Wurlitzer newspaper searches

[DocWurly]

You can do some amazing newspaper searches on Google by adding this to your web search:  site:news.google.com/newspapers.  I've found some stuff I find astonishing.

I scanned these as I attempted to pinpoint dates for various wurltizer models, as found in my list.  https://docwurly.com/wurlitzer-ep-history/wurlitzer-electric-piano-models-a-list/  I created a separate thread to discuss that list, http://ep-forum.com/smf/index.php?topic=8250.0 , as I thought it would be nice to have this thread stand alone as an archive of cool scans. 

First, this article from June 1, 1954, St. Petersburg Times: "Young Musicians' Neighbors see hope in silent piano."  I am assuming that the "test model" they are talking about is the 100, but it could be the 110.  (Is there any difference beyond its name?)  "Wurlitzer plans to test the instrument in several markets and may put it into production this fall."


[EDIT, November 16, 2018--link updated to my current website.  --SE]

[DocWurly]

Next, from the Owosso Argus-Press, June 28, 1955:  "Piano that can be carried is produced."  "The piano is metal with a brown pebble-textured finish."  It mentions a "matching table with wrought iron legs."  That makes me think we are talking about the 110, even though the 111 was apparently out by then, with the 112 on the way.

[DocWurly]

And here is a picture of it, with those iron legs.  Pittsburgh Press, June 12, 1955.

[DocWurly]

A December 13 1955 ad in the Reading Eagle shows a Wurlitzer Electronic piano with wooden legs.  This would be the 111 or 112.  $319.50.

[DocWurly]

Life magazine, November 12, 1956.  A similar, smaller ad ran in a June 11 edition.

[DocWurly]

Life Magazine, June 16, 1958, and a newspaper ad from the same week.  "Steve Allen Plays the Fun Piano."  This puts a firm latest-date on the promotion of the 700 Console piano.

[DocWurly]

A Marian McPartland advert that included the text "the only thing square about my Wurlitzer Electric Piano is the carrying case" ran in the August 17 1961 issue of Billboard.  But I can't confirm that it was THIS ad, which I think I copied from ebay.  An ebay listing claims it is from 1959, and another one says 1961.  It is the 120, which means it could have been any time from circa 1957 to around 1961.

[DocWurly]

That ad doesn't mention vibrato.  This one does.  That means this one is the 140 (solid state) and/or 145 (tube).  It is allegedly from 1962. Again, I think I got it from ebay.

There is at least one New Yorker ad from this year, a different one, that includes this text:

"Look closely at this electronic marvel— a lightweight console with a piano-like sound all its own. You can even have a hot vibe just by turning on the vibrato! See your Wurlitzer Piano Dealer, or write Wurlitzer, DeKalb, III....."

I don't have a subscription so I can't see the ad.  But finding that ad would help pinpoint the date of the release of the 140 and family.

[DocWurly]

Some ads from 1957.  Two of them show a keyboard with a sideways picket fence music stand.  One shows an amp which I'm guessing might be the 920.  These are probably early 120s. The Steve Allen ad is from August 8, 1957. The Ralph Materie ad ran in Down Beat on Nov 28, 1957, though this scan may be from elsewhere.

[DocWurly]

More 120 model ads, but later.  One, from Feb 1959, still uses the 1957 "picket fence" Steve Allen music stand.

The others, like the Marian McPartland ad allegedly from 1959, show a sort of "Rorchach Ink Blot" shape cutout in the music stand.  They are supposedly from 1961 and and 1962.  Of course, they could have run 120 model ads into the 1962 140-145 era and hoped that nobody noticed.

[DocWurly]

Frederick Dvonch of "The Sound Of Music" playing a 140 or 145, attributed to 1963. More mention of the vibrato control.

[DocWurly]

An article from March 1968 about Wurltizer music labs.  I am thinking that this must be about the 146-147 setup based on the 140B.  The earliest 206 schematic is from Sept 1 1968.

[DocWurly]

Another article from March 1968, mentions a Wurlitzer installed on a Corvair airplane and a man hired to play it.

Shades of the Bowing 747 Lounge Car Wurlitzer and the Amtrack Rhodes, as mentioned here:

http://chicagoelectricpiano.com/wurlitzer/amtrak-rhodes-boeing-wurlitzer-lounge-piano/

[DocWurly]

December 1968 ad for the just-released 200. (1st schematic is from September 1968, so this is a debut!) Notice that the classroom picture seems to be of a boxy piano, so I think that must be a row of 146s.

[DocWurly]

December 19 1973 and November 1974 ads for a "Model 200" wurlitzer.   Both mention the available colors as "Jet Black" and "Golden Beige."  I guess Red and Green were out.  We know that there are some 200As in a dark green, but I don't know when they were introduced.  I wouldn't assume that these outlets would necessarily differentiate between a 200 and a 200A, but it certainly doesn't work against my current hypothesis--based on a lack of hard data to the contrary-- that the 200A was introduced a bit later than we have thought.

[DocWurly]

This one strikes me as funny:  "She can hear the sound but you can't." 1975.

[DocWurly]

1976, promoting the Keynote Visualizer.  The earliest schematic I've found for that is January 1, 1973, in a ebay manual scan that strangely mentions a 208V piano (which I think is just a quickly discarded name for the 207V.)  I don't have the whole manual....I just grabbed these images off ebay.

[DocWurly]

Two ads for the Butterfly 270.  One is from April 1977 and the next, from May 1979 tries to get kids to bribe "your parent" to come see the thing, with a kite as an enticement.

[DocWurly]

And, lastly, at least for today, a December 1979 ad for a Home Console, which at that late stage would mean a 210, unless they are trying to unload a leftover 203.

[DocWurly]

OK, one more.  4 scans from a 106 manual, showing a schematic from June 1971.  I'm not sure what the "S" and "E" codes mean on these part numbers and schematics.  I assume S is "Series" but what of E?  Anyway, this is the only evidence I have of when this strange creature might have debuted.

[Max Brink]

Thanks for sharing! This is great!

[DocWurly]

Some small ads that ran in the New Yorker in November 1962 through January 1963, touting the "New Transistor Wurlitzer Electronic Piano."  That, of course, was the 140 (no B yet).

So, we know it was on the market by November of 1962.  It was probably several months earlier, given the April 1962 schematic and the July 1962 PC board document.


"Earphones" ran November 3 and December 15. 
"Don't Wait" ran November 10.
"Driving Somewhere?" ran November 24.   
"High C" ran Jan 12, 1963.

[pianotuner steveo]

Yes, these are awesome, many thanks!!

I find the pricing info fascinating. A 210 was $825 - worth more than a 200, but in today's market, the opposite is true because of the extra weight.

When I had multiple 206A's for sale, I don't think I ever even got $500 for one.