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Wurli 200 - yes or no ?


gilwe

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Where are you living again? For example, in continental Europe $1.500 seem pretty ok for a good one.

 

Apart from that... my own Wurly 200 was probably the craziest purchase I ever did - but I never regretted it for even a second. They are just fun fun fun fun fun fun fun.

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Crazy in what means ? ;)

 

BTW, there's one on ebay which ends in about 2 hours. Stands at 1000$ right now. US prices.

So I assume 1500$ would be the market price for outside-US... They seem to be much more rare to get

then Rhodes for example...

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Crazy in what means ?
;)

Crazy because I'm in the US for a student exchange and the first thing I bought was a Wurlitzer. Crazy also because I'll take it home with me. Crazy even more because I already have a Rhodes. Crazy especially because it can be a pain to maintain and parts are expensive.

Whatever. It's fun like hell. Next thing will be a Clavinet :p

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hehe not such a thing like "crazy" for us forum members to do any of the mentioned above :D

 

But I know what you mean. I once bought a Fender Twin Reverb (the 135W version) when I traveled Thailand. Haven't even packed it, just had it wrapped with all my cloths and let it go into the airplane with the bags... Arrived with a few smashed knobs and blub. But it was 'worth it ! ;)

 

The thing is that where I live you really don't come across rare vintage instruments that often. The next Wurli I'll meet could be in 5 years from now,

so I really can't pass these opportunities. Moreover, they just get more pricey, and not like you stated, are fairly easy to maintain and parts are readily available. I had my Rhodes restored with a very few sessions, over two weeks or less.

 

I'll jump over the that guy to check the Wurli out. Should be a beaten up unit though...

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Checked it out today. Very well kept, clean inside, no seen problems except for two missing tines which the guy has already ordered. I must say that although that seemed to me like a very nice instrument, it's not as impressive as its "big" brothers, the Rhodes and the Yamaha CP. It has its particular sound, which sometimes can be what you just need in your track, and mixes so well, but still 1500$ feels too high for that kind of instrument. I think I'd rather look for a beaten one at the flea markets, although I'm quite skeptical I'll come across any in the near future. I have a few days to let him know what I decide, before he gets back, to LA I assume...

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...and not like you stated, are fairly easy to maintain and parts are readily available. I had my Rhodes restored with a very few sessions, over two weeks or less.

Wait a minute. The Rhodes is a little different. It has a lot less moving parts, is a breeze to tune, has more space inside etc.

I don't say that the Wurly is impossible to maintain - you get into it. However, it takes more time and is somewhat more "fumbly" to work in that crammed little thing.

Availability of parts is pretty good - no doubt about that. You find most of the things you need at Speakeasy or VintageVibe, or in Europe Taste & Technik, Eboardmuseum or EP-Service.

 

Also, if you have a chance to do so, do the Wurly a favor and listen to it over a guitar amp or a PA system. These little integrated speakers are pretty cool, but they don't reproduce everything the piano is capable of. They are, after all, approximately kitchen radio size :)

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Just as I'm starting to like the idea of getting it, I call the guy and he says he'd like to have the originally 1700$ he was asking for (someone checking it out in the background).

So now... 1700$. :mad: Need to let him know by tomorrow.

 

What do you say ?... is that the normal market price ?? :confused:

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but still 1500$ feels too high for that kind of instrument. I think I'd rather look for a beaten one at the flea markets, although I'm quite skeptical I'll come across any in the near future. .

 

 

Trust me, this is a pipe dream. I'll be selling my beaten up one soon on ebay and I'm sure I'll still get this sort of price. You know the drill "perfect for gigging" etc. And it will be, that's what attracted me before I decided I didn't really want to take it out much.

 

That really sucks about the price increase, I'd probably still take it at $1700 if I was you.

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I own a 206 and a 207VA. They are nice instruments. The size and weight is smaller and lighter than a Rhodes, but the keybed action is more articulate. Here they seem to be rare, but more common than a Clavinet or a CP70 (I also own a D6 and two CP70B). I agree that it feels almost like a toy compared to a CP70, but they are really different instruments with a unique feel and sound in each. The CP70 is also much less portable; gigging a Wurli wouldn't be the lightest keyboard possible but it's fairly easy to handle with one person.

 

I paid much less but feel I was lucky, patient, and got pretty good deals between the two ($600 for the 206, $292 for the 207VA). Remember that like any vintage instrument there is a good chance you will want or need to spend more money on the instrument -- my 206, for example, needs the preamp rebuilt to reduce noise, needs a tune and a new reed or two, etc. etc. In all I could easily spend as much as I paid for any vintage instrument in repairs/upgrades to have them operating as they should be.

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The good thing about the Wurly is its quite fun to work on even if there are a few problems. I managed to nearly level out all the keys and just need a bit more felt to correct a tilt. Pretty easy to fix up some voicing issues by repositioning a reed or two, or tightening/loosening the harp. Maybe tuning a few reeds. Shining up the legs with a bit of brasso. Put a new cable in the pedal to lengthen it a bit back to original. I'll get around to some woodwork to fix some splitting one of these days. Troubleshooting that buzz, that was fun too. I can't do any of these with my other boards.

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$1700 is definately on the high side. However, once you've played one you won't care. I have 2 wurlis and love them. If you have the money and really want it, go for it. If you're willing to pay $1700, someone else will down the line. Prices are going up, not down on vintage boards.

 

BTW, I pulled my Rhodes out of the closet yesterday because I just had to hear that sound. Hooked it up to the phaser and stereo pulsar and was in heaven. I haven't had it out in about 6 months and it still plays like butter. It's the greatest sound ever for playing solo. However, for rock or playing with other musicians, the Wurli is the only way to go. It cuts thru and holds it's own better than any digital keyboard while also making guitars sound wimpy along side it. My 145 eats guitars for breakfast.

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Yep, I agree it does cut mixes in rock music in a very special way, and has its own unique sound. I also agree that getting a perfectly maintained Wurli for 1700$ would be just like getting a bad shaped one at 1000$ and putting the additional 700$ on parts and work :rolleyes: This one is being maintained on constant basis, and is in almost perfect condition. Doesn't look mint as well used but everything works and tuned properly. Sustain pedal is new.

 

With all that being said, I still feel it's a bit high for me to pay that price for it. I might think differently if I play it through a fender tube amp though... I only had the chance to check it with the internal speakers used, so I must have missed it all actually.

 

I generally tend to like "heavier" pianos, like the Rhodes and CP. The Wurli does feel like a toy when comparing to them both, but as you said, it's a different instrument.

I also don't gig a lot to use it as live performance piano and I won't take it out of the studio anyway.

 

If I knew that I can get a bad shaped one locally, I'd go for it and have it restored. My dilemma at this point is that I know I won't come across one locally at all in the next few years...

 

This is the reason I still consider doing the step, although I don't feel I need any additional electric piano in my studio (I already have the CP60M, Rhodes MKI and Pianet T which I want to sell btw)

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Can't get those shipped, for the crazy shipping fees. I guess the prices will only rise up for well kept ones.

 

 

Shipping is not as bad as you think, I've shipped a Hammond to Europe for around $800.00 and that thing weighed 500lbs. You can find a great Wurly here much cheaper than $1500.00

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I generally tend to like "heavier" pianos, like the Rhodes and CP. The Wurli does feel like a toy when comparing to them both, but as you said, it's a different instrument.

 

 

I agree.

 

After having my Rhodes for 3 months now, I can see what Donald Fagen was talking about when he said that he felt that he played the Rhodes well. I found that I needed to develop a different technique for the instrument. My Wurly's action is super fast, and it's almost like playing synth keys. The Rhodes sounds ... I dunno ... more deliberate.

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