The 203 is, objectively, one of the best models of Wurlitzer ever made. It has four speakers - 8” speakers!, but still, this is as close as Wurlitzer ever got to the classic 70s stack. When you play it at high volumes, it envelops you in sound like a really nice acoustic piano. The bass response is excellent. The two front speakers are pointed at you, for monitoring purposes. The two back speakers are pointed away, for filling the room. It’s just perfection.

The most common sustain problem on a Wurlitzer 200a (or earlier) keyboard is too much sustain: the note continues to ring out, even when the pedal is not depressed. This is almost always caused by damper felts that are excessively compressed or otherwise deteriorated. In other cases, the Wurlitzer’s sustain pedal doesn’t do anything when depressed, and the piano never has sustain. This is usually because the pedal is not making the proper interior connection. This guide will help you address both problems.

We have a soft spot for the 200, because it was our first Wurlitzer electronic piano. Our favorite Wurlitzer model changes from minute to minute, but the 200 always has a strong case. It’s the final iteration, sleek and stripped-down - not an inch of wasted space - with features that have been arguably perfected from the previous versions. Electronically, though, it’s still ancient technology. It’s rough around the edges. The 200a was a necessary upgrade - but that doesn’t mean that we have to like it better.

This vintage tube hi-fi-turned-guitar amp is one of our favorite past restorations.

We are extra-excited about this group of four Wurlitzer 200 student pianos because they are clearly of an early manufacture. Three of them had original music racks with the closely-spaced metal bars, which are incredibly rare. Even aside from that great detail, however, all of the keyboards were in great shape. They had clearly been used only lightly and had been stored in a clean, low-humidity area.