get the hammer out to adjust the strike point.  Accessibility and maintenance were not design considerations.

It's tuned and regulated already, so the only mechanical work remaining is the strike points.  It's almost a playable and fully restored Wurli, except for this damn noisy amp!
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

The power supply and the amp section both have all new caps now.  The old electrolytics were shot so I replaced them first.  The old ceramics were working but the capacitance was universally a little bit under spec.  With the new caps the amp is a bit louder, which is nice, but IT STILL HUMS!!!  Damn it...
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

pianotuner steveo

#26
If there is a large ceramic cap between the AC jack and the Chassis, REMOVE IT.
It has been said previously that this is a poor design and can be dangerous.

I don't remember, did you say it does not hum if you unplug the reed bar? If so, I would look on the reed bar for possible shorts. Check continuity between the + and - on the bar itself. It should read open. If you get any other reading, it is shorted somewhere. Possibly a reed that is slightly off center, a piece of solder on a reed, etc. also check the actual wire that connects the bar to the amp.

It could also be a worn out volume/ power control. This was a horrible source of hum for me in a 720 once. I did exactly what you are doing with the caps first, and it turned out to be the control. ( But replacing the caps is a good thing too)
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Jezza

Thanks Steve.

There was no ceramic cap on the AC, and there are no caps at all until after the rectifier tube.  All the old ceramic caps are now orange drops, so the amp should be in good condition for another 75 years or so.

The reed bar is no longer my problem and the amp has buzz and hum with or without it.  I will replace the pots next I suppose, but I've had trouble finding pots that both have the right value/size and will let me use the original knobs.  This one is looks right, but it's only 0.1W.  Do you think it will work?  The schematic doesn't say how many watts the pots need to be, but 0.1W seems very small for something that switches power and sits between two tubes.
http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DKSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&itemSeq=121843345&uq=634876737624275180

I see Vintage Vibe sells some pots, but the shafts are wrong and the values aren't posted.  Pity.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Jezza

This Wurlitzer 112 is SLAMMIN' now.  It's tuned, voiced, regulated, lubed, etc, etc.  The amp has new tubes, caps, and a new speaker.  The action is smooth, consistent, very fast, and it feels and sounds fantastic. 

BUT...  There is one last tedious detail that has been annoying me from the beginning.  My amp is still noisy.

I have triple checked all the ground points and they're solid, averaging about an ohm or two between any one ground point and another.  Since the tubes and caps are new and the resistors all measure well there's not much left to suspect except for the transformers, and my main power transformer is noisy acoustically.

If you have 30 seconds please listen to this little audio clip:
www.jeremyborum.com/dropbox/WurliNoise.mp3

Since the transformer is making so much acoustic noise I'm very suspicious of it adding the electrical noise also.  What do you think?  How do I test for such a thing? 

I'm about to take it to an amp tech somewhere, but I thought I'd pick your brain one last time.  Many thanks.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

andi85

I can't help you with the noisy amp, but I would like to say: Congratulations! It's a marvellous restoration job.
Tuning instruments makes the band sound thin!

sharan

I've got an idea on the Transformer.
I once had one transformer that hummed loudly which was because there was just too much current drawn.
the core went in Saturation and the voltage wasn't sinoid either(could cause the electroacoustic hum).
So you should  try to find out how much current is going into the circuit (and why! leaks or shorts?) and how much the trafo is rated.
i hope i could help,
Korbinian

Jezza

#31
There is a happy ending to this story!  Here is my 1955 Wurli 112 fully restored.  The action feels as good or better than it did when it was new, it's tuned and voiced, the exterior cabinet is still in great condition, and I have spare reeds on hand.

The noisy amp problem turned out to be a design flaw, so although I rebuilt everything with modern close tolerance components according to the schematic it still made noise.  A simple mod solved the problem though.  For that trick look for another thread called "Modding old Wurlis for low noise".

It's done!  This little guy is 58 years old and will make it well past 100 for sure.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

Abraham

it looks great, I hope we can hear how it sounds also!
196x Hammond L100
1976 Rhodes MKI '73 Suitcase
1976 Wurlitzer 200-A EP
1981 Casio VL-Tone (Yeah!)
199x Kawai CX-21D Upright
20xx Clavia Nord Electro 2

pianotuner steveo

Nice job, Jeremy. it makes me wish I had kept one of the 3 120's that I once owned...

Believe it or not, tho, the Korg SV-1 can do a decent simulation of the older tube Wurli's because of the 12AX7A tube. Turn that on, turn vibrato off, and it's pretty close.

1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

earlywurly89

This is awesome, Jeremy. Hope to have my 700 in the same condition soon. Let's have a video and see how she sounds!

Jezza

Hi guys!  I've had lots of people asking, so I finally got around to making a video of my fully restored 1955 Wurlitzer 112.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lPbxs515DQ
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

earlywurly89


gannex

I think I'm about to embark on the same crazy journey as you :p

Jezza

Good luck!  If it's a 112 you're working on feel free to ask me questions.  If it's a different model then I won't be much help because this was my first EP rebuild.
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

gannex

Its a 112a, so its rather similar.

I noticed you got yours for free and rebuilt it? Do you think its worth spending 300$ on one of these (granted its in better condition and all keys work, etc)?

Jezza

If I had to do it all over again I would GLADLY buy one for $300 instead of fix one myself. I think I spent $400 on parts and much too much time. Get it!
- Jezza

Film composer and orchestrator: JeremyBorum.com
Author: GuerrillaFilmScoring.com

DocWurly

An old thread comes back to life!

My understanding of the 112a is that it has the same reeds as a 112, but the action is similar to, or the same as.... a 120.

So, theoretically, in terms of bringing one back to life, the worst of all possible worlds.  It has reeds that have been unobtainium.  AND it has the most difficult action to regulate of all Wurlitzers.

This would not keep me from getting one.  I'd relish the challenge.  Also, Vintage Vibe has been saying, for a duration, that they are going to have reeds manufactured for the 112.  (Any word on that?  I have a client who really needs 'em!)

cinnanon

I've heard that too.  I called Morelocks and they had original 112 reeds in stock. This was a couple months ago.

DocWurly

eh.  They told me that last year.  I'd take that with a grain of salt, unless something has changed radically.  I am pretty sure that what they sold me was 120 reeds.  I adore Morelock's and order from them a lot, but I don't think 112 stuff is their strong suit.

cinnanon

I will investigate my reeds. I bought 6 from them last year, still uninstalled. I'll get the calipers out and verify.