The only way I’ve found I can truly repair a 66-year-old Wurlitzer electric piano is to think like the interacting objects in it. To think like a corroded screw, think like a weathered, beaten, steel tone-producing reed: “What am I doing, I, Mr. Old Piece of Locked-Down Vibrating Music Metal, that can be heard and felt, but not seen? Why to I prefer to do this, even though Steve wants me to do that?”
Then I can make up new things to feed the old thing, that it didn’t need when it was younger. And then it feels better, moves better, stops being so contrary and cantankerous.
When the Wurlitzer company made the Model 112 Electronic Piano in 1955 and 1956, they weren’t thinking about their future repair-people nearly enough. That came about seven years later, with the redesign of the 140/145/720 series. And even at best, there were design limitations of the 1950’s instruments that affected what can ever be achieved in smoothness of sound and feel. But with effort, experience and skill, one can still get a rough magic and charm out of these early instruments.
