Wurlitzer Electric Piano

The Wurlitzer Electric Piano is a 1955-1982 produced by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company and invented by Benjamin Meissner electro-mechanical keyboard instrument. The most represented variant, the Wurlitzer 200A, came primarily in the 1960s and 1970s a lot in jazz, funk, country and soul music used. The Wurlitzer piano is her ever since in various genres used later. Increasingly in sample form The sound is the Fender Rhodes similar and varied between aggressive play at comparatively hard, hollow, assertive and sweet in calm game vibraphonartigem, warm sound.

• 5.1 Related instruments

Instrument

The Wurlitzer piano is a keyboard instrument with 64 keys. The range corresponds to a 88-key buttons without the upper and lower octave. The typical sound is produced by striking a metal tongue ( Reed ) generated with a felted hammer head. In contrast to the Fender Rhodes, which only has a bounce mechanism, Wurlitzer in a wing-like system is installed, adduced also a trip. The sound is picked up on the capacitor plates, which form an electric field. In addition, the Wurlitzer has a mechanical sustain pedal which works via a Bowden cable. Some models are also equipped with a tremolo that is adjustable only in intensity, but not in speed.

History

The inventor Benjamin Meissner had developed an ordinary amplified piano in the 1930s. Wurlitzer used the used to amplify electrostatic pickups but replaced the strings with metal tongues.

Models

Most Wurlitzer electric pianos are portable and have detachable legs; it however also console models were sold, which had a more powerful amplifier on which they were also (comparable to the Fender Rhodes Suitcase ). This " Console" and " spinet " models mentioned had a portable version, in contrast to the permanently installed sustain pedal.

Portable Series

The first models were from the 100 series, they had a case made of colored fiber board or wood, and a single speaker in the housing. All pianos except the very first models have a tremolo effect, in which the rate was fixed and the intensity could be regulated. Until the early 1960s all models had a tube amplification; the 140B was the first model with transistor amplifiers. The next model (145 ) was replaced by the Model 1969 Wurlitzer 200, which had a plastic cover. This model was much lighter and had two speakers that were on the player. The model was available in black, forest green, red or beige. However, the model 200A was always available only in black. All models except the very rare, battery-powered Model 200B had at least one (early models ), but usually two speakers.

Console Series

An important role for the Wurlitzer piano was the instrument of an exercise in schools and universities. The practically immovable console models were intended for this purpose. These usually beige or light green 200 models have a speaker, an output for headphones and a sustain pedal; some of these models do not have tremolo effect. In Europe, nor was a 300 model on the market, which was intended as a living room instrument. Many old console models have recently been easily converted to be used as a portable version. There was also the now rare teachers model, with which you can listen or mute the individual student models.

Spinet series

Since production began in a small number of Spinettmodellen were built. This imaginary for home use models feature similar to a piano wood paneling, a damper pedal (which is really just the electronic signal quieter made ​​) and a sustain pedal. Otherwise, these models were identical to the ordinary portable pianos.

Butterfly Baby Grand Series

The Model 200 had a unique house model as a twin sister, the "Butterfly Baby Grand ", a semicircular piano in a wooden cabinet with two cube-shaped speakers.

106P

This particularly rare model is the only known version, which has only 44 keys instead of 64. The model was intended for the classroom, had a plastic housing, no controls for adjustment, only one loudspeaker and no sustain pedal. The piano was only available as a set of eight piano to furnish equal to whole classes with it. It probably comes from the early 1960s and was in orange and beige.

Clips

Pieces of music with Wurlitzer use:

• Ray Charles - " What'd I Say "
• Three Dog Night - "Mama Told Me Not to Come "
• The Small Faces - " Lazy Sunday"
• Donny Hathaway - " What's going on "
• Joni Mitchell - "Woodstock"
• Carpenters - "Top of the World"
• Supertramp - "The Logical Song ", " Dreamer "
• Sun Ra (1956, the first song with a Wurlitzer ) - " India", "Dreams Come True "
• Jamiroquai - "Black Capricorn Day"
• Queen - " You're My Best Friend"
• Marvin Gaye - " I Heard It Through the Grapevine "
• Pink Floyd - "Money"
• Sheryl Crow - "The Book ", " My Favorite Mistake" ( Wurlitzer version on the single)
• Steely Dan - "Do It Again"
• Joanna Newsom - " Peach, Plum, Pear " ( version on " Walnut Whales " )
• Norah Jones - " One Flight Down"