Got to play a real Wurly for the first time this week...

[nadroj]

Yep, never played one before. Was doing a session at a recording studio and the engineer had one set up in in the control room. Said he bought it from a guy in LA years ago, was in great condition. I can confidently say that it was the most satisfying, enjoyable keyboard based instrument I've ever laid my fingers on. The sound, the feel, the keys...Man...the sad thing was I didn't actually have any wurly parts to put down. Think I might change that when we go back next month. Wurly in every tune, who cares what the bandleader or songwriter says

 

Anyways, that's all. That's the thread. I loved it. I want one.

[BbAltered]

For a while, I practiced with this band in Brooklyn. The owner of the apartment we set up in had a Wurli 200 and a Fender Champ amp/speaker combo. This was the keyboard I used in those rehearsals. I think it was a Fender Champ - it had the most beautiful vibrato circuit. Playing the Wurli 200 with the Fender vibrato was instant heaven. The keyboard feel was very light, yet I never felt I lost the dynamics. The sound was smooth and rich like some fine wine. I felt like I was conjuring up ancient tones from a musical Ouiji board. After some months, we had to go find another place to rehearse - Darn!. I don't think I have ever enjoyed rehearsals so much.

[Reezekeys]

There is a flip side, I owned one and the reeds lose their sustain with age, and once they do that you know it won't be long before they break. I also remember applying and filing down solder at the tips of the reeds. Of course, finding a nicely-maintained one at a studio that you can use to record your tracks? Nothing wrong with that!

[Floyd Tatum]

a Wurly was the first keyboard I ever bought new. On payments from a department store, my sister had to cosign my loan (I never defaulted). Yes, it was very enjoyable, but I remember there was a 60-cycle hum or buzz issue to contend with. I seem to recall that some smart electrical people figured out how to tame that eventually, I don't know how. Had that a couple of years, then sold it (couldn't afford not to) to buy a Rhodes 73, and never looked back. Wish I'd been able to keep them both....

[mate stubb]

There is a reason Wurlis and other classic keys are revered.

 

Well, except for Rhodes...

[Doerfler]

I keep my 200 on a separate non switched outlet from everything else in my basement setup. Sometimes, after a long day, I just turn on the piano and play through the internal speakers for a few minutes before bedtime.

Gets me where I need to be.

[Bobadohshe]

I do loads of sessions at this great little studio in town. It's a medium sized room and we're often tracking singer/songwriters with a rhythm section and bringing their various projects to life. Most everything I lay down is virtual in the box Ivory, from my Montage or from my Hammond SK2. But he has a wurli in good condition there. It's always the secret weapon of the session and I know if a track isn't coming together or they need something to set the vibe right, it will always slay. Nothing beats it!

[El Lobo]

Always loved Wurly. Was the first board I bought, back in the 70's. Gave it up in the divorce when I moved to San Francisco. Never a Rhodes fan. I always go to my Wurly sound on my Nord 5D for gigs. Never use Rhodes. You always remember your first love. Probably best to remember her as she was, not how much work she would have become.

[drawback]

I bought a mid-60s Roxatone 140B in 1971, and gigged with it for most of that decade. I must have gone through a couple dozen reeds a year, mostly middle A"s. The music store always made sure they had reed stock for me. I had quite a few minor pickup bar explosions on stage and became really good at loading & filing solder during band breaks. As soon as digital electric pianos became accessible I sold it, but still have an eye on Wurlitzers as they come up on Craigslist. The latest one I"ve seen is a 200 and they want $4200 CDN for it, if you can believe that. For that kind of money I"d look at Vintage Vibe.

[Tom Williams]

There is a flip side, I owned one and the reeds lose their sustain with age, and once they do that you know it won't be long before they break. I also remember applying and filing down solder at the tips of the reeds.

...And then, panicking because there were now metal filings that could get into the 300 micron space between a reed and the capacitive pickup.

 

But yeah, my Wurlitzer was immeasurably more enjoyable to play than the college's Suitcase 73 Rhodes, both for the action and (IMO) the sound.

[bjosko]

Got one brand new in the late 70"s, sold it for a Rhodes Mark II Suitcaseâ¦â¦

The main reason was all the work I had with the broken reeds (never broke a tine on a Rhodes). Today, it is the instrument I really are missing. I have also learned a bit more about amplification, so perhaps I would have used a more gentle hand today. The bark from the bass notes, seconds before they broke was wonderful â¦â¦.

I also prefer the Wurlitzer sound over the Rhodes on my clones, it also use to blend in better in a band with two loud guitars.

[El Lobo]

But yeah, my Wurlitzer was immeasurably more enjoyable to play than the college's Suitcase 73 Rhodes, both for the action and (IMO) the sound.

I also prefer the Wurlitzer sound over the Rhodes on my clones, it also use to blend in better in a band with two loud guitars.

We love our Wurly sounds. And yeah, I think the Wurly sound on my Nord blends better in loud blues/rock/country than the Rhodes sounds.

[octa]

Had two 200a Wurlitzers stolen from bandmate"s Honda CRX almost 20 years ago now. One was pristine & sounded/played indescribably great. The other was beat up & for spare reeds & such. Haven"t left gear in car overnight since! & sorely miss it every few days. Now they (& Rhodes) cost 10x as much as then. Ah well.

[retrokeys]

I had real love/hate thing going with Wurlies. Over the years I have owned 5 of them. I loved the action and the sound, although truth to tell I liked the Rhodes sound a little better. Still, the weight and that rubbery feeling action on the Rhodes were always deal breakers. I'd get a Wurly, love it and in the course of time the reeds would start to go. Complete PITA. So I'd soldier on and solder on but eventually get disgusted and let it go...a year or two later like the song says "right back in love again." I always wished that somebody would have made an EP with a Wurlitzer action and the Rhodes sound generating system. Today, of course digital EPs sort of let you do that. My Nord Electro6 HP is as close as I think it is ever going to get. Still, it sure is fun to play an original now and then...as long as I don't have to own it.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

I love my Wurli so much that I took it to 80% of my gigs for over five years even though I owned a Nord Electro. It's gonna live in the home studio most of the time now, but it's one of my most treasured posessions. Nothing like it.

[Shamanczarek]

I had a 200A that I gigged with from the late 70s to 1982. Loved it but kept breaking reeds so out of frustration I gave it away to a young aspiring musician. At the time it seemed Synths were the future of music so I went in that direction for a while to my later regret.

 

I first played a Wurlie around 1967 at a Piano and Organ store in my home town of Salem, Oregon. My parents were considering buying it for me but got me a Wurlitzer home Organ instead. I used a borrowed Rhodes for some gigs in 1971. The action was very heavy and the sound didn't cut very well in a rock band which influenced me to buy a Wurlie later on.

 

I read in an interview with Alan Price of The Animals that he had one of the first Wurlies in England. There are early photos of the band showing it and it was used on some recordings including an early version of "Boom Boom". It was stolen from a stage and was never found. Price said that the band's refusal to help pay for a replacement was the main reason he left not the issue over "House of the Rising Sun" royalties. He did have a Wurlie when The Animals got back together in the 70s.

[Doerfler]

I always wished that somebody would have made an EP with a Wurlitzer action and the Rhodes sound generating system.

 

OT, but you may want to check out the Vintage Vibe EP's

[zxcvbnm098]

I'm in the market for one again, but the prices are soooooo completely out of line at the moment. I'm hoping they will drop back to more realistic prices over the next year or two.

 

The last one I had I was forced to sell when the economy crashed (and my job with it), but that one I had Ken Rich go through and even out the action, tune and clean up the electrical. Ken is not cheap, but he's really good and it and I was happy to spend the dough to make it nice. I personally wouldn't attempt to tune it or do any sort of maintenance, although I have tried. Living near LA is nice as there are several reputable repair folks in the area. Totally recommended to get to those who are experienced IF funds allow.

 

I got my first in 1976 when I was first started playing in bands, but I couldn't wait to get rid of it and get a Rhodes (the era of Steely Dan, Doobies, Boz Scaggs et al - all faves of mine), which I did in 1978. I played the Rhodes for a long time, but I have zero interest in getting one again. The Wurly is different though.

 

For one, they blend so well with guitars, and like others have mentioned, the action is awesome. They are also stylistically more appropriate with the kind of music I play and enjoy. It's really my favorite vintage instrument by a mile, and I hope I can find another soon..

[confidence]

I've never played a real Wurly. What is the action like? How does it compare to a Rhodes, or a piano?

[mcgoo]

... but I remember there was a 60-cycle hum or buzz issue to contend with. I seem to recall that some smart electrical people figured out how to tame that eventually, I don't know how.

 

The 200A solved this. For the 200, there's a hum shield you can get that sits above the pickups and hammers. Easy to install and it works.

 

I had a festival gig yesterday and after reading this thread I was really tempted to bring my Wurlie out. I used to do that quite a bit pre-Covid. But, upon reflection, I was reminded of the last gig I took it out for when a reed went drastically flat and I couldn't pull it up to pitch. It was the D above middle C, so I had to ditch using it and scramble to replace it. I got over the urge to bring it out. ð

[Steve Nathan]

Obviously, my Avatar shows how I feel about real Wurlys! I've owned several over the years, and only recently let go of an old tube one (a 126).

There's still nothing like it, though vReeds comes awfully close to the sound and feel.

[David Emm]

I first got to play a Wurly that had only one bad reed in the low end, so I can easily remember the warm punchiness of it. Yes, it can get to be like a fix-or-repair bi-weekly old car, but that's Real for you. I've played a few that were in sweetheart condition and a few of what I call "Sh*tRhodes" that were in grim shape. ("Like an action that feels like Civil War headstones? Kid, do I have a deal for you!")

 

Logic's EPs are very pleasing to my ear, Wurly & Rhodes both. They feel accurate, take effects like champs and make for a nice balance with the variations in my synths. If I was backing a singer or the like, I might go for Scarbee, but as it is, I'm 95% covered.

[Steve Nathan]

Once you knew about Morelock Organ service in Rienzi Mississippi, you didn't have to worry about solder. files or metal shavings anymore. That guy manufactured perfectly tuned reeds and sold them cheap. I kept a box with 3 of every note in my 200A case. When one went south, I'd bang it hard enough to bust it off, to get to the next break, then pop the top and put a new one in its place.

[area51recording]

I had a rehearsal tonight with my 50's and 60's band. I always just bring my Electro 3, and while I love the sound of the pianos at home (triggered from a Casio Px5s) they feel not so good from the Nord's keybed, and they get lost in the mix as well. Thinking of this thread, I switched to the Nord's Wurli, with a bit of "twin" amp sim distortion added. It just had so much more oomph than the piano sounds! I don't know what the deal is, but I really don't mind playing wurlie and rhodes sounds from the Nord's unweighted keyboard either....it just has never worked for me with the piano samples. Also, running in mono is not the big "wind out of my sails" experience with the wurli that it is with the piano sounds.....

[zxcvbnm098]

I've never played a real Wurly. What is the action like? How does it compare to a Rhodes, or a piano?

 

It's a pretty light action; lighter than both a Rhodes and piano in most cases. I find it awesome.....

[skipeb3]

I've got a nice one... black 200A - with the matching bench! Love it. I've had it for about 40 years.

They were kinda hard to gig with on a nightly basis, breaking reeds & going out of tune & all, but now that it doesn't travel it's just fine.

[mate stubb]

I've never played a real Wurly. What is the action like? How does it compare to a Rhodes, or a piano?

 

The wurly action is very similar to a grand piano. It has escapement just like the real deal, but is much lighter touch weight. A Rhodes is just a crude "hammer resting on the back of the key" type deal.

 

Rhodes:

 

 

Wurli (partial):

 

[drawback]

I've never played a real Wurly. What is the action like? How does it compare to a Rhodes, or a piano?

 

It's a pretty light action; lighter than both a Rhodes and piano in most cases. I find it awesome.....

 

Wurlitzer action feels kind of like a light upright to me, and plays like a musical instrument.

[bennyray]

a Wurly was the first keyboard I ever bought new. On payments from a department store, my sister had to cosign my loan (I never defaulted). Yes, it was very enjoyable, but I remember there was a 60-cycle hum or buzz issue to contend with. I seem to recall that some smart electrical people figured out how to tame that eventually, I don't know how. Had that a couple of years, then sold it (couldn't afford not to) to buy a Rhodes 73, and never looked back. Wish I'd been able to keep them both....

 

Yea that 60 cycle hum was a PITA

[Adan]

I had a rehearsal tonight with my 50's and 60's band. I always just bring my Electro 3, and while I love the sound of the pianos at home (triggered from a Casio Px5s) they feel not so good from the Nord's keybed, and they get lost in the mix as well. Thinking of this thread, I switched to the Nord's Wurli, with a bit of "twin" amp sim distortion added. It just had so much more oomph than the piano sounds! I don't know what the deal is, but I really don't mind playing wurlie and rhodes sounds from the Nord's unweighted keyboard either....it just has never worked for me with the piano samples. Also, running in mono is not the big "wind out of my sails" experience with the wurli that it is with the piano sounds.....

 

A lot about this post rings true to my experience. Trying to get digital pianos to sound right in a band context can be so difficult. Wurli fits into a mix so much more readily.

 

At my college there were student wurli's in every dorm building. I never took them seriously back then, thought of them as a sickly cousin to the rhodes. But there's no question the wurli has aged well as an instrument.