Electric Piano Glossary

A

  • AC Power cord: supplies power to the instruments from the wall AC to the power supply of instrument.
  • Add-a-Vibe: a product Vintage Vibe introduced for old Wurlitzer Pianos like the 112 and 120 that did not come with Tremolo or Vibrato. It was installed on the inside of the piano and connected to the amplifier.
  • Add on Variable Vibrato: Designed for 200 series pianos the Vintage Vibe Variable Vibrato is the only add on vari –vibe with concentric pot and knob design. This removes the need for unsightly third knob.
  • Amplifier Power Switch: The main switch that turns on the instrument, the switch is in line with the fuse and the main AC line.
  • Arp String Ensemble Knobs: The Arp String Ensemble was the most well known and used string machine in the 70’s- It used red square caps and sliders for it’s controls. Vintage Vibe makes them as replacements.

B

  • Back Check: a stop used on a Rhodes piano to absorb the hammers energy and to keep the hammer and key from bouncing, thus keeping the damper from pulling off the tine, which allows for instant dampening.
  • Balance Rail Felts: small round felt with a hole in the middle to place on the balance rail pins of a piano. Used to set key level and height and used to separate wood of key from wood base of rail.
  • Balance Rail: The balance rail is one of the guide pin rails for keys and it is the balance point at or near the center of a key or the fulcrum point.
  • Bridle Straps: The Bridle Strap is connected from the damper on a Rhodes piano to the Hammer. When a key is depressed the hammer lifts and pulls the damper thus lifting the damper felt off the tine allowing the tine to ring out.
  • Black Tolex: Common Tolex used on Fender Rhodes pianos and Fender Amplifiers
  • Bass Piano: The lower octaves of a 73 note Rhodes piano, originally made and designed by Fender Rhodes and made famous by Ray Manzaric of the Doors. Vintage Vibe has made a Bass piano that goes down to a low C offering more compatibility with guitarists and bassists.
  • Bumper Glides: Called Sphinx glides by Fender. These metal and rubber bumpers or coasters were used to keep cabinets from scratches and rips; they also were used to elevate the amp from moisture.

C

  • Cabinet Corners: Fender Rhodes cabinet corners a unique design, these corners were used through out the years on most Fender and Rhodes pianos. Vintage Vibe has re manufactured the very same corner.
  • Capstan Wrench: Capstan wrench is used in the regulation process on pianos. The wrench allows adjustment of the Capstan screw, which in a Wurlitzer electric piano is used in two places. 1. Under the hammer rail and allows adjustment of the Let off of the hammer. 2. Under the Whip assembly in relation to the end of the key, adjustment allows the compensation of lost motion.
  • Case Latch: luggage style latches that held together the top lid of the piano to the bottom case of the piano. There were two styles of case latches, early Fender Rhodes latches that were a smaller luggage style latch used by companies such as Vox and Ampeg and Fender Rhodes. Later style latches were larger and more industrial and used by later Rhodes pianos
  • Center Damper pin: Used on Fender Rhodes pianos to add stability and evenness of dampening when sustain pedal is engaged. Without this pin the damper rail will flex and box and cause the bass and treble to engage before the center leaving an uneven sustain. Later changes to the Aluminum damper rail in Rhodes pianos did away with this pin due to a smarter extrusion design.
  • Cheek Block: - Black plastic or wood decorative end blocks on each end of the piano keys. Vintage Vibe offers reproduction Cheek Blocks.
  • Cheek Block Power Supply: power supply inside your cheek block along with the ¼ inch jacks. Vintage Vibe invented this great way of supplying voltage to pre amps. Allows user a less cumbersome way to power up without the disadvantage of losing parts. Available for 4 Pin and 5 Pin pianos.
  • Chicken head Knobs: Classic amplifier knobs named after their look, they look like a Chicken Head.
  • Clavinet: The name of a German stringed Instrument by a company called Hohner. Their famous Clavinet was the D6 model.
  • Concentric Knobs: used on the Fender Rhodes and Rhodes Suitcase pianos, concentric pots allow stacking of two pots to save real estate space on the piano. Tone concentric pots consist of Bass and Treble and Vibrato Concentric pots would consist of Speed and Depth.
  • Concentric Potentiometers - used on the classic Peterson 4 pin pre amp, Vintage Vibe has faithfully recreated these classic pots and we sell them on the website, we also use these potentiometers in our new piano.
  • Crossbar Knob: The Cross Bar Knob is used in Fender Rhodes and Rhodes stage pianos. Its purpose is to hold the cross bars that are support bars in place with the legs and it is screwed into a plate underneath the piano. They are stabilizers for the piano.
  • Crossbar Plate: The cross bar plate is found underneath all stage pianos and is used as a mounting plate for the cross bars and cross bar knob.

D

  • Damper arms: Dampers are used in all pianos in one form or another. Fender Rhodes used a single damper per hammer system. Rhodes later came up with an octave damper system. Both style dampers were ok, but the metal fatigued easily and the damper system was easily affected. Later on the Rhodes MK5 came out with a modified damper that had crimped leaves on the edges, which helped strengthen the dampers. Vintage Vibe has created a single damper Fender Rhodes style that uses the principles of the crimped damper. This created a more durable damper with better memory retention and a stronger dampening. Wurlitzer used wooden damper arms with a wood and spring flange for tension.
  • Damper Felt: Used on Vintage Vibe Pianos Rhodes Pianos and Wurlitzer electric pianos as well as many other pianos. Damper felts are used to dampen sustain of a struck note. Vintage Vibe has developed the 4 section damper felt for all pianos. The proper size and consistency of felt is paramount to proper dampers.
  • Damper grommet: a rubber grommet that fits over the whip assembly screw and rests into the individual damper brackets to add cushion and quiet action.
  • Damper Octave strip: the damper octave is found on later Rhodes pianos post 1975-
  • Damper rail bushing: the damper rail bushing is used on the damper rail for quieting operation as well as offering a smoother pivot point.
  • Damper rail pin - one pin for each side of the damper rail, each pin is screwed down to he damper rail by a small bracket and two screws, the other end fits inside the damper bushings. Which are located on the side support blocks.
  • DTG-110B - Germanium Transistors made by Delco and used in the Peterson designed amplifiers of Fender Rhodes suitcase pianos. Delco stopped making the germanium transistors and many audio manufacturers had to redesign their amplification systems to keep up with modern changes in semiconductors. The DTG-110B had a great sound and later Rhodes amplifiers just never had the same sound again.
  • DTG-110- Same as the B series but had less output- used in many home organs and in the Wurlitzer 140B series pianos.
  • Dyno my Piano - A company famous for modifications to Rhodes pianos. Rhodes was a factory that made electric pianos; unfortunately they had really bad quality control and sent pianos out in less than optimal condition. This led for the natural path of this company Dyno, their ability to turn a so -so piano into something really responsive and dynamic was their vision. Beyond doing the proper set of the pianos and changing out bad tines Dyno instituted electronics and mechanical modifications that eventually led to a cultivated sound that became synonymous with a pimped out Rhodes. It’s unclear how Rhodes and Dyno got along.

E

  • Effects Loop: chain of entry before hitting the pre amp- Consists of two-quarter inch jacks including one that shorts for send and return of effects. Effects loops are seen on Rhodes suitcase pianos.
  • Eighty-Eight Logo: A chrome script logo on the lid of an eighty-eight plastic lid of the Rhodes piano.

F

  • Fast Action Remedy lubricant: this lubricant is a two-part solution made up of Naptha and silicone- Comes in a needlepoint applicator bottle to fit into the tight bushings and action centers of Wurlitzer electric piano parts.
  • Felts: felts are used as dampeners on electric pianos- Wurlitzer electric pianos uses various felts on their pianos, some in the lower sections are similar to acoustic piano felts. Rhodes felts are simpler and are more square.
  • Fender Rhodes cosmetic makeover: Vintage Vibe offers new reproduction parts to turn your worn old beat up piano into virtually brand new.
  • Fender Rhodes handles: Rubber handles with steel inserts and chrome caps that are slightly tapered. Vintage Vibe sells replacement Fender amplifier handles.
  • Fender Rhodes Sustain pedal: originally a heavy 4.5 lb. die cast aluminum pedal used on all stage pianos. Vintage Vibe now manufactures the same pedal out of Glass fiber Nylon and the entire pedal is 1.5 lbs making it the lightest and most effective pedal ever made.
  • Fender Rhodes Piano: a period of Rhodes history when CBS purchased Rhodes, the pianos were called Fender Rhodes. Leo Fender and Harold Rhodes were friends and Leo helped Harold in design aspects of the piano. Many consider the Fender Rhodes era to be the finest era.
  • Felt Teardrop Hammers: Felt Teardrop hammers were used briefly in Fender Rhodes Pianos around 1968 thru 1969- They were roughly the same as piano hammers, unfortunately they did not hold up well over time and tended to groove deeply. They did however offer a unique tone. Earlier felt hammers were more of a triangle shape with an all-wood shank- the last incarnation of felt hammers square 3/8 th felt tips that sat on later style hammers, this was around early 1970.
  • Fender Rhodes Refurbish kit: This kit is a general mechanical restoration kit that Vintage Vibe has put together for aging pianos. This kit is for pianos that have not had work done to them since the factory. Included are all common parts that wear out. The refurbish kit is the best place to start on any piano repair or restoration.
  • Fiberglass Sparkle top lids - Classic 1960’s Fender Rhodes pianos all had Fiberglass lids or bodies. They were beautiful looking but costly manufacturing flaws ended this classic look and feel. Vintage Vibe has faithfully recreated these classic lids. Vintage Vibe also has added this look to their own line of pianos.
  • Flattop lid - Found on later MK2 Rhodes Pianos, originally introduced by Rhodes to allow other keyboards to be stacked on top of the piano. Vintage Vibe offers exact reproduction on these lids.
  • Front Rail Felts: Like the balance rail felts, the front rail felts are round felt punching’s with a hole in the middle usually a green color. They are also larger and thicker than balance rail felts. The front rail felt is used to cushion and quiet key action as well as manage after touch.

G

  • Grommets - rubber bushings used to insulate the metal tone bar from the metal screw on a Rhodes piano. The grommet allows the tone bar to vibrate freely along with the tine completing the asymmetrical tuning fork. Grommets are imperative to proper voicing on the Fender Rhodes piano.
  • Generator Block - part of the tone generator, the part that holds the tine thru a borehole, also gets screwed to the tone bar.

H

  • Hardware package: Vintage Vibe offers new reproduction hardware for every piece of hardware on your piano.
  • Hammer: the hammer is an important part of the moving action assembly on a piano.The hammer strikes the tine, reed or string and causes vibration and tone
  • Hammer octave comb: Rhodes pianos post 1976 has hammers aligned and joined via the plastic octave comb as opposed to earlier single hammer configuration attached to the wood action rail. To save time and costs in manufacturing Rhodes instituted the changes from single note actions to octave action assemblies
  • Hammer Tips: Hammer tips are used in Fender Rhodes pianos, they are rubber pieces that are glued onto the top of the hammer. There are 5 different hammer tips on the piano and each is a different durometer of hardness. From the bass to the treble is a scale from softer to harder. Bass being softest and extreme treble being made of wood wrapped in plastic.
  • Hammer butt felt - this felt is used to regulate hammer throw, inconsistency over the years in the size of this felt make hammer replacement, not universal in 200 series pianos. A thicker felt regulates throw and let off-
  • Harp Screws- larger screws used to secure harp to to side supports on the Rhodes piano.
  • Harp support bracket - Harp supports are use to support the harp when lifting the harp up to tune or make repairs underneath. They offer stability to a raised harp
  • Harp bracket hardware- special style screws with nylon lock nuts used on harp support brackets.

J

  • Jordan amplifier - Jordan was the manufacturer of the pre amp and power supply for early 1960’s Fender Rhodes pianos. It was based on a mono FET tremolo, and germanium transistors.

K

  • Keys - various styles and manufacturers were used for the major electric pianos. Wurlitzer was a world famous American piano manufacturer so it was natural for them to supply to other companies, like Fender Rhodes.
  • Key Bushing Felt - The key bushing is in the key and is used to keep the keys from being sloppy, there is felt on both sides of the wood hole and this is used to guide the key on the key pin in an effortless up and down motion.
  • Key post lube-lubrication used to lubricate key pins to avoid sticky keys and friction.
  • Key Pedestal felt - this felt is glued onto the key pedestal and must be maintained or replaced, as it is a main spot for wear and friction. From the hammer cam to pedestal contact.
  • Key shims- balance rail and front rail felts use key shims to set critical heights for keys and to set after touch.

L

  • LED Modification- used in place of an AC lamp, which burn out and can introduce noise. LED alternative is based on DC voltage, dead quiet and will never burn out.
  • LED Vibrato Mod - Vintage Vibe custom modified the 140B vibrato to use an LED and a resistor instead of the lamp bulbs that are no longer available. Same deep lush vibrato but now the LED will never go bad like light bulbs do.
  • Leg Coupler - Rhodes front legs are telescoping legs and part of the locking system uses 3 couplers and a ring, when the outside is screwed on over the couplers it causes a compression and locks the leg into place.
  • Leg Flange - Rhodes legs were screwed into a flange that was counter sunk into a hole in the wood base of the stage piano. Each leg flange like the Wurlitzer leg plate had an angle that lined up with the corner it was on, this allowed the piano legs to angle outwards for better stability.
  • Leg plate - Wurlitzer legs were screwed into a leg plate, which was secured to the bottom of the piano very similar to a kitchen table style leg. Each leg plate had a bevel on it that gave the leg an outward angle for stability.
  • Leg Leveling feet and caps - used to level the rear legs of the Stage piano, caps are used to cover the ends of the telescoping front legs.
  • Leg flange, cross bar screws - both use the same screw- Both leg flanges and cross bar plate are under a Stage piano and used in the elevation and stability of the Stage Piano.
  • Lid Hardware- screws and cup washers that are used to secure the lid on various Wurlitzer electric piano models.
  • Line out pod - Vintage Vibe designed this pod external or internal to be used with pianos that only had speaker out. The pod turns speaker out into line out and also aids in reducing hiss.
  • Logo- usually meant for the name rail and rear badge of Rhodes or Fender Rhodes, these are the trademarked names of the pianos maker.
  • Logo screws- small black screws that screw to Fender Rhodes and Rhodes rear logos.

M

  • Miracle Mod - Action modification system named and instituted by Vintage Vibe. Inspired by the original pedestal bump made from a steel clip from the 1960’s Fender Rhodes action. The Miracle Mod uses a half round plastic bump that is glued onto the wood pedestal and covered by pedestal felt. This bump vastly improves the poor Fender Rhodes and Rhodes action.

N

  • Name rail felt - Red felt that is glued under the name rail of a piano. The red felt accents the keys and is used to keep keeps from clacking against the rail.
  • Name Rail screws- screws that secure the front aluminum name rail over the keys. The name rail keeps the keys from falling out when turned over.

P

  • Pick ups - wound coils with magnet and pole piece on a plastic bobbin with aluminum bracket used to pick up and transfer energy from moving tine to your speakers. Fender Rhodes and Rhodes used different styles of pick ups over the years.
  • Pick up wire - pick up wire is small gauge stranded wire used to wire pick-ups together on the harp of a Rhodes piano. It is wired in a series parallel diagram.
  • Pick up screws- screws used to adjust position of pick ups on the harp of a Rhodes piano.
  • Passive electronics- Rhodes stage pianos offered non-active wiring, with a passive tone pot and volume pots running to a ¼ inch output.
  • Pre cut Tolex kit- Vintage Vibe offers brand new pre cut Tolex for your piano. No more worrying about cutting the right way, now just glue and apply.
  • Pre amp - First stage after audio source serves to boost signal for second stage amplification. Pre amp usually serves as an active EQ circuit boosting and cutting both treble and bass response.

R

  • Raymac tine - type of tine made in the 1960’s and was characterized by a shorter decay and a longer taper. They were center less ground as opposed to swaged.
  • Rebuild Kit - Vintage Vibe offers many different rebuild kits to restore vintage electric pianos. Depending on which part of the piano needs restoration vintage Vibe is sure to sell the proper kit.
  • Reeds - Wurlitzer electric piano’s use a reed that vibrates for a tone generator. By adding solder to the reed you can bring the reed into correct pitch. The reed has to be the right length and have the proper amount of solder to tune properly. Adding or removing solder can alter pitch.
  • Reed screw - hex head screw with 10-24 threads, these screws were unique and used on Wurlitzer electric pianos. They had a built in washer for added tension
  • Reed bar shields- Vintage Vibe manufactures reed bar shields to be installed on pianos that have hum issues. They will fit 140 series and 200 series pianos. Note 200A pianos already have these from the factory. They work amazingly well to reduce hum.
  • Regulator 24 volt- classic Peterson 4 pin power supply operated on 24 volts
  • Repair video- Vintage Vibe was the first company to integrate Internet repair videos and repair videos on DVD.
  • Refurbish Combo Kits - Vintage Vibe offers a combination of restoring kits for your piano. By buying a full or combo refurbish kit you will save money on your restoration of your vintage Fender Rhodes piano.
  • Road Kit - uniquely offered by Vintage Vibe as an essential travel kit for touring or heavily gigging musicians. The kit offers a few of everything you will need to keep your piano up and running on the road, including many extra’s.
  • Round top lid- Fender Rhodes MK1 style lid black ABS plastic made from 1969 till 1976- Reproduced by Vintage Vibe in 2010
  • Reproduction parts - Vintage Vibe manufactures the largest array of after market parts for Fender Rhodes, Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet and Wurlitzer parts in the world.
  • Rhodes Hardware- Fender Rhodes handles, fender amp corners, sphinx glides, Rhodes hinges, special latches all make up the Rhodes hardware kit.
  • Rhodes case latch- two versions early and late style. Early style was used with fender Rhodes and late with Rhodes.
  • Rhodes Hinge- Uniquely shaped piano hinge for top and bottom
  • Rhodes suitcase knobs- Concentric knobs used on the Peterson designed pre amp.

S

  • Speaker 6x9 alnico- Wurlitzer models 110,111,112,120,140 series piano all used a single 6x9 speaker.
  • Sphinx Glide- Fender named amp glides used on Fender Rhodes pianos.
  • Slider cap - Rhodes piano with the later 5-pin style amplifiers designed by Haigler used slider pots for the tone circuit. The sliders had a cap on the end of them. Vintage Vibe has some in stock.
  • Stage Piano knobs - knobs used on Stage pianos, Fender Rhodes had 3 styles classic amplifier 1-10 style knobs, all Aluminum Knobs and later Black plastic and aluminum skirted knobs, which were later shared by Rhodes pianos.
  • Stage brace knob - used on all Fender Rhodes and Rhodes Stage pianos. The brace knob is used to hold the cross bars to the crossbar plate under the piano. By turning the hand screw you effectively tightened the cross bars.
  • Stage case screws - screws used to secure the key frame and action frame to the exterior case. There were two styles of screws: early screws were large wood screws and later were large machine screws.
  • Sustain dowel- wooden round dowel with a pin through the center used as a lever to push the aluminum damper rail up.
  • Sustain guide cup - Plastic round cup with ¼ inch hole in the center used to guide the sustain rod to the sustain dowel without falling out.
  • Suitcase 4 pin square - square cinch jones connector type of 4-pin cable was found on early Stereo Fender Rhodes suitcase pianos.
  • Suitcase 4 pin cable - 4 pin din found on Fender Rhodes and early Rhodes suitcase pianos known as the Peterson era. The pre amps on these pianos had 3 round concentric pots and knobs; below there was silver grill cloth on the speaker cabinet.
  • Suitcase 5 pin cable - 5 pin xlr found on later style Rhodes suitcase pianos, these are marked by a pre amp that has sliders for tone control and black speaker grill cloth. Haigler built the amplifiers.
  • Suitcase legs - Aluminum C shaped legs attached to the base speaker cabinet of the Rhodes suitcase.
  • Suitcase piano speakers 32 ohm- speakers used in Fender Rhodes and Rhodes suitcase pianos from the late 1960’s to 1976- in the classic Peterson designed pianos. 32-ohm speakers were wired in Series Parallel to make 16 ohms per channel. The problem was when one speaker shorted out; it eventually took out the amplifier as well. You could use 8-ohm speakers in a series to get the 16-ohm but again, if one blew you had problems. Later cabinets went to 8-ohm speakers.
  • Suitcase Cabinet- lower speaker cabinet from a Rhodes suitcase piano that holds 4 speakers and two separate power amps as well as a power supply.
  • Sustain Rod - Two part chrome rod one solid rod and one hollow with setscrew on coupler for adjustable height. Installs thru the sustain guide cup under piano and onto the sustain pedal, is used to sustain a Rhodes stage piano.
  • Stereo Vibe - Stereo tremolo pre amp designed by Vintage Vibe, this pre amp is a descendant of the great Peterson pre amp used in the classic era Fender Rhodes Suitcase pianos. We took this classic design and made it new again, we love it so much, it is the sound behind our famous Vintage Vibe Pianos. We have made it available for installation on most any Rhodes piano, stage or suitcase.
  • Stage Vibe - Classic mono pre amp designed by Vintage Vibe after the great tone of the FET Jordan pre amp of the 1960’s Silver Sparkle pianos. This pre amp is the choice is mono tremolo is all you need. Offers great active eq as wel
  • Fender Rhodes Suitcase - the suitcase was a term used for a type of electric piano that came with a top piano and a speaker cabinet below introduced in the 1960’s. The piano and cabinet together made up the suitcase version of the Fender Rhodes. This model is often mistaken for the stage model and vice versa.
  • Suitcase baffle screws - full set of screws and cup washers used to secure the speaker cabinets grill cloth baffle to the cabinet.
  • Suitcase handle screws - used on the lower speaker cabinet, these are longer than the piano handle screws.
  • Suitcase sustain pedal - the original suitcase sustain pedal was enclosed in the speaker cabinet and was made from die cast aluminum with a hinge on the pedal so it could fold upwards. The rod of the suitcase pedal was made from square maple wood with a metal dowel at the top that pushed up through the cabinet into the top piano cabinet.
  • Sustain pedal feet - adjustable rubber feet that screws into sustain pedal. Screw height for adjustment.
  • Suitcase to Stage sustain rod conversion - This was invented by Vintage Vibe as a unique sustain rod for suitcase piano tops- The reason being owners of suitcase pianos often do not want to carry around the bulky speaker cabinet on smaller shows. Vintage Vibe modified the original stage sustain rod with a steel round disk on top to activate the suitcase dowel without slipping out of place. Vintage Vibe now sells this rod frequently along with a custom cheek block power supply to bring voltage to the suitcase pre amp.
  • Suitcase to Stage conversion kit- everything you need to take your suitcase piano on the road without having to lug around the 100lb bottom cabinet. With our kit you will be able to access your stereo tremolo pre amp and use a sustain pedal like you would with a Stage Piano. It’s what you have been waiting for

T

  • Tine - Part of the tone generator in a Vintage Vibe, Fender Rhodes or Rhodes piano. The tine is pressed in the generator block tightly. The hammer action strikes the tine, the tine vibrates and the pick up catches the vibrations and carries to the pre amp and out to amplifier
  • Tine Bomb: Low voltage classic Tube pre amp designed by Vintage Vibe to enhance gain on Stage pianos.
  • Tines reproduction - Vintage Vibe manufactures reproduction tines for our pianos and for sale to vintage pianos.
  • Tolex - brand name for fake leather material- used on all Rhodes and Fender Rhodes Stage and Suitcase pianos as well as Fender amplifiers.
  • Tone Bar- Tone bar is half of the asymmetrical tuning fork also part of the tone generator assembly. The tone bar is attached to the tine and generator block by a screw. The tone bar is set into the harp by two screws that are isolated by two rubber grommets. When the tine is struck the tine and tone bar vibrate equally causing the tone to be produced.
  • Tone bars full set - Vintage Vibe sells full sets of Nickel Plated tone bars.
  • Tone bar Clips - Clips used to add mass to shorter tone bars, which in turn offers more, sustain to shorter decaying notes.
  • Tone Bar Grommet Kit - Tone bar grommet kit includes grommets, screws and washers to replace worn old ones. Vintage Vibe offers this complete kit to all Rhodes piano owners, this kit is a must for all pianos, and grommet replacing is at the heart of all repairs and restorations.
  • Tone bar spring - a spring used to allow the tone bar to vibrate freely as well as flex when struck by the hammer. Also proper positioning with all other tone bars on the harp is allowed when springs are all doing their job. There are three different tensions of springs on pianos- Vintage Vibe has instituted 4 different springs on their pianos for more control
  • Tone Bar washer - a washer that is used with the screw and grommets on the tone bar.
  • Torrington tine: Torrington tines were made in Conn and were known as the best tines made for Fender Rhodes pianos.
  • Tuning spring - also known as a tine spring, it is a spring used to tune a tine. The tuning spring is a spring measured in turns and thickness of the wire; it also has a kink in the middle of the spring to allow the spring to grip the tine. It is used to tune a tine to exact pitch; by pushing the spring forward or backwards you are able to vary pitch.

W

  • Wiring harness - Wurlitzer electric pianos like the 140 series and the 100 series pianos all had controls in the cheek block or on the lid. This leads to long distances from the controls to the amplifier. Age plays a major part in the breakdown of these control wires and this leads to noise in your audio line. Vintage Vibe sells new control harness cabling completely wired.
  • Whip assembly: part of the action assembly on Wurlitzer electric pianos. Much like that of a conventional piano whip, the Whip assembly’s purpose is a multifunctional lever. It is the centerpiece on a three-part action; Damper, hammer and whip- the whip assembly is activated by the depression of a key, the capstan on the key or the whip assembly (depending on model) is activated- the whip assembly is lifted by the key- this pulls the damper which releases the reed from being dampened, the fly is engaged and raises the hammer toward the reed.
  • Whip assembly Jack felts - as the capstan under the hammer rail constantly wears into the butt of the jack; it bears an impression and marks into the felt. Excessive wear should be replaced.
  • Wing nut - used on the sustain pedal of the Wurlitzer electric piano 140 series pianos
  • Wurlitzer Classic 200 Amplifier: Vintage Vibe has recreated this classic amplifier and kept the classic tone that these pianos are known for. The original 200 amplifiers are known for nothing but trouble but having great tone.