A Guide to Wurlitzer Repair Difficulty
At Tropical Fish, we are not picky about Wurlitzer electronic pianos, because we can turn even a dilapidated keyboard into a highly playable instrument. Wurlitzers are very well-made, and it is possible to bring just about any Wurlitzer electronic piano back from the brink.
Some keyboards, like the Optigan, seem to come apart reluctantly. The Wurlitzer pretty much invites you inside. It's easy to get the lid open; it's easy to access their interior parts. It's easy (relatively speaking) to replace parts. Because the construction of Wurlitzers was informed by piano-making techniques, all of the glues that attach the felt are removable with solvents or heat. If the felt is worn out, you can just replace it. If the electronic components are worn out, you can just replace them. Wiring, speakers, paper shims, grommets, jack springs—all of these things can be replaced.
So, just about any Wurlitzer can be transformed into a great-sounding, touch-responsive instrument. If you buy one, you don't necessarily have to worry about wasting money on a keyboard that is too far gone to be adequately repaired.
Instead, the question for any would-be Wurlitzer owner is: how many replacement parts do you want to install? And how many do you need to install?
What is your repair skill level?
Repairing keyboards is a skill that can be learned. If you want to repair your own keyboard, you can definitely do it yourself (and we'll even help you). Even if repairing keyboards isn't your thing, the ability to do small repairs (for instance, regulating the action or replacing a reed) gives you a lot of flexibility. So, if you're interested in learning how to perform all or part of a keyboard overhaul, we really do encourage it.
We also understand that a lot of people do not want to perform major (or even minor) repairs. That's fine too. Tropical Fish has several options for restoration, and can bring your keyboard to an excellent level of playability.
Repairs explained by difficulty level
What repair is right for you?
Ultimately, even if you don’t have years of experience, deciding which repairs you should or should not attempt can come down to your existing skills, patience, and willingness to learn about the instrument. The key to a successful repair is not just your level of dexterity, but your understanding of how and why that part functions. Knowing what that part is supposed to accomplish will guide you to installing it correctly, and ensuring that your work meets the needs of the instrument.
Easy repairs:
Little specialized knowledge required; mistakes are generally easy to correct.
Cleaning and regulating
An easy way to improve the quality of an unrestored Wurlitzer is simply opening it up and clean out the dust (getting under the keys, in key bushings, on hammer butts, under action assembly). A giant mouse nest can literally be the thing stopping a hammer from moving freely.
Regulating to the specs that the manual details is can fix minor problems as well and involves operating a tool similar to a wrench or screwdriver.
Replace rail post felt
These are the round ‘washer’ shaped felt on the front and balance rail posts and they are the cushioning below each key—and simply replacing will make the key generally feel more comfortable to play.
Level Keys
Using paper shims (piano rail punchings) you can adjust the level of the keys so that moving across the keyboard feels more natural.
Replace Name Rail Felt
This is the felt that is glued onto the metal strip under the lid (on top of the backs of the key tops) and once cleanly removed, replacement felt sticks right on.
Oiling the sustain spring
The sustain pedal has metal springs inside it that can squeak, and putting a couple drops of oil will help silence them.
Easing an individual key
A “sticking key” may only need lubricating (on key posts or on action centers) or a light squeeze with key easing pliers.
Lubricating all key posts
Lubricating all key posts involves removing all the keys, putting a drop of clean piano lubricant on each post and replacing the keys.
Intermediate repairs
Requires removal of glued parts, attention to detail, and some understanding of how the mechanical or electrical parts operate in order to troubleshoot or check work.
Felt replacement
Replacing glued on felt (like back rail strips, damper felt, key back cloth, etc) requires un-gluing felt without damaging the wood and replacing with fresh quality piano grade felt.
Amplifier recapping
Old amplifier components like caps begin going out of spec after a decade, so after 50 years removing and replacing filter caps and electrolytic caps can breathe new life into the amplifier.
Intonation
This can be easy, or intermediate, but filing away small amounts of solder lowers the pitch, and adding solder raises the pitch. How cleanly and accurately you do this has a big impact on the quality of the job, and earlier models have a bit more difficulty.
Lubricating action centers (easing)
Relatively easy, make sure to buy the right clean lubricant, but the intermediate part is removing the action assembly or reaching the action centers with a long tip hypo bottle.
Advanced repairS
Requires considerable experience, precision and/or more disassembly of the instrument.
Key Bushing felt replacement
This involves removing and replacing small felt pieces inside the keys—it has a big impact on key feel but can go wrong if you don’t ease your keys afterwards.
Jack spring replacement
Removing the old jack spring is usually the hardest part because acetone doesn’t do it, and you really need directed heat to get all the old glue out—replacing is as simple as glueing springs back in.
Intonation on older models
Specifically the 112, the 120 and the 700 models have reeds that are hard to access, reed screws that affect pitch in an unintuitive way and unobtainable reed replacements.