My first (working) coin piano was a mid 20's Wurlitzer IX, and what is especially enjoyable about a Wurlitzer is the music! You get a great variety from Wurlitzer's in-house arrangers in addition to transcribed QRS piano rolls. What I really wanted, however was an orchestrion with drums and pipes - and when this Wurlitzer C popped up for sale, it didn't take much convincing myself to get it.
This coin piano's history was rather a mystery, but played at Tom's Country Market and Musical Museum in Iowa for years and was then sold. It was rebuilt around 2000, and sold to me in 2021.
The move was a story of its own. The Wurlitzer C was located in the basement of a home on a golf course with a grassy hill between the door and an asphalt walkway. A large orchestrion like this isn't a light load, and when we finally were finally able to get the piano onto the asphalt - there was another much longer hill up to the moving truck!
Once we got to the top, another problem arose when I went to operate the liftgate, I didn't actually know how to turn it on.
Forty-five minutes of looking online, trying to get a hold of the trucking company, and thankfully not getting hit by golf balls revealed a switch well hidden under the steering wheel.
We were back in business, and the rest of the ride home was smooth. Then came getting it into the house, and it wasn't long until it was playing.
It didn't take long to figure out that there were a few things odd about this instrument. There were holes for 'pegs' at the top of the piano for a top piece, and the two art glass panels on the right and left of the piano didn't look original. It turns out that this lost its original
art glass 'shields', center lyre glass, top pediment, and wonder light sometime in the 1970's.
These pieces were probably simply taken off the instrument and sold separately to make a few extra bucks.
There was one other big issue, and that was that this Wurlitzer had a single combination pressure and vacuum pump without any proper reservoir for pressure. This resulted in the pipes never sounding consistent. This pump was put on long before the art glass and wonder light went missing, perhaps even when it was in service years ago.
Two correct pumps and a vacuum reservoir were found and sent out to be restored. In addition to this, a new wonder light, pediment, and corner ornaments were made.
When rebuilding the pipe chest, I found the name "Orval Cooper" written. It didn't take long to then find an article featuring Cooper and this Wurlitzer! You can clearly see the incorrect pump, but what you can also see is the correct glass, pediment, and wonder light.
The name 'Grecian' comes from the design of the case. It is richly decorated in the style of an ancient Greek or Roman temple. Two carved Corinthian columns stretch from the top of the piano down to the keybed with rosettes at key level. Wurlitzer cleverly incorporated their wonder light feature into the pediment with lights inside the piano illuminating the two shields and forest scene.
This case design proved to be quite popular and several examples exist today, however most are roll changer CX models with very few 10 tune roll 'C' models.
Musically, a C or a CX - which are also very similar to the Wurlitzer L and LX has a lot to offer. 38 flute and 38 violin pipes switch between one or the other. The piano range is 65 notes from A to C#. There's a mandolin rail that drops down to give the piano a 'honky tonk' sound and controls for the damper pedal and piano expression. All C and CX pianos also feature a snare drum and bass drum. (with a triangle)
Many have also had added or were built with a glockenspiel which is turned off and on from multiplexing two holes in the roll to do one function.
The 65 note 10 tune A.P.P roll is quite easy to get and has been continuously been recut over the years so there's no lack of good music to enjoy! A Wurlitzer orchestrion like this is an incredibly fun addition to a collection with its beautiful appearance and bouncy, peppy music.
I am still seeking original shield art glass for the sides of the piano and lyre glass for the roll frame, but I'm thrilled to have this Wurlitzer closer to what it originally was - entertaining again!
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