My Wurlie drives me crazy !

[bert mouwen]

Don Tillman wrote to Haible Juergen: 

> .-..some things about Wurlies-


not very much an analog synthesizer I think,
but talking about this very analog piano-oldie:

does anyone know a supplier for spare parts nowadays?
especially new tongues of course, and in my case preferably in "the
neighbourhoud of the netherlands".

About the noise theme: I don't think i can add much to Don Tillman's 
advise:

>  Dirt, dust or a dead insect might be shorting the pickup's high
>  voltage to something.

dust or things like dead insects can cause terrifying noises at 
impredictable moments in my own experience. When you check for dust it 
might be useful to look at the distances between the tongues and the 
frame. If the tongues are not well centered, dirt has more chance. I 
never had the experience of radio-like sounds however caused by dirt.
Unwanted electromagnetic "input" should be be prevented sufficiently by 
the shield in the wurlitzer's cap. But i suppose this thing is correctly 
grounded. The fact that noises get worse by lifting the damper might be 
explained by the fact that every sound from the speaker gets a chance at 
any tone-tongue to get it it resonating, soon resulting i an avalange of 
sounds. (by the way -one of my favorite ways aof playing the wurlitzer: 
hitting the key not hard enough to get the hammer on the tong, amplifier 
just loud enough to prevent continuous feedback, resulting in a nice 
sustain = being very off-topic already? okay then. Anyone ever worked 
out the idea of a sort of "tuned resonator with strong enhancing 
characteristics" this way?)

grtz. bert mouwen.