Some DIY reflections

[Electrickey]

I was listening to some early Ray Charles versions of What'd I Say and I can hear some slightly out of tune notes as well as one or two that are a little dead-sounding.

He's playing a 1958 model 120.  Very different sorta beast there.

I think the quality of the recording should be factored in. It was done live in 3 or 4 takes with the entire band.
The studio had just acquired an 8 track and was learning how to run it. Small room, 1959 technology, no overdubs. You can hear different versions (takes/mixes) of the song today and what appears to be a remaster. Perhaps they went through all the takes and pieced things together and released different edit/mixes of the song. There's supposed to be a real piano on the track as well. But yeah one version you can definitely hear the piano hammers not hitting their mark while another version of the recording the dead notes came out smoother for some reason. Was it the piano or the way it was played among the different takes? Wurlis get quirky as a matter of its nature. And without knowing how they recorded the Wurli and then released different mixes, what are we really listening to?

Back then many recordings had flats, sharps and mistakes left in. They still became hits.

[Jezza]

The feeler gauge while tuning is a great idea. Like Steve I just hold the reed in place with my other hand while tightening it. That usually works fine, but for more fussy reeds the gauge might help. You would still have to hold the reed in place somehow to adjust front to back, so I imagine the gauge is an unnecessary complication most of the time.

Paleophone, thanks for the tip about the steel drum sound. I have a couple of notes that sound that way, and I'll check to see if perhaps I just need to center the reed better. (I think they're just funky reeds, but who knows...)

[pianotuner steveo]

My biggest complaint with digital samples of Wurlitzers is that the tuning is too perfect to make them sound authentic.

[Jezza]

I've had some sample libraries that are intentionally slightly out of tune to make them more "familiar" sounding. Most recently a couple of the guitars in East West's Ministry of Rock guitars, and dating all the way back to the Roland sound modules in the 90's. Without fail, the bad intonation gets in the way and makes it unusable at least 50% of the time. It's a cute idea that fails in practice.

[Electrickey]

There are numerous nuances to consider in the case of instruments that have an acoustic or mechanical reason for their sounds. Even modifying the original instrument changes the sound. It will always be the case of comparing the original to the clone and noticing that the clone still sounds like a clone when compared directly to the original.

[rrgrr]

+1 on the feeler gauge. You can use it to make the gap equal on both sides of the reed, or not. Sometimes I push the reed against it when tightening, then pull out the gauge when tight to achieve an exact gap.

[Tonewheel]

Like that one. And I guess that you can go for the thinnest of the gauges and see what happens to the tone and volume of that individual note.

In the early VV Youtube instructional clips, there is one that clearly shows bending pickup projections to alter tone. My concern is not being able to find my way back home! Have any of you experienced members tried that and would actually endorse it?

[pianotuner steveo]

Bending can be done in a pinch, if I remember correctly the part you bend is aluminum. It's a soft metal, so easy to bend, but don't do it too many times in same spot or it can break off...

[Tonewheel]

Thanks, Steve.

On the clips, the aluminum looks thiner and more pliable than mine.

Here's what they demonstrate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBxZhqvFCCM&frags=pl%2Cwn

It's at 3:33 in.
ut my projections are nowhere near as pliable.

[pianotuner steveo]

The lower ones should
be that pliable...

[Tonewheel]

Thanks.

[DocWurly]

The pickups in the middle range (21 to 42) are especially bendy.  Bass pickups...not bendy at all.

[Tonewheel]

This is all very helpful. What does the "Doc" stand for?

Dave

[DocWurly]

I make house calls.

[Tonewheel]

Therefore way better than a physician!