Vintage Synth Repair

--- Ill tell you in private <trondned@...>
wrote:

> My beloved Wurlitzer piano is totaly out of tune,
> and a bit quirky and
> noisy. Does anyone have instructions on how to get
> to the
> tuning-staves? They are quite well hidden in there.
> Do I have to
> dismantle the entire instrument? Can a regular
> piano-tuner tune the A200?
> 
> Also: If anyone have any mods to make it quieter
> and/or funkier in a
> way, I would aprecciate some tips.
> 
> Peace & love
> Trond
> 
> 
The noisy part - the early Wurlitzer electric pianos
used a fairly high voltage (about 300 v if I remember
correctly) in the sensing circuits. As the instrument
got older and dirt, etc. got inside, it would create
leakage paths. The mechanism needs cleaning. Its been
20 years since I was inside one - be SURE that power
is off and give it enough time for circuits to
discharge.

Each tone is made by a little "tine"  The standard
method of tuning is: to raise pitch, one must use a
file and remove a bit of the lead weighting at the end
of the tine. How much is determined by trial and
error. To lower pitch, one must use a good size
soldering iron to add lead weighting to the end of the
tine so that it will lower the pitch, then file it off
until it is on pitch.

The tuning process takes a large amount of time, and
skills that most current piano tuners will not have.
It is also fairly easy to break a tine (playing or
fixing). All Wurlitzer parts were bought by a service
company when Wurlitzer went bankrupt. The company is: 
Morelock's Organ Parts (Parts and Service for all US
built  Wurlitzer Organs and Electronic Pianos)
Mark Morelock
37-A Main Street
Rienzi, MS 38865
662-462-7611 - Phone
662-462-7611 - Fax
morelocksorgan@... 

I do not know if they still have the tines or not,
they probably have some of them. Each one has a
number, sequential from the lower end of the keyboard.

Good luck,

Jim Cason
Former musical instrument technician