The Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and North Tonawanda, NY. Interestingly, the Wurlitzer company itself never called the instrument an "electric piano", inventing instead the phrase "Electronic Piano" and using this as a trademark throughout the production of the instrument. See however electronic piano, the generally accepted term for a completely different type of keyboard instrument. An electric piano (e-piano) is an electric musical instrument whose popularity started in the late 1960s, was at its greatest during the 1970s and still is big today. ... The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, is an American company, formerly a producer of stringed instruments, woodwind, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Not to be confused with Electric piano. ...

General description

The Wurlitzer piano is usually a 64-note instrument whose keyboard range is from A an octave above the lowest note of a standard 88-note piano to the C an octave below the top note of an 88-note piano. Tone production in all models comprises a single steel reed for each key, activated by a miniature version of a conventional grand piano action and forming part of an electrostatic pickup system using a DC voltage of 170v. A mechanical sustain pedal similar to that of a conventional piano is fitted. The layout of a typical musical keyboard A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers on a musical instrument which cause the instrument to produce sounds. ... For other uses, see Octave (disambiguation). ... A grand piano from Schiedmayer & Söhne, Stuttgart. ... Action of a circa 1907 upright piano The action of a piano is the mechanical assembly which translates the depression of the piano keys into a felt hammer striking the strings. ... Electrostatics is the branch of physics that deals with the force exerted by a static (i. ... Three magnetic pickups on an electric guitar. ... A sustain or sustaining pedal (also damper pedal or loud pedal) is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano. ...

History

Inventor Benjamin Miessner had designed an amplified conventional upright piano in the 1930s, and Wurlitzer used his electrostatic pickup design, but replaced the strings with struck steel reeds. The instrument entered production in 1955 as the EP-110, followed by the 111 and 112 of the same year, and continued to be produced in various forms until about 1982 when production of the EP-200A ceased. Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

There is evidence of a piano designated as the model 100, but whether or not it was produced or only a prototype is up for debate. Pictures of a model 100 do exist, and the Wurlitzer EP Service manuals do state that the Wurlitzer was introduced in 1954, not 1955. The model 106 was a later model, not an early model.

Variations

Most Wurlitzer electric pianos are portable models with removable legs and the sustain pedal attached via a Bowden cable; console, "grand" and "spinet" models were also produced with a permanently attached pedal. The early models sustain pedals actually attached through the side of the instrument, with the pedal eventually being connected directly under the unit in the late 50s. Invented by Frank Bowden, a bowden cable is a type of flexible cable used to transmit mechanical force or energy by the movement of an inner cable (most commonly of steel or stainless steel) relative to a hollow outer cable housing. ... A grand piano from Schiedmayer & Söhne, Stuttgart. ...

Portable models

The earliest versions were the "100" series; these had a case made from painted fibreboard or wood and were fitted with a single loudspeaker mounted in the rear of the case. Apart from the very first models, the portable Wurlitzer pianos featured a tremolo effect with fixed rate but adjustable depth. Models produced until the early 1960s used vacuum tube circuitry; the 140B was the first solid-state model. The next model, the 145 was replaced in 1968 by the plastic-bodied 200, a much lighter instrument (56 lbs, without the legs or pedal) with two loudspeakers facing the player. This model was updated as the 200A a few years later and continued in production into the early 1980s. The 200 was available in black, dark "Forest Green", red or beige. The 200A was only available in black. The white Wurlitzer sometimes seen being used by bands such as The Beach Boys, The Carpenters and Supertramp was a custom painted finish not made by the manufacturer. The last version to be introduced was the 200B in 1978; this was visually identical to the 200A but was designed to be powered by a pair of medium-tension (85v) rechargeable batteries; it had no internal speakers. Engineered wood, also called composite wood, includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding together the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials. ... An inexpensive low fidelity 3. ... Tremolo is a musical term with two meanings: A rapid repetition of the same note, a rapid variation in the amplitude of a single note, or an alternation between two or more notes. ... Structure of a vacuum tube diode Structure of a vacuum tube triode An old NEC vacuum tube In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube (in North America), thermionic valve, or just valve (elsewhere, especially in Britain) is a device used to amplify, switch, otherwise modify, or create an electrical signal... The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers. ...

Console models

One important role for the Wurlitzer piano was as a student instrument in school and college music labs, and non-portable console versions were made for this purpose. The teacher had a headphone and microphone to be able to listen into each student individually and talk to them without others hearing them. All students listened to each of their instruments through headphones. Those usually seen resemble a beige or light green Model 200 mounted on a matching pedestal containing a loudspeaker, headphone niche and sustain pedal. On these models there is no tremolo (although later models simply have the facility disabled). Some of these models were given the designation 206/206A. Many console models have recently been modified to 200/200A specification for use on stage. Rarer than the student models are the teacher consoles, featuring multiple monitor/mute switches and, in some cases the facility to add a large illuminated display panel operated via the keyboard. For other uses, see College (disambiguation). ... In-ear headphones Headphones (also known as earphones, stereophones, headsets, or the slang term cans) is a transducer that receives an electrical signal from a media player or receiver and uses speakers placed in close proximity to the ears (hence the name earphone) to convert the signal into audible sound...

Other models

Spinet versions

Since production began, small numbers of wood-cased spinet-style instruments were made for domestic use. These usually had an upright-piano style soft pedal (actually an electronic attenuator) as well as the sustain pedal. The mechanism of these pianos is identical to that of the contemporary portable version. The model 700 was the same amplifier and action as the portable model 120.The model 700 was produced circa 1959-1962. The model 720 was the spinet version of the 140 series, (140B,145) piano. The model 720 was produced circa 1962-1965. The soft pedal (or una corda pedal) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed to the left of the pedals. ...

The rarest of all Wurlitzers was the European only model 300, which was a spinet type piano based on the model 200A.This was the very last model produced and is even rarer than the model 270,butterfly grand. The model 300 looked similar to a modern digital piano.

Butterfly Baby Grand

The 200 uniquely had a domestic sister model 270 called the "Butterfly Baby Grand", a semicircular, walnut finish wooden-cased piano with twin quadrant-shaped lids angled above horizontally-mounted 8" loudspeakers. This was among the last Wurlitzers produced, and is very difficult to find. It is also the heaviest Wurlitzer ever produced. Look up Quadrant on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Quadrant can mean: HMS Quadrant (G11), a WW-II British/Australian warship. ...

106P

A rare version, and the only known model not to have 64 keys is the 106P, a 44-note classroom model with a plastic case, no controls, one loudspeaker and no sustain pedal. The 106P was available as a set of six (model 106) on a folding frame, forming a portable keyboard lab. This model appears to date from the early 1970s and was available in orange or beige.

Sound

Compared with its erstwhile rival, the (Fender) Rhodes electric piano, the Wurlitzer has a brighter, more hollow sound. When played gently the sound can be quite sweet and vibraphone-like, becoming more aggressive with harder playing, producing a characteristic slightly overdriven tone usually described as a "bark". In a pop or rock band setting with guitar(s), bass and drums the Wurlitzer has a distinctive and clear sound where a Rhodes would tend to blend in. However it has also been used successfully in MOR ballads and even country music. A Rhodes piano A Rhodes piano is an electromechanical musical instrument, a brand of electric piano. ... A typical vibraphone. ... Overdrive in the field of rock music, is a term used for an electric guitar amplifier when turned up, usually deliberately, to the point where distortion (clipping) is clearly audible in the output signal. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... Two different electric guitars. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Middle of the Road was a Scottish pop group who enjoyed great success across Europe in the early 1970s. ... A ballad is a story in song, usually a narrative song or poem. ... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ...

Maintenance issues

The reeds are notorious for metal fatigue caused by hard playing which can make them go out of tune and eventually break. This phenomenon can be minimized by having the action adjusted by a trained technician. Action of a circa 1907 upright piano The action of a piano is the mechanical assembly which translates the depression of the piano keys into a felt hammer striking the strings. ...

The reeds are tuned by filing off solder on the ends of them to make them go sharper and adding solder to them to make them go flatter. For those not handy with a soldering iron and in search of a quick tuning fix, beeswax may be added to the tip of the reed rather than solder.

New old stock and newly manufactured reeds are readily available from on-line specialists. New old stock (abbreviated NOS) is a term used in business to refer to merchandise being offered for sale which was manufactured long agobut never sold at retail. ...

Recent users

Other recent Wurlitzer users include Kaiser Chiefs, Blood Brothers (band), Norah Jones, Grace Potter, John Medeski of Medeski Martin & Wood, Gnarls Barkley and Tori Amos. Amos used Wurlitzer electric pianos on her albums "Strange Little Girls" and "Scarlet's Walk" and toured with them during her "Strange Little Tour" in 2001 and "On Scarlet's Walk" tour in 2002 and 2003.^{[citation needed]} Adam Green also features Wurlitzer electric pianos in his music, such as the entire Gemstones album. This article is about the band. ... Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, keyboardist, guitarist, and occasional actress of Anglo-American and Bengali descent. ... Grace Potter is the front woman for the Vermont based band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. ... John Medeski is a pianist and composer. ... Medeski Martin & Wood (or MMW) is a US jazz trio originally formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar. ... Gnarls Barkley is an American musical collaboration between multi-instrumentalist and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) from New York, and rapper/vocalist Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway), from Atlanta. ... Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos on August 22, 1963) is an American pianist and singer-songwriter. ... For the Gemstone as a mineral see Gemstone. ...

Recorded examples

• Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky"
• American Football - "The One With The Wurlitzer"
• Arrica Rose and the ...'s - "Wreck Me"
• Beck - "Where It's At"
• Benevento/Russo Duo - "Play Pause Stop"
• Blood Brothers - "Laser Life", "Set Fire to the Face on Fire", "Peacock Skeleton With Crooked Feathers"
• Booker T. and the MG's - "Chinese Checkers"
• Boston - "My Destination"
• Michiel Braam Wurli Trio - "Hosting Changes"
• Dan Bryk - "BBW (Chunky Girl)"
• The Carpenters - "Top Of the World"
• Carl Weathersby - "Feels Like Rain"
• Charlie Peacock - "Personal Revolution"
• Chicago - "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"
• The Crusaders (and maybe other stuff by Joe Sample - "Tough Talk"
• Daft Punk - "Digital Love"
• The Faces - "Stay With Me"
• David Gray/Lost Songs/Wurlitzer
• Dhani Harrison - "Stuck Inside a Cloud"
• Donny Hathaway - "The Ghetto-Pt 1" & "What's Going On?"
• Gov't Mule - "Soulshine"
• Jellyfish - "That Is Why", "New Mistake"
• Joanna Newsom - "Peach, Plum, Pear" (version on "Walnut Whales"), "This Side of the Blue"
• John Scofield - "Green Tea"
• Joni Mitchell - "Woodstock"
• King Harvest - "Dancing in the Moonlight"
• Little Feat - "Long Distance Love", "Got No Shadow", "Romance Dance"
• Madeleine Peyroux - "I'm All Right"
• Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
• Muse - "Feeling Good"
• Neil Young - "The Old Laughing Lady", "See The Sky About To Rain"
• Panic at the Disco - "Mad As Rabbits"
• Pink Floyd - "Breathe","Money", "Time"
• Quarterflash - "Harden My Heart"
• Queen - "You're My Best Friend"
• Ray Charles - "What'd I Say"
• Richie Kotzen - "Some Voodoo"
• Sheryl Crow - "The Book", "All I Wanna Do"
• The Small Faces - "Lazy Sunday"
• Rick Springfield - "Souls"
• Steely Dan - "Godwhacker", "Do It Again," "Jack Of Speed", "Two Against Nature", "Your Gold Teeth," "Everyone's Gone To The Movies."
• Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago"
• Sun Ra (1956 first Wurlitzer record including) - "India", "Dreams Come True"
• Supertramp - "The Logical Song", "Dreamer", "Goodbye Stranger", "Lady" and countless other songs; their "Breakfast in America" album can be highly considered a treatise on Wurlitzer electric piano's possibilities
• Three Dog Night - "Mama Told Me Not To Come"; "Joy to the World"
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Breakdown", "You Don't Know How It Feels"
• Tony Toni Tone - "Anniversary"
• Tori Amos - "Tombigbee", "Pancake", "Strange Little Girl"
• Under Byen - "Palads"
• Usher - "Thats What Its Made For"
• Van Halen - "And the Cradle Will Rock" (run through a flanger)
• Your Horrible Smile - "Emancipation"

Alan Parsons Project is a British pop-rock group of the late 1970s-early 1980s, founded by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson. ... Eye in the Sky track listing Sirius (1) Eye in the Sky (2) Children of the Moon (3) Eye in the Sky is a 1982 song by the Alan Parsons Project. ... Urbana, Illinois: Before American Football, bassist Mike Kinsella (Capn Jazz, Joan of Arc (band)) and drummer Steve Lamos played in The One Up Downstairs with Dave and Alan Johnson (both of Very Secretary). ... This article is about the musician. ... Where Its At is the first single from Becks 1996 album, Odelay. ... The Duo at the State Theatre - March 2, 2006 The Benevento/Russo Duo (or the Duo for short) is an alternative jazz outfit hailing from New York, NY. The band consists of Marco Benevento on organ and keyboards and Joe Russo on drums. ... For other uses, see Blood Brothers (disambiguation). ... Booker T. & the M.G.s is a soul band, most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Michiel Braam (born 17 May 1964 in Nijmegen) is a Dutch Jazz-Pianist and Composer. ... Dan Waldemar Bryk (born September 23, 1970) is a North American indie-rock singer-songwriter and recording artist. ... For other uses, see Carpenter (disambiguation). ... Carl Weathersby (born February 24, 1953) is a blues vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter from Chicago. ... Charlie Peacock (born Charles William Ashworth, August 10, 1956, also goes by Charlie Peacock-Ashworth) is a songwriter, record producer, musician, and writer, best known for his work in the field of Christian Contemporary Music. ... This article is about the American pop-rock-jazz band. ... Feelin Stronger Every Day is a song written by Peter Cetera and James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VI (1973). ... Daft Punk is a duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974)[1] and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975). ... Digital Love is a song by electronic French duo Daft Punk with lyrics written by DJ Sneak. ... Small Faces album cover Faces were an early 1970s rock band formed in 1969 from the ashes of The Small Faces after Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie; new members Ron Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (vocals) (both from The Jeff Beck Group) joined Ronnie Lane (bass), Ian McLagan... David Gray (born June 13, 1968 in Sale) is an English singer-songwriter. ... Dhani Harrison (born August 1, 1978) is an English musician. ... Donny Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul musician. ... Govt Mule is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project, but has taken on a life of its own. ... San Franciscos short-lived power pop band Jellyfish was a project whose core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer, keyboard player/multi-instrumentalist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. ... Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) is an American harpist, pianist, harpsichordist, singer and songwriter from Nevada City, California. ... John Scofield (born December 26, 1951 in Dayton, Ohio)[1] is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who played and eventually collaborated with Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Medeski Martin & Wood, and other important artists. ... Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. ... Woodstock is a song about the Woodstock Music and Art Festival of 1969. ... Formed in New York City, USA around 1972, King Harvest was best known for its one US hit single, Dancing In The Moonlight, in 1973. ... King Harvests album, Dancing in the Moonlight Dancing in the Moonlight is the title song on the 1973 King Harvest album. ... ...and then I met Lowell George. ... Madeleine Peyroux (b. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. ... I Heard It Through the Grapevine is a R&B/soul song written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. ... For the rock band, see Muse (band). ... This article is about the musician. ... Panic! At The Disco is an Alternative Rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... Breathe was the third single released from singer Kylie Minogues 1997 album Impossible Princess. ... Money is the 5th/6th song on Pink Floyds famous album Dark Side of the Moon. ... Time is one of the more famous songs from the Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd. ... Quarterflash is a rock group formed in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1980. ... Harden My Heart is the most popular single by the pop group Quarterflash, off their Quarterflash album, released in 1981. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor, with bass guitarist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Youre My Best Friend is a song penned by John Deacon and performed by Queen. ... For Ray Charles, the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ... This article is about the song by Ray Charles. ... Richie Kotzen (born February 3, 1970 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. ... Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. ... All I Wanna Do is a song performed by Sheryl Crow and written by David Baerwald, Bill Bottrell, Wyn Cooper, Sheryl Crow, and Kevin Gilbert. ... Small Faces were a British mod group formed in 1965[1] by Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (who was soon replaced by Ian McLagan). ... Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23, 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is a songwriter, musician and actor. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... Sufjan Stevens (IPA pronunciation: ) (born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Petosky, Michigan. ... Sun Ra (Born Herman Poole Blount; legal name Le Sonyr Ra;[1] born May 22, 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama, died May 30, 1993 in Birmingham, Alabama) was an innovative jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his cosmic philosophy, musical compositions and performances. ... Supertramp is a British progressive rock band that had a series of top-selling albums in the 1970s and early 1980s. ... The Logical Song is a hit single on Supertramps 1979 album Breakfast in America and written and sung by band member Roger Hodgson. ... Dreamer is a hit single off of Supertramps 1974 album Crime of the Century. ... Goodbye Stranger is a song by Supertramp, which first appeared on the album Breakfast in America. ... Breakfast in America is the sixth album by the band Supertramp, released in 1979. ... Three Dog Night is an American rock band, best known for their music from 1968–1975 but still making live appearances as of 2008. ... Mama Told Me Not to Come was a 1970 song by acclaimed songwriter Randy Newman. ... Joy to the World is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. ... Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (born October 20, 1953 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American musician. ... Breakdown is a song by Tom Petty. ... Wildflowers is the second solo album by American musician Tom Petty, first released in November 1994 (see 1994 in music). ... Tony! Toni! Toné! was a late 1980s/1990s R&B group from Oakland, California (near San Francisco). ... An anniversary (from the Latin anniversarius, from the words for year and to turn, meaning (re)turning yearly; known in English since c. ... Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos on August 22, 1963) is an American pianist and singer-songwriter. ... Under Byen is a Danish band founded in 1995 mainly by Katrine Stochholm and Henriette Sennenvaldt. ... Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), is an American R&B/pop singer and actor who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. ... This article is about the band Van Halen, for there debut album see Van Halen (album) Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. ... A flanger could be: Railroad maintenance of way equipment designed to clear snow from the flangeways of railroad tracks – see Flanger (railroad) Audio processing equipment that combines two audio streams of opposite phase – see Flanging This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise...

References

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