Wurlitzer 145B: Save it or trash it?

After all my nonsensical crap, I feel like I should post something keys related.

I have a Wurly 145B. It is presently in disrepair, as I was trying to find and fix a bad 60Hz buzz, but haven't had much luck. then distractions called me away and it sat unloved for many years. The keys, tines and action are all intact, but I think I've lost some hardware pieces to put it completely back together again, and even if I had it all, I don't know how it goes back together.

So, now that I've ruined it, what is your, the esteemed members of KSS, opinion on this beastie? Fix it? Is this model worthy of fixing? I would need like an exploded view of how it goes back together, and a source for parts. Otherwise... to the trash heap?

Respond! Thank you!

I would think it was worth fixing. Mainly because these are classics and only becoming more rare, but also because they continue to sound very cool. I would suggest that you are probably not the best person to fix it given your lack of knowledge. I would suggest putting it up on ebay with lots of pics and explanation - someone would at least be interested in it for parts even if it cant be reassembled because of missing bits. The yahoo group Wurlitzer_Elec_Piano is a really good source of info and you'd probably either find someone there who wants it or could help you with it. Good luck to you and I wish even more luck to the Wurly.

Just the full set of reeds (they're not called tines - that's the Rhodes) would be worth at least $100-200 I would imagine.

Ask Orangefunk. He knows a lot about EP's.

Absolutely worth fixing. If not, and you decide to trash it, I'll pay for shipping costs to send it here. I would fix it. And love it. And stroke it. And name it "George".

Thanks for Yahoo group tip, King Julian, I'll look into that. Yes, they're "reeds", my bad.

Shipping it would be unpleasant, Sizzle. It's heavy. I guess I was mainly wondering if you all thought this particular model was a "keeper", as opposed to say a 200.

I don't know much about that particular model - never seen one downunder. My understanding is that although the 200 is more popular, all the wurly models are pretty similar in terms of value. I guess some people feel the older ones may have more vintage appeal, while the newer ones are possibly more stable and reliable??? The older ones have wooden cases, tubes, that sort of thing which would be pretty cool IMO. I personally like the idea of the more uncommon instruments still getting some use - if i saw one on stage, it would be more of a gee, wow for me.

OT now: but 2 recent examples of this are Wolfmother using an original version Korg CX-3 (Moderator please note my lack of any libellous statements or intent) and Franz Ferdinand using a Juno 6 live (no presets!). = Definition of cool.

The original 145 had a tube amp, but the 145B is, alas, solid state, so there's no cool factor there. Horribly inefficient amp, runs hot as hell. It is a wooden case, and it had the most god-awful early-60's beige color on it. I stripped it and painted it black.

Now that I've been harping about it, I'm starting to feel like I should suck it up and fix it.

The original 145 had a tube amp, but the 145B is, alas, solid state, so there's no cool factor there. Horribly inefficient amp, runs hot as hell. It is a wooden case, and it had the most god-awful early-60's beige color on it. I stripped it and painted it black.

Well I regard my wurly 200A as cool, and yours would be at least twice as cool, if that's any consolation.

I would have thought that god-awful beige might also be looking pretty cool now. Shame about the black, but perhaps I'd be looking to try, say, RED.

That beige never was, and never, ever will be cool. It was indescribably horrific. No, I'm not overstating it.

Red? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm... naw. The black actually looks pretty sharp. Perhaps some flames, though.

so how many pm's have you gotten so far to take it off your hands for free

Just one, actually, but the distance was too great.

Now, though, I think I'm feeling the love again and I'll try to fix it. I'm fickle like that.

I also have an old Wurly... must be a 145. A friend had it and tossed the tube amp. :-( He had me make an op-amp preamp for it. A few years later gave it to me. (w/o the sustain pedal!) Began to work on it and set it aside for years. I am getting back to it now.

I plan to re-make the tube amp but modified with stereo tremelo (like a Rhodes) line outs. Should be cool!

Mark in Oregon

Cool, Mbielman! Mine's the transistorized model, not the tube model. I still haven't found the source of the 60hz buzz, there must be a broken ground in there somewhere.

It sits sad and alone in my garage.

Hi EP.

If yours is like mine, it REQUIRES that the metal top be well grounded. (Are there ground wires to the lid?) When ever I work on mine, I simply 'accept' the hum and work away. When I put the lid back on (w/screws!) 'most' of that hum goes away. Still hums a bit... part of the beast.

Is the sound OK? I hear there are fuses in the output emitters that easily blow and mess things up. I also hear that replacing them with resistors (0.47 Ohm, 5W) helps this.

I will keep you informed on my progress. (can we post images here? I'm new to this forum.)

BTW - my name is Mark

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Hiya, Mark.

Yes, this is with the lid closed and screwed-down. There's a ground strap that gets sandwiched between the lid and the case, but maybe that's not making a good enough connection, I don't know. At the moment I'm working on some other broken babies and don't have it in a position to recheck it now.

Many many moons ago the amp quit working, PERIOD, no output at all. I found a few components had gotten eaten alive by some leftover flux on the board.

Except for the very pronounced hum, it sounds fine. All the reeds are intact, all the action works, etc. I even have the sustain pedal. The screw-on legs, though, need help; The threaded studs are stripped and need to be replaced, and the brass ferules on the legs are REALLY crusty, don't know what happened to them.

Someday I'll have ALL my gear in working order and setup in a way I can use it.

someday.