Get your Wurlitzer sounding SWEET
Warm and mellow, a sound that oozes soul. Whether it’s a quick service, or a full restoration of your Wurli; we provide a number of options to get it back to the sweet sweet sound it should have.
Notes: If unsure of any of these terms consult the Glossary
‘Tune-Up’ Service:
Time: 3-4 Hours
Cost: £250-300 (+ parts if needed)
Our quickest and most affordable option. This service can be done on-site as we don’t need to remove the electronics or harp. This covers servicing the essentials of your Wurlitzer, plus any small repairs that need doing.
- Tuning
- Voicing
- Internal cleaning
- Tightening all action screws (over 250!)
- Damper screw adjustment
- Key lubrication
- Fixing buzzing, popping, rattling or vibrations*
- Small repairs e.g. damper felts, reed replacement, etc.
Standard Service
Time: 8-9 Hours
Cost: £400-450 (+ parts if needed)
A comprehensive day service of your Wurlitzer in which we take your Wurli to our workshop. We can improve and repair the majority of areas including tuning, voicing, keyboard regulation, action regulation, and replacing parts that are worn or broken.
Our standard service consists of three parts which can be viewed below. With this undertaken your Wurlitzer will be far more responsive and enjoyable to play.
- Tuning
- Voicing
- Internal cleaning
- Tightening all action screws (over 250!)
- Fixing buzzing, popping, rattling or vibrations*
- Small repairs e.g. damper felts, reed replacement, etc.
- Small electronic repairs e.g. speaker replacement, new volume/vibrato potentiometers etc.
Even key regulation is essential for even touch throughout the piano. Over time the middle of the piano tends to become more uneven due to the higher frequency of playing there. Some keys can stick as well meaning some notes won’t sound at all. The way a Wurlitzer keyboard is regulated is the same as an acoustic piano, and more complex than a Rhodes, so we can make a big difference to the touch and feel of your Wurli.
This service includes correct setting of:
- Key height
- Key dip
- Squaring keys
- Tightening the keys (if needed)
- Improving side-play (the side to side ‘wiggle) of white and black keys.
- Key lubrication
Good regulation starts with the key, and the keyboard will look nice and even as well.
Over time the action can become very uneven and some notes can be very difficult to play or won’t sound at all. This is usually down to the action. Even regulation of the Wurlitzer action will allow even touch and playing throughout the entire piano, making it far more fun to play. If there are hammers that are worn, dampers that won’t work, or other similar issues we can fix these too. This service includes adjusting:
- Lost motion
- Let-off
- Damper screws
- Replacement of several hammers, centre pins, damper arms if needed.
Full Service
Time: 12-16 Hours
Cost: £600-800 (+ parts)
An extensive 2 day service of your Wurlitzer in which we can dive deeper and service more parts for longer. We will dedicate 8-9 hours of this to the Standard Service; then we can address the next most needed aspects you would like us to work on. You can decide, or if unsure we can recommend what we think would work best.
- Tuning
- Voicing
- Internal cleaning
- Tightening all action screws (over 250!)
- Fixing buzzing, rattling or vibrations
- Small repairs e.g. damper felts, reed replacement, etc.
- Key height
- Key dip
- Squaring keys
- Tightening the keys (if needed)
- Improving side-play (the side to side ‘wiggle) of white and black keys.
- Key lubrication
- Lost motion
- Let-off
- Damper screws
Short of a full rebuild, this is the best service your Wurlitzer can get. You can customise what you would like from the list below, or if you are unsure, get in touch.
These rubber grommets help damp sound between the lower action and damper mechanism. If your dampers are noisy (e.g. clicking) or sluggish, then replacing these will really help.
The felt damper tips of Wurlitzers can over time become misaligned so they do not dampen properly. If many notes on your Wurlitzer sustain, then this one is for you. We remove the old damper felts and install new ones to correct the dampening.
The hammers of a Wurlitzer are like very small piano hammers, and over time they become worn, especially in the treble. A partial or full replacement of these hammers will help bring the tone of your Wurli back to its original state. The process involves removal of the old hammers and installation and alignment of the new hammers.
Key bushings are strips of felt that support the key on the front and balance rails of the keybed. Keys that need re-bushing have that rather annoying rocking unstable feeling that affects how you play. If our side-play adjustments are unsuccessful then we would recommend re-bushing the keys to resolve this. This will give a tight, responsive feel to the key which is far more enjoyable to play.
Wurlitzer amplifiers, notably older models like the 200, can have crackling and distortion. Once we’ve determined this is not a reed issue (which is more common), we would suggest amp repair. The issue occurs on older models because of the lack of pre-amp in this design (The 200A has it and so this issue occurs much less).
We can repair your amplifier by replacing the electrolytic capacitors, power resistors and transistors that are causing the crackling issues. Short of purchasing a new amplifier, this is the best option to eliminate amp related crackling.
The amplifiers on Wurlitzer pianos are around 50 years old. After that length of time, issues can often rise up. The most common being low volume, hum, distortion, and crackling. Repairing the amp can be achieved, but replacing it with a Vintage Vibe modern amp can be the best way of guaranteeing the electronics to be stable in your Wurlitzer for years to come.
The chrome knobs, faceplate, and logos of your Wurlitzer are likely worn unless they have been replaced. This cosmetic improvement will make your Wurli look more shiny.
Full Restoration:
Time: Several Weeks/Months
Cost: Contact us for a quote
A full rebuild of your Wurlitzer piano can make it ‘like-new’. Whilst this may not be necessary for many Wurlis (we’re reluctant to fully replace parts on instruments that already work and sound well), but if your piano is in a terrible condition or has suffered major damage (being dropped or extensive water damage for example), then this may be the right option for you. The cost is this will vary significantly due to parts and labour time, but you’re looking at at least £2000.
Here’s a list of some of the work that can be undertaken – you can customize as much or as little as you like:
- Replacement* of reeds
- Replacement* of hammers
- Replacement* of damper arms, fly, and wippens.
- Replacement* centre pins, damper grommets, damper springs and jack springs.
- Replacement of speakers
- Replacement of hum shield
- Replacement* of electronics like potentiometers, aux/headphone outs, and on/off bulb.
- Replacement* of plastic key tops
- Replacement* of legs, leg plates, music stand, and pedal hardware
- Repair/replacement of amplifier**
- New damper felts
- New key bushings and key felts
- New cosmetics such as chrome knobs, faceplate, and logos
- Full keyboard & action regulation
- Tuning & voicing
- 12 month warranty
*Partial or full replacement of parts as needed/desired.
**We subcontract our amp repair to an amplifier specialist. Replacements we do in house.
