What makes the Tropical Fish M3 Preamp special
You may know already that, when we started making this preamp, it was so we could have a great-sounding way to power a Wurlitzer pickup. By that, I specifically mean add voltage to the Wurlitzer electronic piano reedbar, because it needs voltage in a similar way that a condenser microphone needs phantom power. But, as with all the amps we build, we wanted to do every aspect right, and build it to last.
New colors for the Tropical Fish M3 preamplifier
We originally planned to put the M3 preamplifier in mahogany cabinets only, but, while we were picking mahogany pieces at the lumber yard, we noticed a few other woods that looked interesting. We made a few test cabinets and really like how they turned out!
The Whippany Melosonic or Realistic Musideck combo organ
There are a few model variations, one contains a drum machine (the 350), and one doesn't (the 300). All models that we have seen do have a vibrato control, and also all have independent control over the bass volume. The voice selections for the main voice selections include Flute, Diapason, Horn, Woodwind, Reed, Full Organ. These selections essentially equalize the same tone to have more highs and cut through more.
How to replace a Wurlitzer electronic piano reed
Replacing a reed on your Wurlitzer electronic piano is not difficult. There are a few important things to keep in mind for the best results. One, the reed needs to be as close to perfectly centered in the ‘comb-shaped’ pickup as possible. Two, the reed has a bit of wiggle room on the reed screw, and where the reed sits (favoring forwards or backwards) impacts the intonation. Three, the tightness of the reed screw matters. Four, there are different sized reeds for the different models of Wurlitzer electronic pianos, as well as the different registers of your piano. Five, the solder ‘pyramid’ on the tip of the reed, which is the main area of tuning the reed, should be a symmetrical pyramid for the best sound (but this may not be of importance to you if you are buying a pre-tuned reed).
What do Jack Springs do? And, What are they?
The jack spring is a small, thin gauged spring about 1” tall that sits between the whip and the fly on your 140 or 200 series Wurlitzer. These are also in upright and grand pianos and come in a few sizes depending on the model of your piano/keyboard.
What is the Difference Between a Wurlitzer 140 and a Wurlitzer 200a or 200?
Wurlitzer in the 140 series are transitional models: more reliable than Wurlitzer’s earlier electronic pianos, but not as portable as later models. On the other hand, the 200-series is the iconic final iteration of Wurlitzer keyboards: smaller, lighter, more chrome. If there’s a Wurlitzer 140 (or any of its many variants, from the 140b to the 145) that has caught your eye, you may be wondering if buying it is a good idea. How does it stack up against the 200a? Does it require more work? What are the practical differences between them? This guide is here to help.
How Tropical Fish Restores Wurlitzer Tube Amps Like the 145 120 700 112
You may have heard that we restore hand wired tube amps that are found in various Wurlitzer Electronic Pianos. This article is intended to answer some questions on what we do, what our process is and what you can expect.
The 1980 Wurlitzer 200A Electronic Piano: every Wurlitzer tells a story
I would like to start by saying that in our years of dealing with electronic pianos only a few 1980 Wurlitzer EPs have come into our studio. This has always seemed odd to me until we did a little research and found that Wurlitzer produced far less electronic pianos in those last years- we’re talking on a year-to-year basis only a fraction of what they produced in previous years.
What to Look for When Buying a Wurlitzer 200 or 200a
Vintage instruments are the ‘real thing’ and were built to a different—possibly better—standard than modern ones. But let’s face it: some of them have been around the block, multiple times. And why not? They are decades old: someone should have enjoyed them. Hopefully, that person didn’t enjoy them too much and in the wrong way. (The sheet music holder is not a party convenience tray, necessarily.) For this reason, the vintage instrument market can be a scary and confusing place. Buying a Wurlitzer 200 or 200A is a prime example. Prices range, and if you have never have looked inside one, you possibly don’t know what to look for.
What should come with my Wurlitzer 200 or 200a?
Wurlitzer 200 and 200a keyboards came with some essential accessories and parts, as well as some that were optional at the original time of purchase. If you are less familiar with a Wurlitzer 200 series keyboard, you might overlook something that is critical and you’ll want to have. For the sake of this article, we will be discussing exterior items and accessories, not internal mechanicals, and will be focusing on the 200 and 200a. However, a lot of this information can be applied to the rest of the 200 series (such as 203, 210, 214, 206 and so on).
Why are some of the Keys on my Wurlitzer 112 lower than others?
In this article we are going to discuss 112 hammers that are significantly lower in height than other keys. Also these keys will not hit and will feel ‘stuck’. This sometimes happens when the Wurlitzer 112 has been moved around, placed on its back, or dare I say, placed upside down. This can also happen simply when a key is removed to be worked on. Because the fly (or jack) is different on the 112, it is connected to the whip in a way where it has a more free rotation than in later models. The only thing that is keeping the fly in place on the hammer butt is the back end of the regulating screw.
Are the jack springs weak or bad in my Wurlitzer 200?
Let me answer your question with another question, have they ever been changed before? Then, yes, they’re weak, and probably bad. In all seriousness, once installed, a jack spring (which is a pretty thin gauge) is constantly in use because it’s always under tension. Fast forward 50 years and you have a spring that is likely close to being worn out. Add rust or oxidation and they’re definitely worn out.
What do Jack Springs do? And, What are they?
The jack spring is a small, thin gauged spring about 1” tall that sits between the whip and the fly on your 140 or 200 series Wurlitzer. These are also in upright and grand pianos and come in a few sizes depending on the model of your piano/keyboard.
DI Boxes: What Do they Do and Why Might I Need One
All DI boxes have an input (usually a 1/4”), a small transformer, and an XLR output. They also typically have a ground lift toggle switch, a PAD to attenuate your signal and a thru output to send unaffected signal elsewhere.
The primary purpose of a DI box is to convert an unbalanced signal to a balanced signal and eliminate ground hum. A DI box also gives its user the proper impedance to then plug their guitar, bass or keyboard into a mixer for a cleaner, low noise signal.
Single Track Recording and A Boy From Tupelo
Before multi-track recording and overdubbing were available to recording studios, there were tape recorders that recorded only one track. These early tape recorders could be coupled with a mixing consoles which could sum together multiple microphones. These recording limitations were the norm in the early 1950s. At this time musical groups rehearsed their songs and recorded as many takes as it took to get the best version of their song recorded.
Do I need a mixing board for my studio?
This maybe the question on the decade, and there are many answers. Our short answer is that it depends on the size and complexity of the studio.
In the center of almost every audio recording studio, a mixing board, mixer, console (whatever you prefer to call it) is typically the focal point. The console has been the center hub of any studio ever since multi-track recording took off in the mid-1950s.
What to consider when recording a voice-over or podcast.
THE SPACE AND ACOUSTICS
When recording vocals for voice-over or podcast, a realistic and detailed reproduction of the voice is desirable. Most radio hosts, DJs, voice talent, strive to achieve a quality of sound that showcases their work and is appealing and engaging to their listeners. In the same respect, poor sound quality can be distracting and less captivating. Therefor in order to produce the best sound possible your acoustics and recording space needs to be sorted out.
Key Height, Key Dip and My Wurlitzer
Part of what makes a Wurlitzer electronic piano feel so great (and so piano-like) to play is its action design. Unlike the simple action of a Rhodes keyboard (which merely consists of a key and a hammer) a Wurlitzer’s action has multiple points of contact and moving parts all working together to smoothly transfer the motion of the player’s touch to the hammer striking tone generator. Like all other pianos, a Wurlitzer electronic piano’s complex action assembly is driven by the key. This sounds obvious, but it is important to note that the key sits on two felt punchings and it is at these points where the first critical action adjustments are done.
On the Optigan brochure
We were lucky enough to score this mid-1970s Optigan brochure. It contains a list of (presumably) all discs that were available at the time, plus all of the songbooks. We scanned the brochure so that you too can have a convenient wishlist of all the Optigan discs that you need!
In Restoration: Wurlitzer 207a
At this point, we have only opened up this Wurlitzer 207a in order to clean it. However, we did take a thousand pictures of the very cool (and completely untouched) circuit boards inside the keyboard. So we thought we’d do a quick post to share the disassembly process.
A Brief History of Student-Model Wurlitzer Electronic Pianos
Wurlitzer sold electronic pianos in bulk to schools from the very beginning. Today, the most common student-model Wurlitzers are the 206 and 206a, which correspond to the 200 and 200a. However, Wurlitzer sold electronic pianos to schools as early as the release of the Wurlitzer 112. Before that, they even sold conventional pianos to schools. Clearly, student pianos were an important part of Wurlitzer’s business model for decades.