Wurlitzer Through Wah Pedal

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70ssound

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My friend has a wurlitzer 200 piano. It was gone through by vintage vibe so I understand it's a dime. But my question is how do I run it through a wah wah pedal. I've always wondered how Richard Wright achieved that effect on the Dark Side of the Moon. Isn't the output of a wurlitzer too hot for a wah wah pedal?
 
There are two outputs on a Wurlitzer. The Aux output should be fine for a guitar pedal but the headphone output could be a bit high if the volume is turned up too high.
 
I'm not sure Wright used a wha wha may have just been hevy tremolo Can you point a place ina particular song where you think this is what he is doing.... A lot of people don't know about Lachy Doley a killer rock keyboardist doing his thing out of Australia...

He has a Hohner Clavinet moded with a whammy bar and ran through a wha wha pedal OMG

 
He would be killer with Robert Randolf and Chuck Campbell with their pedal steel guitars!
 
Thanks for the help. I hadn't realized there was an aux out on the Wurlitzer. I've played the piano in question, and it's magical....it feels and sounds like it was made yesterday. I can't wait to record this thing! I'm not sure where the outputs are. I only used it with those onboard speakers.

As far as the Dark Side of the Moon, I'm quite certain Money will give a great example of a wurlitzer through the wah wah pedal. I can see why some might think it's a Rhodes piano, but I'd say wurlitzer all the way. EDIT:... I'd say you really have to skip to the 2 minute mark when the saxaphone comes in; this is when Wright seems to click the wah wah in.
 
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The outputs are underneath near the left end. The aux is the one towards the back of the instrument. Pink Floyd made extensive use of the Wurlitzer and it was actually one of the tracks on Animals that convinced me that I wanted one. I was lucky enough to have a friend who went for one of the early digital pianos and so he sold me his Wurlitzer for a reasonable price. I'd say that you are right about the wah on Money - but it will take quite a bit of skill to emulate it.
 
Well I tried it today, and it sounded awful. It was a 200A....(as opposed to a regular 200)
Lots of hum, grounding hum noise....just a mess. Looks like if I want to record this instrument I will have to put a mic on the onboard speaker because they sound fine.

It sounded awesome with this fasel wah I have....but the humming and buzz kept it from being record-worthy. Shame. But thank you all for the help.

As a random question, is there a way to date these suckers? Thanks!
 
Maybe try a DI box with ground lift. I know that Wurlitzers always seem to have problems with hum and grounding but miking it up really won't do it justice. Give the headphone output a try too.
 
I love Wurlitzers and Fender Rhodes'. To me, they represent the electric piano sound.
Back in 2004, someone recommended the VSTi "Lounge Lizard" to me. They told me that Herbie Hancock wasn't taking his arsenal of electric pianos on the road anymore, just a Lounge Lizard. So I bought it. It basically contains all the Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds I ever wanted and more. I've been using that programme ever since for all my electric pianos. I might use a different one, once in a Haley's comet {or a blue moon}, but that's my go-to.
I can't honestly tell the difference between the Rhodes and the Wurlitzer. In my head, I have an electric piano sound, circa '59-80 and both achieve what I'm looking for.
 
James, thank you. I actually asked my friend if he had a DI....I left mine at home. That might be the next move. I never thought of running it out of the headphone out. I just assumed that would blow the wah up.

I'm definitely sensitive to the EP sound...though I admit there are times when I confuse the Pianet with the Wurlitzer. Whenever I hear the classic album "The Civil Surface" by Egg I think of a wurlitzer 200a instantly, but it was a pianet.

I find the rhodes to have more variations....having owned a 1973 with the curved keys and a late 1976 they couldn't sound more a worlds apart. The 1977-1980 era pianos that I've played with the pedestal improvement are so bell-like they bear almost no resemblance to the 1974 to super early 1975 era pianos. The 1974 pianos are so mid-rangy and have so much bark that they actually veer into EP200A territory. I'm not too crazy about the 1977-1980 pianos, and the plastic hammers just feel cheap. As far as an emulator, I wouldn't even dream of it. If I had to chose between my upright piano or an emulator, I'd rather just have nothing.
 
If you use a decent weighted keyboard I've found that the old GSI Mr Tramp VSTi does a pretty good job at emulating a Wurlitzer. It doesn't feel right without a weighted keyboard though. Nowadays the real Wurlitzer lives in the living room and I use Mr Tramp in the studio.
 
It's funny, whenever I hear or see "Wurlizer" all I can think of is this! The family across the street had one that I THINK their dad would play on occasion. I don't think I've ever seen the electric piano. Around here (in the late 60s/early 70s), it was either a Rhodes or a Hohner Clavinet. I think we payed $200 for a Clavinet C.

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It's quite funny to think that this organ was probably more expensive than a 200 in the '60s, and now you can hardly give them away. I've always thought the 200A was an awesome little design. Wonderful, gutsy little sound. When I play my friend's Wurly I can't even describe how it makes me feel. It's almost as if the sound coming out of the speakers is just impossible, like it's coming from a different universe. The sound comes out so produced and processed that it's not hard to become Ray charles for the moment. The soul, the interaction between the keys and the tone/dynamic coming out of the speakers surely can't be replicated. It's not weighted action, and it's not light...it just feels wonderful. As I sit and play it I become bothered that keyboard manufacturers would mess with absolute perfection. I asked the owner Joe "why don't they make this anymore?!?!?" I mean I get it, everything boils down to money these days because that's all that seems to matter anymore in life....but the thing is so small and diminutive, what's the dang problem? It can't be that hard to manufacture this thing for a cheap price. Why bother emulating it I say. It already exists! I'm surprised we haven't done away with pianos, acoustic guitars and drums while we're at it. It's so stupid.
 
70ssound said:
It's quite funny to think that this organ was probably more expensive than a 200 in the '60s, and now you can hardly give them away
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Back around 2010, I had to go and pick up a Lowry organ from some old guy and drop it to a care facility. The people at the care facility didn't want it and they offered it to me for nothing. I'd had a Hammond organ that I'd had to sell about 9 years previously and I was drooling at the Lowry. It was so beautiful, I didn't even want to hear it or imagine the sound for the frustration of having to leave it behind. If I'd had the space, I'd've taken it like a shot. Alas....
Mind you, by then, I was experienced with Native Instrument's B4 and it was virtually as good as the real thing.
70ssound said:
I'm surprised we haven't done away with pianos, acoustic guitars and drums while we're at it. It's so stupid
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But they have ! I don't have the space for a piano so I have to make do with VSTis. But I'm insistent on real acoustic bass, drums and guitars. I've heard emulations so realistic, I couldn't tell the difference. But I want the real thing there, so although I seem to be pushing back on what you have been saying, in my heart, I'm with you all the way. I tried the electric drums, didn't like them so I sold it and re-bought an acoustic set. I was never going to get rid of the guitars but I was curious what a VSTi one sounded like. I've used the acoustic once {that was around 2006} and the electric once.
I think some VSTis are better than others. All manner of keyboards are pretty easy to emulate. Organs, pianos, synthesizers, mellotrons, electric pianos, clavinets etc are easy to disguise as real in a mix.
70ssound said:
Why bother emulating it I say. It already exists!
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Part of me wants to feel this way. But then, I examine my own evolving situation from 2001 when the kids started to come along and space was going to be an issue. Plus the fact that because I had it in mind to use dozens of different musical instruments in my music, either I was going to spend many frustrating and embarrassing moments chatting up drunk or stinky buskers or going to music colleges, trying to convince students to come all the way to where I live and contribute to my shitty songs for a meal at best and nothing at worst......or they were going to have to invent VSTis ! 8-) :ROFLMAO: "They" made a wise choice and I don't have "stalker" on my rap sheet !! :P
 
70ssound said:
I asked the owner Joe "why don't they make this anymore?!?!?" I mean I get it, everything boils down to money these days because that's all that seems to matter anymore in life....but the thing is so small and diminutive, what's the dang problem? It can't be that hard to manufacture this thing for a cheap price. Why bother emulating it I say. It already exists! I'm surprised we haven't done away with pianos, acoustic guitars and drums while we're at it. It's so stupid.
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Vintage Vibe make a piano that looks like a Wurlitzer although they claim it sounds more like a Rhodes. That one will set you back at least $6000. There is also the Rhodes Mk8 which is now made in the UK and costs nearly £8000.
 
There is a third option which actually costs and weighs less, and sounds closer to a Wurlitzer. The Valente electric piano is a modern reed piano, hand-made in Brazil. It features a 61-note keyboard, C-to-C, a sustain pedal, and completely passive circuitry using magnetic pickups.

I bought mine new 18 months ago. It cost me £3660 including import duty and UK taxes. That's half the price of the Vintage Vibe Classic, and a third the price of the Rhodes Mk 8. It weighs 20kg (44lb).

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It sounds like a cross between a Wurly and a 1960s "sparkletop" Rhodes.
Listen to "In The Swim" by Simon Beck

Let me know if you want more information.
 
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