Wurlitzer
The electric Piano Wurlitzer is a Musical instrument of 64 keys whose sounds are produced by hammers coming to strike small sheet metal. One finds his single sonority in many pieces since the Années 1970. Less popular, in the popular music that Rhodos de Fender, it is used much in the music schools and is an element characteristic of the sound of the group Supertramp. Ray Charles, Steely daN, the Doors, Sun Ra and Queen also made use of it. Although related with the Fender Rhodos, it has a sound which is clean for him which is connected sometimes with that of an electric guitar with an aggressive energy in the low ones.
History
Origin
Born in 1890 in the United States, Ben F. Meissner developed new concepts of electric application to produce music. One was in the medium of the Années 1930. It patented its ideas in 1932 and granted reproduction rights of several of its revolutionary ideas. Among these ideas, there were components for Télévision, a conduit of electrons and, of course, the principle of Wurlitzer: an electric piano.The approach of Meissner was to place a micro electromagnetic on each cord of a piano ordinary Acoustique. It placed then stems of metal in which it blew of the air in order to produce a more powerful sound. Its concept interested several manufacturers of piano through the country. It then sold its concept with the company Everett Piano which was to produce its original ideas. But rather than to develop an electric piano, they invented an electric organ. Carrying out the interest of the ideas of Meissner, Wurlitzer decided to go from before and leads to the production of an electric piano similar to the Rhodos. The hit “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” of Joe Zawinul was played on Wurlitzer
Although similar, in construction and design, with a Rhodos, Wurlitzer had certain differences, especially if one speaks about the last models. It was lighter and thus easier to transport. Moreover, It included/understood a Haut-parleur integrated as well as a tremor, which did not have the first models “Training course” of Rhodos.
Setting in market
First Wurlitzer left in the beginning the Années 1950, and Wurlitzer was the first manufacturer to market this type of electric piano. In 1956, a first album using Wurlitzer is created by the Sun Ra and Demons At Play. In 1959, a hit of Ray Charles with the song What I' D Say helped the launching of the Wurlitzer piano considerably. Its popularity climbed quickly to reach its apogee in the Années 1960 and 70.The model 110 had 64 keys. The series 100 was made famous for the artists of the time and the songs that they made us hear. Although these first models (of the series 100 ) had a touched good and a good sensitivity, they were rather difficult to grant. One corrected this problem with the series 200 : the sheers were not désaccordaient and one largely used it in the music schools.
It is difficult to find today one of these pianos in good state, they are used unfortunately as much only formerly. In the worn market, it is still possible to find some.
Models
- 106
- 112
- 120
- 140
- 140-B
- 145-B
- 200-A
- 206-A
- 700
- 720
Indicative discography
It is impossible to quote all the recordings using an electric piano Wurlitzer. Nevertheless, some of most known are:- I amndt the walrus (Beatles)
- Sample One (Ethan White)
- Delerium (FrancineE McGee)
- Funky Bird (Galactic)
- Stax Jam (Galactic)
- Rodeo (Garth Brooks)
- long Down so (Jewel)
- Just like I pictured it (Medeski Martin & Wood)
- Start-stop (Medeski Martin & Wood)
- Dracula (Medeski Martin & Wood)
- Paper Bass (Medeski Martin & Wood)
- Have cigar (Pink Floyd)
- Money (Pink Floyd)
- Time (Pink Floyd)
- Bloody well Right (Supertramp)
- Dreamer (Supertramp)
- Hide in your Shell (Supertramp)
- The Logical Song (Supertramp)
- Momma told me not to like (Three Dog night)
- Joy to the world (Three Dog night)
External bonds
- Page on Wurlitzer
- Presentation of the models of Wurlitzer