Відео

Actually that was just the vacuum bellows. Lots more parts to be restored and assembled so that we will have a complete fully functioning Wurlitzer 105 organ. Stick around and you won’t be disappointed! 🤣

@ Phew! Thank you! Your work is wonderful.

@ One suggestion I have, move the audio back a little bit, as it seems it’s ahead of the visuals.

Thank You Mike! I realize I have bitten off more than I can chew, and I hit a real dead end during covid with motivation and energy to finish the projects. Someone suggested I try and start a UA-cam channel to give me a framework for the restoration, and deadlines etc. to force myself to get started again. That was about six months ago and it seems to be working :) Thanks again for your kind comment.

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue I really love watching your progress. I have a few things on my Wurlitzer to finish its restoration. It is hard to get re-motivated. Thanks to you, I have gotten my motivational spark back ! Once I get started, I really enjoy working on it. Mike

It is a great ambition to have, but it can be expensive and time consuming. If you want to try and make some parts to see if you really want to I can send you some plans for a few pipes and other things :) Let me know :) Thanks for commenting.

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue Well, I am only 16, and at my age, a mechanical music instrument is beyond my budget.

@@khmam Then you have lots of time! It is a great hobby. Where do you live?

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue Pennsylvania, not too far away from Joe Hilferty.

Thank you for your comment. Band Organs are very special. I find it amazing that they could be produced that long ago without the use of modern technology. They are simply great engineering timber😇

Thanks Professor Vapes!! It is a real challenge, and I wish I had started with something a little less challenging. There are smaller organs, some in kit form, available. I have documented this build from day 1, so please check out the earlier videos. I have learned a lot about the camera and sound equipment I am using, so the production quality is slowly getting better. Welcome to the Channel and please spread the good word :)

Interesting idea. I'll need to work on it :)

Thank you. That’s what I was wondering. If the top is affixed with hide glue I can work with it. I could dismantle everything I can, remove the internal springs, pallets and leather and steam it from underneath perhaps in each of the wind channels. Thanks again!

Hi again. I had an idea about removing the top. How about setting up a flattening jig and remove the top in 'slices' so to speak but stop just short of cutting all the way through. Then it will accept heat more easily as its thinner, and steam from an iron might permeate the thin wood a little and help with the removal. Does that sound like a possibility?

Howdy 146-A! Yup, back in the saddle after four weeks in Europe touring Christmas Markets and enjoying carousels and Organs. Hope 2025 is working out for you 😇

@WurlitzerOrganRescue glad you had an eventual Holiday/Christmas break. Hope 2025 is well to you too and I look forward to continuing to follow your progress on this project!

Hi there Neil, thanks for your comment. Wurlitzers "factory" approach meant that many parts were interchangeable between some organs. The internal workings like pipes, bass, cymbal and snare drum beaters could be used in almost any organ, while vacuum bellows like mine were the same in several models. I have noticed however that the quality of some pieces were not top class. I don't think they ever expected these band organs to last 100+ years and would be really surprised to see the work being done to keep the instruments alive. Hopefully this restoration project will keep this one playing for years to come.

Thanks for your comment. I am currently restoring an original 105 that was in terrible condition. I also am completing a 105 replica that I have been building for almost 20 years. I have uploaded several videos showing the restoration. Please check it out and subscribe as I will be posting more soon. Thanks again. Michael.

@ I realized I made a typo, but I am already subscribed and love the effort. You’re doing a great thing. I had the honor to meet Bob Humes.

@ThatEverydayEnthusiast I drove from Arizona to Chicago to meet Bob about 15 years ago. He was incredibly helpful. He has quite the setup! Lovely fellow.

I'm sorry about that. I researched from some serious sources but must have missed it. I'll try to check where I went wrong when I return home after Christmas. Is the existing 164 yours?

@WurlitzerOrganRescue Yes, lol. I have many videos of it on my channel. I also help out at a music museum, where they have over 200 machines. All 1 collector. Of the 165 band organs, he owns 3 including the last one sold by wurlitzer

@@wurly164 Yup. #4338 the Griffith Park 165.

Thanks for your response. Very good advice about blowing the reed pipes by mouth because of the moisture affecting the reeds. I will take it to heart! LOL! Thanks again, and please check out the other videos showing the full story behind the restoration of #4055. Michael F.

I can see I'm going to have to google Tibia pipes. I thought ranks were always named after an instrument, ie violins, piccolos etc. I've a lot to learn. Luckily as a pensioner I have the time :) LOL!

​@@WurlitzerOrganRescueMany are named that way, but there are also a lot that aren't (more so in church style organs than theatre ones). They're normally separated by tone quality. Diapasons have a fat, slightly reedy tone with lots of low harmonics, the classic "organ sounds". Open Diapason, Principal, Fifteenth are examples. Flutes have a soft, pure tone with few higher harmonics. Confusingly, the Stopped Diapason is a flute! Strings look similar to diapasons but thinner (small scale) which pushes the tone to the higher harmonics for the sizzling sound, and some, like Celestes, are tuned slightly off to give a shimmering beat when combined with other stops. And reeds are pretty self-explanatory!

Thanks for the clarification. I'm not a pro and I wasn't sure if all intermediate notes are included in pipe ranks, ie sharps. I know on my W105 the basic melody ranks are only 14 pipes and don't include all the extra :) Thanks again! Michael F.

Thanks. I guess you can divide quicker than I can :) Seriously, I do think the ranks are complete and really want to build them into a unit which can be connected to my 105 by midi. No clue how it will sound, but that's the beauty of being able to experiment !! :) Thanks Michael F.

Yes you need a full 12 pipes per octave! I would have expected 56 notes per rank, or perhaps 61 in rare cases, but I'm not sure if that's standard for Wurlitzers.

Thanks for your reply. Whatever they are they work well and I'd like to try them in a midi solution at some point. I guess there are lots of these ranks sitting in people's storage units! :) Thanks again and thanks for watching, Michael F.

@ any time you can get a rank of organ pipes for free is good, Same goes for any other organ parts (windchest, regulators, blowers). I’m in SE Michigan and got chance to rescue a Wurlitzer 6 rank chest (diapason, viol, viol Céleste, clarinet, orchestral oboe and flute), the bottom half of a 16’ tuba horn rank (about 44 pipes) a 16’ bourdon octave minus two pipes, the two 7 note offset chest for the tuba and some swell shutter motors, all Wurlitzer, all was about to go in the dump🙁

Thanks for your detailed reply. I did originally intend to use some of the pipes in my organ and use others for the beautiful, aged timber. When I realized that they were complete ranks I had second thoughts. What happens to them is a bit up in the air, but I do agree with you that it may be more difficult to use them as fully functioning ranks. I have a half-formed idea of building a large windchest on wheels and link it into the W105 with Midi. I see you have some videos on your page with midi solenoids etc. Do you have any experience of building midi solutions? Again, I really appreciate your comments, and thanks for watching. Cheers Michael Fotheringham

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue we have an email conversation started, under my cheddarmonger account, so I'll share whatever info I've figured out!

Thanks for your comment. I have always wondered why paper is glued on the inside of the boards. Your explanation makes perfect sense. Thanks for watching :)

No problem, Gary! I will post to the COAA Facebook page later today. Hopefully it will be of interest to others :)

Hi Michael. I really enjoy watching your videos ! You are doing a great job. I also have a Wurlitzer 105. I will be restoring the vacuum pump. Your video is very timely and helpful. I would like to take you up on your offer of the spring steel giveaway. Can I send you my address for shipping? Do you have a preferred email? Thanks. Mike Van Deventer.

@@Wurlitzer104mikeV Hello Mike. Thanks for your kind words. Of course I can send you some spring steel. Drop me a line at mjfotheringham@hotmail.com and we'll exchange details. Cheers, and thanks again. Michael

Thank you. I hope to have it finished by simmer 2025 so I can take it to an organ meet with the COAA. I am working on the vacuum bellows at the moment but will make the stoppers and tune them soon :) Thanks again. Michael F.

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue Is there a specific rally where you think you want to?

Hello there. I'm sorry you don't appreciate the music. I decided not to spend the entire video speaking, that would get boring quickly. The music is limited to what I can use without breaking copyright law so there's that as well. The great thing about UA-cam is that you can turn on captions and turn down the volume if you wanted to. Anyway, thanks for watching, I hope you enjoy the next videos a bit more. Thanks, Michael F.

Hi David, Thanks for that tip. I didn't think there was much point in trying to get steam in between two pieces of glued wood, but I do have lots of leather scraps to remove in order to sand and restore the main vacuum boards. I have taken your advice and ordered a steam gun from Amazon. It will be very useful for both the vacuum and wind bellows. Thanks again, Michael.

The heat seems to be just as important as the moisture, so I use a clothing iron at full power to heat up the part while steaming it. You'll find those leather scraps will release and you can pull them away cleanly. With wood-to-wood, if the wood is thin enough, just heating up the part with steam present will help. If you want to be extra adventurous, drop the parts into a pot of hot water (160 - 200 degrees F, doesn't have to be boiling), with your wife's permission of course, and they'll soon release. If you're comfortable with getting the wood wet. I've found it's not a problem.

Thanks so much. The case was a challenge but turned out well. Did you watch the earlier videos? The very first one shows it all in pieces and how I received it. Please pass the good word about these vids :) Lots still to do but I am quite encouraged knowing others are interested in the progress. Thanks again.

It was the least I could do. I find the historical connections fascinating. I will be restoring the bellows soon, and tradition was that they lined the inside of the bellows with newspapaers from that era. I'm excited to see when it was last restored :)

Thanks. I will attempt to use chapters so anyone can jump through at will :)

Cookie joints LOL! That's funny. I am originally from the UK so I never thought about cookie joints. I'm gonna use that at the woodshop club! :)

Hi there :) LOL, I am just uploading a new video right this minute! I got a bit lazy for a few days and decided to take a rest for a week or so. Thanks for keeping me on my toes. One of my motivations for making the videos was to put a little pressure on me to get on with it. It's working :) LOL :)

Hello there. The drawings are by a gentleman by the name of Bob Humes. All the plans are available for free on the Wurlitzer 105 group. I believe he uses CAD software but I'm not sure. If you want to know for sure I'll ask him :)

I was also surprised. It seems there are many still in use or in museums etc. The number of replicas are also increasing, mostly thanks to the Stanoszek plans from the 70's and the newer CADS drawings by Bob Humes, which he generously published for free use by anyone who is interested! :)

I gave the pressure sensitive veneer a try in this video on the drum wings, but after checking it a week later I wasn't happy. The edges were susceptible to lifting up, and after lifting one corner a quarter of an inch I couldn't leave it alone and before long I had taken it all off! I went back to traditional veneer using a 2-part epoxy glue that I learned about doing research online. After some experimentation I am glad to say it is perfectly flat and the edges are solid. So, pressure sensitive veneer is not a good choice for restorations at least.

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue That was my fear, epoxy has enough track record to be trusted. As does original Titebond. Instill prefer using hot hide glue on pneumatics, puffs and pouches though, its so much easier to remove if required

Thanks for the explanation. I must have picked up the term pallets from somewhere and thought they were the same as pneumatics - semantics will get me into trouble all the time LOL:)

Thanks Bruce. I've settled on an easy method that looks good, so I am happy with it. Carpentry is one thing, finishing and staining is a real other animal!!~

It is an interesting hobby. Once the organ is finished and playing properly, I will have plenty of opportunities around here to show it off. There are lots of farmers markets, car shows and so on that it would be great to exhibit at! Stay safe my friend.

Yes Mr. Bruce! I sometimes think I would have fit better into early 20th Century society than the 21st! LOL!!

Sure do! This is summer in Arizona... Over 100 degrees for the past week and for the next ten days as well! Stay cool Bruce.

Thanks for your comments and info. I mostly used pictures that were published by auction houses because of copyright issues, and I took them at their word. You certainly know an enormous amount about Wurlitzer in all shapes and sizes! I am just an enthusiastic amateur who started delving more deeply into things after I retired about seven years ago. I am sorry for the bad captions on some of the pictures. I was actually surprised when I found out that they started out simply importing instruments and selling them to the military. I had no idea! Thanks again for the corrections.

Thanks for your comments, I am just getting to learn about Wurlitzer since I retired so I appreciate your insightful and helpful comments.

The Wurlitzer that you refer to at 0:53 and 1:54 is now in the Troxy, London which is a Grade II-listed Art Deco music venue. The organ was originally at the Trocadero cinema in the Elephant and Castle area of south-east London - hence the badge on the top of each side of the console. It is the largest Wurlitzer ever imported into Europe from the USA and was installed in the Trocadero in 1930.

@@royhandley3133 Thanks for that great info! It is really interesting to find out more and more about these magnificent instruments. I know the Elephant and Castle well, and many of its pubs! In the 70's I would drive to Brixton from Brighton and take the tube into central London. Stopping off at E&C on the way back :)

Again, thanks for all your comments. I appreciate them very much.

Good point. I'll find something appropriate :) Thanks for your input.

I've also heard that some family and friends who are following along have no idea what a Band Organ is or how they are supposed to work, so I'm working on a short video explanation covering that. That said, I am nothing more than an enthusiastic amateur, with no background in carpentry or musical instruments, so constructive criticism is always welcome! :)

@@WurlitzerOrganRescue look forward to seeing the continued future videos and organ progress!

@WurlitzerOrganRescue look forward to seeing that one as well. Band organs are fun machines!

She does keep an eye on me! :)

Lots of holes, early 19th century engineering in timber!

Thank you for your kind comments. I have been amazed at the differing opinions which are so starkly at odds. I decided to save as much as I could before doing a cost/benefit calculation as it were. I am glad I am so far down this path that I can't turn back! Thanks again. I respect everyone's opinion and am making my decisions based on what I think is the right thing to do on balance.

Maybe I'll use that in another episode. :)

Yes, I'm beginning to see how much extra work my approach is.

Thanks Mr. Bruce.

Thanks for your comment. I'm beginning to think you are right. It's one of those situations where it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, I'm now so far down this path that I just need to continue with it. Lessons learned :) LOL