What kind of Wurlitzer should I choose if I’m bad at playing piano?
Wurlitzer electronic pianos are for everyone—you don’t need to play at a certain skill level in order to enjoy a Wurlitzer. In fact, some models of Wurlitzer were even designed to be used in the classroom, including the Wurlitzer 207A, which had an illuminated display that allowed students to see which keys were being pressed and their corresponding positions in musical notation.
All Wurlitzer electronic pianos are a great instruments, and different models have different advantages. However, if you’re a beginner, a Wurlitzer 200 or 200A in excellent mechanical condition is probably your best choice.
What an Online Listing Can Tell You About a Wurlitzer’s Condition
If you're looking at a listing for a used Wurlitzer electronic piano online, you're probably not going to have a lot of information about the condition of the amplifier or mechanical action. However, the photos and the description can tell you much more about the Wurlitzer’s condition than you might expect.
In this article, we explain how to read the listing to learn the maximum amount of information about a keyboard you are thinking about buying.
What a Wurlitzer’s Appearance Can Tell You About Its Condition
Most problems in a Wurlitzer can be repaired. In fact, some issues are even desirable, because they reduce the cost of the keyboard without increasing the work required to improve playability. For instance, if you already planned to replace key bushings, finding a Wurlitzer with extremely deteriorated bushing felt gives you the ability to negotiate on asking price without adding to your workload.
However, when you choose a vintage keyboard, you should take care to avoid a few extremely rare issues that will add complexity to a restoration. The two most important issues are environmental damage and impact damage. Environmental damage most often occurs when the keyboard has been stored in an extremely humid area or one with extreme temperature swings. Impact damage is sometimes evident in keyboards that have a history of extensive use, or were perhaps stored improperly.
How to Buy an Unrestored Wurlitzer: Risks, Prices & Scams
How can you tell if an unrestored Wurlitzer that is listed online is worth buying?
There is a short answer and a long answer. First, the short answer:
Just about every Wurly on earth is worth buying if you like it and it is in your budget. There are almost no problems with a Wurlitzer that are impossible to fix, and all of the consumable parts can and should be replaced anyway. Once you replace the consumable parts and fix the miscellaneous issues, your Wurlitzer will play amazingly. It is the best instrument on earth and you will be so happy that you took the time and the trouble to get one.
Careful readers may have noticed a couple of phrases: just about, almost. Those phrases are key to the rest of this guide.
How to buy a Wurlitzer electronic piano from an independent seller—for less than you think
Since Wurlitzer electronic pianos have been out of production for around 40 years now, the most reliable place to find them is on a selling platform like Reverb, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. Generally, the seller is not a professional restorationist or even a flipper, but an individual who happens to have a keyboard and would like to sell it for money. Because we live in a capitalist society, one would think that many people would be familiar with the basic strategy of exchanging money for goods. This is not necessarily the case.