There are many different problems that could make a Wurlitzer’s keys stick. Because sticky keys are so case-specific, there is no cure-all solution. However, here are some ideas as to why your Wurlitzer’s keys are sticking.

Some vintage keyboard are in a state of total dilapidation, and will obviously need a lot of work before they can be played. But others are in better condition. They turn on, sound comes out, all or most of the keys work. Is this enough? When can servicing a keyboard that “works” make it perform much better?

This is a classic example of a Wurlitzer 200a that we once had. We photographed it in front of a wall at the studio - actually, in the control room. (The “signal” stencil is a holdover from the building’s time as a Metro-North Railroad switching station.) The floor is very slanted so we got to use an underrated feature that all portable 200 models have: adjustable feet.

The 203 is, objectively, one of the best models of Wurlitzer ever made. It has four speakers - 8” speakers!, but still, this is as close as Wurlitzer ever got to the classic 70s stack. When you play it at high volumes, it envelops you in sound like a really nice acoustic piano. The bass response is excellent. The two front speakers are pointed at you, for monitoring purposes. The two back speakers are pointed away, for filling the room. It’s just perfection.

The Wurlitzer electronic keyboard was first commercially released by Wurlitzer in 1955 as a convenient (and potentially silent) tool to practice and study piano.  But, almost immediately after its release, the instrument was discovered by professional musical talent such as Ray Charles and found its way to stages and recording studios. Because of the instrument’s unmistakably unique and warm tone and numerous practical advantages, it was a solid choice for recording artists from the very beginning. 

Some issues involving a vintage Wurlitzer electronic piano are complex to resolve. Others are caused by loose hardware, disconnected wires, or pieces of debris. If you’d like to try some easy fixes before you call a tech, here are some steps that you can take.

We have a soft spot for the 200, because it was our first Wurlitzer electronic piano. Our favorite Wurlitzer model changes from minute to minute, but the 200 always has a strong case. It’s the final iteration, sleek and stripped-down - not an inch of wasted space - with features that have been arguably perfected from the previous versions. Electronically, though, it’s still ancient technology. It’s rough around the edges. The 200a was a necessary upgrade - but that doesn’t mean that we have to like it better.

This Dynavox was originally a so-called widowmaker amplifier. We completely rebuilt it with all-new components, installed a power transformer, and revised the circuit to eliminate the obsolete widowmaker tubes. It is now a safe, functional 1.5 watt practice amplifier. It can be used alone for bedroom practice, or plugged into a second amp for interesting tube overdrive tones.

Here’s some details on how we redesigned this amp.

This vintage tube hi-fi-turned-guitar amp is one of our favorite past restorations.

This Allen & Heath GS3 - currently in use in the studio - is an analog mixing console from the mid-90s.

When we received our Allen & Heath GS3, it was caked in dust but otherwise in great working condition. We wanted it to sparkle like the technological marvel it was when it was released in 1994, so we took it apart and gave it a deep clean.

The last iteration of the Rhodes Mk II, released between 1981 and 1984, is one of our favorites. Despite having more plastic parts than previous models of Rhodes, we find that keyboards of this period tend to have a dynamic, modern feel and excellent timbre. Plastic has a bad reputation these days - which it deserves - but this model of Rhodes is a rare case of plastic manufacture improving a product’s consistency and longevity.

Here’s a list of the details that are unique for the last years of the Mk II.

We drove through the eastern U.S. on a pickup/delivery run last week. (Little-known fact! We do deliver long-distance. More info here.) We dropped off our gorgeous Wurlitzer 720a, and then picked up a handful of new pieces: a teacher/student 206a/207a pair, a 203w wheeled console Wurlitzer, an extremely rare Wurlitzer 140a, and a Fender Rhodes Mk I.

The 140b is at the midpoint of Wurlitzer's electronic piano production: a stepping stone from the vintage tone of the 100-series to the more reliable modern electronics of the 200-series. The mechanical parts are easier to work with. It has updated, 200-style reeds. It has a transistor amplifier like the 200, but an early one, with germanium power transistors and neon bulb vibrato.

When we received this Sears Silvertone amplifier, it had no knobs, tubes, input jacks, or power cord. It had started its life as a hi fi amplifier to complement a record player. We looked at the all-tube circuit and saw the potential for a unique, one-of-a-kind guitar amp. 

Is a piano more an instrument or a piece of furniture? If you're reading this blog, you'd probably find the question offensive. Of course a piano is an instrument! But if you just live with a pianist - as a spouse or a parent - you'd might have a different perspective. Specifically, that the piano is neither instrument nor furniture but some big wooden behemoth that takes over the living room and clashes with everything. 

Before the electric guitar, lap steel was the coolest instrument a kid could play. Introduced to the United States by Hawaiian emigres in wake of the 1898 annexation of Hawaii, the lap steel became hugely popular in the first half of the 20th century. It was on the cutting edge of technology not once, but twice: first, on its invention in the 1880s, and later as one of the first amplified instruments. Played with a high action and a metal slide bar, it allows a musician to unlock all of those interesting microtonal pitches that hide behind the frets of a guitar. Manufacturers instantly capitalized on the craze by releasing lap steels bundled with instructional booklets, sheet music, and eventually amplifiers. 

It's always a pleasure to have two examples of the same vintage model in stock, but these Wurlitzer 700s are extra exciting. The 700 is not as well-documented as the later plastic-top Wurlitzer 200, and are often overlooked by collectors because of their traditional spinet-style cabinets. Acquiring two 700s gave us the rare opportunity to compare two rare electronic pianos.