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Some DIY reflections

Started by Tonewheel, August 01, 2018, 09:12:02 PM

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Tonewheel

Probably most of the gang here already knows this, but I thought that I would share what I have found.

I've been tinkering with my 200A ever since I bought it via eBay as an estate item. From middle C upwards, it has a lot of beef. But quite a few of the notes below this, all the way down, have been muted. So I bought a dedicated nut screwdriver set, rather than using my socket set, and found that simply adjusting the right-left proximity to the pickup projection on either side of the reed has made quite a difference. Doing this can change the pitch, so I will be working on the "Y" axis, trying to slide the reed forward or back a little.

The bottom line: try this first before purchasing new reeds. The piano is getting brighter in the lower register.

Question: Does anyone have a tip in terms of preventing the reed from swivelling as you tighten the nut?

1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

pianotuner steveo

I just hold the reed with my other hand to prevent it from moving while tightening.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

cinnanon

The reed screw washer has flattened. Replace the screw.  Works every time for me. It's annoying otherwise.

Tonewheel

#3
Steve, I am trying to go just a little off centre to get the volume up by bringing it closer to the pickup, and when I tighten it while holding it, it tends to move just that small amount to make contact.

Cinnamon, replace the flattened washer or the screw? What will be the result? My understanding is that the washer is actually conical, introducing a bit of spring to it, such that the amount of tightening can change the pitch, as well as help stabilize the reed when tightening.

Thanks to both!
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

cinnanon

#4
Quote from: Tonewheel on August 02, 2018, 11:13:30 PM

Cinnamon, replace the flattened washer or the screw? What will be the result? My understanding is that the washer is actually conical, introducing a bit of spring to it, such that the amount of tightening can change the pitch, as well as help stabilize the reed when tightening.


I don't think the conical nature of the reed screw washer was intended for tuning reasons (though it can affect tuning slightly) because sustain will be affected. I also don't think reed screws should be tightened so tightly that permanent deformation of the conical washer will take place.

I do believe it was intended to be conical though.  Seems like it puts more pressure across the reed base and holds better.  Every time I see the reed start to turn when i'm close to fully tightened, I replace the screw/washer assembly and that dilemma goes away (the washers don't come off of the 200 series reed screws). When the reed spins during final tightening, in my mind what happens is the conical washer is mashed flat and no longer puts a wide area of pressure on the reed, only close to the center where the screw is. A bad reed screw may even affect sustain.

Tonewheel

1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

pianotuner steveo

It is difficult to get the reed closer to the side to make it louder without it shorting out. Is this reed quieter than the others? Or are you trying to do this on all notes? (Not recommended)
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

DocWurly

#7
The screw should be tight enough (on any 140A, 140B, 200 series or 200A series) that the tuning has stabilized.  It should be tight enough that you can't tighten it any further by your bare hand. 

I don't believe in what I'd call "slack tuning"--that is, loosening a screw specifically to fix the pitch. Not only does it affect the sustain (though that, too), it's not stable. The pitch will drift, the reeds will move.  There was a certain vintage repair house in NYC that used slack tuning (they got out of the Wurli game) and whenever I hear that the prior repair was by them, I go "oh boy."  It always means that I have my work cut out for me....and I'll have to explain why the tuning doesn't just take half an hour (which is how long it took them). In fact, these ones usually take an unusually long time because of the effects of the "cheating."

DocWurly

When the reed spins during final tightening, It's definitely _something_ that's gotten rough between the surface of the washer and the top of the screw, and it's usually after it has been tightened and loosened a bunch.  Maybe the chrome has been damaged.  This will also happen on the very earliest screws of a 112 due to rust.

Sometimes I do as cinnanon does and dump the screw and washer.  But sometimes these can be saved by smoothing the contact between reed top and washer--important if you don't have extra screws around.

cinnanon

#9
Quote from: Paleophone on August 06, 2018, 11:37:10 AM
When the reed spins during final tightening, It's definitely _something_ that's gotten rough between the surface of the washer and the top of the screw, and it's usually after it has been tightened and loosened a bunch.  Maybe the chrome has been damaged.

I second this and will add that I noticed the chrome flaking off of the underside of the washer on the "bad" screws.

Tonewheel

All very helpful again. I am just going after the dull sounding notes, were the volume is noticeably less. Some have been mercilessly tightened, requiring a fair amount of effort to loosen them. The rotation of the reed tends to occur just when I start tightening, rarely at final tightening.

One other thing I have noticed is the appearance of odd overtones, some of them not nice, when I reposition, and I gather that this is where the art comes in. It almost seems that microns make a difference. And maybe some difference between proximity to the left pickup projection compared to the right. Literally, I can spend 20 minutes just trying to get the volume and tone just right. Hats off to you pros, and I wish we had someone like you within driving distance in this part of Canada.
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

pianotuner steveo

Be careful not to snap any reed bolt heads off. I did it a couple of times over the years....
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

DocWurly

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 06, 2018, 03:27:17 PM
One other thing I have noticed is the appearance of odd overtones, some of them not nice, when I reposition, and I gather that this is where the art comes in. It almost seems that microns make a difference. And maybe some difference between proximity to the left pickup projection compared to the right. Literally, I can spend 20 minutes just trying to get the volume and tone just right. Hats off to you pros, and I wish we had someone like you within driving distance in this part of Canada.

Yes!  Get yourself an automotive feeler gauge!  The manuals suggest it and there's no shame in using them.  I find that the range from .005 or .006 (for the highest reeds) to .011 (for the bass reeds) will do ya.  You want an exact equal gap on each side of the reed, or you will get a sort of steel drum effect and unequal volume.



Tonewheel

Steel drum. I like that. A cheap steel drum.

I have to use a headlamp to really see the gap well. But if I put the gauge on the right side, and tighten, the reed will likely rotate into it, and no more boing....thanks for that.

And I do not want to snap a screw head. Backing the body out, then maybe having to use wood filler if the result is a bit of a mess, could result in a less than optimum tone for that reed.

Thanks again.
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

DocWurly

Snapping screw heads off is VERY rare with 200 series screws.  I've done it exactly once, and I was zealously torquing a screw.

pianotuner steveo

#15
Yes, but it can happen. It may have been on an older model when it happened to me, but it was so long ago, I don't remember. I've owned around 30 Wurlitzers total.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Tonewheel

Quite a long list of experiences with Wurlitzer EP's!

Another 2 questions: As I remove, check, position and tighten these reeds down, I notice that one or two are now flatter than before the removal. Do you recommend a technique for repositioning the reed to bring the pitch back up again? Physically, what do you use to slide them slightly in the right direction?

One dull sounding note has not improved like the others. It has a slight curve vertically. Is that part of the problem?

Thanks.
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

DocWurly

#17
Quote from: Tonewheel on August 10, 2018, 06:45:49 PM
Another 2 questions: As I remove, check, position and tighten these reeds down, I notice that one or two are now flatter than before the removal. Do you recommend a technique for repositioning the reed to bring the pitch back up again? Physically, what do you use to slide them slightly in the right direction?

It's a good idea to get very clear on how positioning a reed forward and back affects the pitch.  The effect can be quite different on a bassmost reed and a treblemost reed, too. You can visually perceive the difference in position:  When the reed is towards you, there is a lot more of the flat edge sticking out beyond the screw.  When it is towards you, with screw fully tightened, that's the highest pitch you can get out of that reed without filing.

If my hands aren't doing the job, I use a flat-head screwdriver applied to that front edge to push a semi-tightened reed away (making it lower in pitch), and needlenose pliers on the "tongue" to pull it towards me.  Before filing a reed, I get clear on how much range of scale I have in sliding--I also make sure that I can't just _fix_ the pitch by sliding.  It's easy-ish to push the reed to one of the ends of its range--it's a lot harder to trial-and-error the reed into any of the in-between range, since a 32nd of an inch can make a major difference.... and that nudge is beyond our natural fine-motor skill.  Sometimes you nudge a reed less than an amount you can SEE and it can make a difference.

It helps that I've done this enough, with the same fine file, that I can tell how much a given stroke of a file will adjust a pitch.  Again, a file stroke on a treble reed will have a much more dramatic effect than the same stroke on a bass reed.  And the shape of the reed tip will affect the effect of a given file stroke.

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 10, 2018, 06:45:49 PM
One dull sounding note has not improved like the others. It has a slight curve vertically. Is that part of the problem?


The 6 most treble reeds are especially prone to bending up, because they are very thin and the hammers wallop them over time.  This will affect their sustain and pitch.  You may need to replace them, but sometimes, yes, you can gently bend them back into place.  I wouldn't do this unless you have some backup blanks on hand. (Vintage Vibe makes good ones.)


pablotiburcio

Quote from: Paleophone on August 11, 2018, 01:43:50 PM
Quote from: Tonewheel on August 10, 2018, 06:45:49 PM
Another 2 questions: As I remove, check, position and tighten these reeds down, I notice that one or two are now flatter than before the removal. Do you recommend a technique for repositioning the reed to bring the pitch back up again? Physically, what do you use to slide them slightly in the right direction?

It's a good idea to get very clear on how positioning a reed forward and back affects the pitch.  The effect can be quite different on a bassmost reed and a treblemost reed, too. You can visually perceive the difference in position:  When the reed is towards you, there is a lot more of the flat edge sticking out beyond the screw.  When it is towards you, with screw fully tightened, that's the highest pitch you can get out of that reed without filing.

If my hands aren't doing the job, I use a flat-head screwdriver applied to that front edge to push a semi-tightened reed away (making it lower in pitch), and needlenose pliers on the "tongue" to pull it towards me.  Before filing a reed, I get clear on how much range of scale I have in sliding--I also make sure that I can't just _fix_ the pitch by sliding.  It's easy-ish to push the reed to one of the ends of its range--it's a lot harder to trial-and-error the reed into any of the in-between range, since a 32nd of an inch can make a major difference.... and that nudge is beyond our natural fine-motor skill.  Sometimes you nudge a reed less than an amount you can SEE and it can make a difference.

It helps that I've done this enough, with the same fine file, that I can tell how much a given stroke of a file will adjust a pitch.  Again, a file stroke on a treble reed will have a much more dramatic effect than the same stroke on a bass reed.  And the shape of the reed tip will affect the effect of a given file stroke.

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 10, 2018, 06:45:49 PM
One dull sounding note has not improved like the others. It has a slight curve vertically. Is that part of the problem?


The 6 most treble reeds are especially prone to bending up, because they are very thin and the hammers wallop them over time.  This will affect their sustain and pitch.  You may need to replace them, but sometimes, yes, you can gently bend them back into place.  I wouldn't do this unless you have some backup blanks on hand. (Vintage Vibe makes good ones.)

If anyone is doing this and can make a record (film) and post here in the forum would be very good!

Thanks!

Tonewheel

Very grateful for the weighing in on this. So. overall the first two octaves on this estate 200A were dull. The upper keys were quite loud in comparison. Now, the first two octaves are coming to life, but a good number of notes have not very pleasing overtones. So I'll get a feeler gauge and try that, but wonder if I achieve exact center if I will end up going back to the dull sounding tines.

But it almost seems that loosening, repositioning and tightening alone has done something good. Is that possible?

And I agree that it would be great to have some video archives started here to demonstrate some of the art of this.
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

Tonewheel

#20
Pablo.

I have come full circle with looking at VV videos from 2003. These specifically detail tuning and may be helpful to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf9nGmRImsg&frags=pl%2Cwn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6yo-uSiH90&frags=pl%2Cwn
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

John Steel

Quote from: pianotuner steveo on August 06, 2018, 07:02:02 PM
Be careful not to snap any reed bolt heads off. I did it a couple of times over the years....
I'm curious to know which method you used to remove the sheared screw if you don't mind sharing. Best wishes, John.

DocWurly

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 12, 2018, 01:52:21 AM
Very grateful for the weighing in on this. So. overall the first two octaves on this estate 200A were dull. The upper keys were quite loud in comparison. Now, the first two octaves are coming to life, but a good number of notes have not very pleasing overtones. So I'll get a feeler gauge and try that, but wonder if I achieve exact center if I will end up going back to the dull sounding tines.

But it almost seems that loosening, repositioning and tightening alone has done something good. Is that possible?

And I agree that it would be great to have some video archives started here to demonstrate some of the art of this.

Ahh, I see.  I had misread you.  It's the BASS register that is more problematic.

To some degree the loud overtones are just a feature.  The strike points of the hammers can affect these, too.  You may want to see if removing the left reed bar screws and sliding the whole harp towards and away you affects the tone-- if so, the some of hammers might be misaligned. (You can't really realign the reedbar beyond shimming.)

Tonewheel

1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

Tonewheel

#24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rggldf1c6c
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. It is that Wurli sound and action that makes it so distinct from the Rhodes. I have done the bump mod on the latter, but the action still isn't as light as the Wurli.

One of the threads here also addressed bending the pickup projections to alter tone, but that one does not sound like a great idea. Besides, mine are ticker than what was described in the thread.

So I'll try the reed bar screws. But if I need to realign the hammer tips, I guess a heat gun is better than the edge of a soldering gun.
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

cinnanon

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 13, 2018, 01:01:43 PM
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. It is that Wurli sound and action that makes it so distinct from the Rhodes.

No two wurlitzers sound alike, this is what makes them unique! I believe the greatest contributor (after complete regulation and tuning/voicing) to tonal differences/anomalies lies in the shape of the solder pyramid. Behind that, imperfections in the aluminum harp castings that make some notes/ranges resonate duller/brighter than others. Every harp has a resonant frequency that, when hit, absorbs certain frequencies/energies from certain notes. Even the wood base can absorb/resonate certain frequencies. Again, all minor audible differences and also my opinion.

pianotuner steveo

And also, the 100 series vs. the 200 series. The early models sound different. But you can tell that it is basically the same instrument. IMO it's tube amps vs. solid state, with the solid state 140 sounding even different from all other SS, maybe because it's a primitive solid state amp.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Alan Lenhoff

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 13, 2018, 01:01:43 PM
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.

What a great song! What a great performer!  That said, the piano he plays on that song is just beyond awful.  Some of the buzzy, dead notes sound like he's plucking rubber bands.

It's just a reminder that a great artist can make even the worst instrument sing.

Alan

Co-author, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music"

Learn about the book: http://www.classickeysbook.com/
Find it on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

1965 UK Vox Continental;1967 Gibson G101 organ; 1954 Hammond B2; Leslie 21H; Leslie 31H; 1974 Rhodes Mark I Stage 73; 1972 Rhodes Sparkletop Piano Bass; 1978 Hohner Clavinet D6; 1968 Hohner Pianet N II; 1966 Wurlitzer 140B; 1980 Moog Minimoog Model D; 1983 Roland JX-3P; 1977 Fender Twin Reverb; 1983 Roland JX-3P synth; Vox AC30CC2X amp.
(See the collection: https://vintagerockkeyboards.com/ )

DocWurly

Quote from: Tonewheel on August 13, 2018, 01:01:43 PM
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.

The action was massively redesigned for the 140/145/720 in 1962, with further revisions of the reeds (adding an "A" to those models) and then some further amp stuff, plus changes that mostly make servicing a lot easier, for the "B" series.  The changes at the 200 series were actually less conceptually major than the ones that happened at the start of the 1960's.  Main things were moving one capstan, an amp redesign, and a major cosmetic redesign that made for a much lighter instrument.

Tonewheel

#29
Great information here.

What I like is that there is a younger crowd who don't settle for Lounge Lizard plug-ins (which I find not bad) but go for the real thing. This is Simon Oslender in Germany at the age of 16 in a bar at 4 a.m. jamming on a 200 series and making it sing. He is quite good on the B3 at emulating past masters of R&B as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8sGPFPGeuw

Love the real Wurli and long may they survive! (and may mine survive my tinkering....)
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

Electrickey

Quote from: Paleophone on August 13, 2018, 10:03:59 PM
Quote from: Tonewheel on August 13, 2018, 01:01:43 PM
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...)
- Jezza

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

pianotuner steveo

My biggest complaint with digital samples of Wurlitzers is that the tuning is too perfect to make them sound authentic.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

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.
- Jezza

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

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?
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

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...
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

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.
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

pianotuner steveo

#39
The lower ones should
be that pliable...
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Tonewheel

1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

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
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."

DocWurly


Tonewheel

Therefore way better than a physician!
1955 B3, Leslie 21H and 147. Hammond 100 with weird Leslie 205. 1976 Rhodes. Wurlitzer 200A. Yamaha DX7/TX7. Korg M1. Yamaha C3 grand, 67 Tele blond neck, Les Paul Standard, PRS 24, Gibson classical electric, Breedlove acoustic electric, Strat, P Bass, Rogers drum kit, Roland TD 12 digital drums, Apollo quad, older blackfaced Fender Twin, other amps, mics and bits and pieces cluttering up the "studio."