Key actions that come closest to an actual Wurlitzer

[Vlady]

Random query here...strictly for interest sake but having never been fortunate enough to play a real Wurlitzer (or Rhodes for that matter), I was curious as to what current key actions may come closest to the feel of the real thing...

For that matter, what was the real thing...were they graded/weighted keys on an actual Wurly? Wooden? I know that actions are variable from one board to another, I just was curious as to how todays' actions measure up, especially in the stage piano market where there is more of an emphasis on ep sounds (as well as pianos of course...but it's the eps in particular I was wondering about).

Thank-you.

 

[delaware dave]

The keyboard action of a Wurlitzer 200A as compared to say its "rival" Fender Rhodes Mark 1 (Stage 73) is faster, lighter and shallower than the Fender Rhodes which is sluggish, and has a deeper throw. This is due to the mechanical differences between the two.

Fatar makes keybed actions for many of the manufacturers, so in my Kurzweil Forte the keybed is a Fatar keybed. They make a weighted piano type action (TP40) in three different 'weights'; L, M, and H. The Forte has a TP40L (light piano action). it is more suited for playing Wurli; Nord also uses Fatar and in some of their keybeds they use the TP40H (heavy action). It's probably more suitable toward Rhodes. Crumar makes the "Seven", it is an Electric piano emulator and has a 'variation' of the Fatar TP100 action, it is a sluggish action and that particular variation of the TP100 is as close to a Rhodes action that I have ever played. They manipulated the springs of the TP100 action to make it feel like a Rhodes. Check it out. Link

The Crumar Seven has both a physical modeled Rhodes as well as a physical modeled Wurli. If Electric pianos are your thing this is the keyboard for you.

the models in the videos below show the crumar mojo but these are also the exact same models that are in the Crumar Seven. It's these modeled details which make the difference

Audio link 1

Audio link 2

 

[anotherscott]

They make a weighted piano type action (TP40) in three different 'weights'; L, M, and H. The Forte has a TP40L (light piano action). it is more suited for playing Wurli; Nord also uses Fatar and in some of their keybeds they use the TP40H (heavy action)

Nord has used a variety of TP/40... in current models, I believe they use the H in the Nord Piano 6 and the M in the hammer action versions of the Stage 4. I don't think they have ever used an H version in a Stage, though I think the earliest models may have used the L, the old one I briefly played felt more like those L Kurzweils (and the L is my favorite of the three).

Actual Rhodes actions varied... the 70s model I had is as you described, though the 60s model I played was lighter feeling, closer to the Wurli, I wished I had one like that!

Vlady, in asking whether those boards had graded weighted/hammer actions, I think there's a related notable distinction between the Rhodes/Wurli and the typical modern portable hammer action boards. Those early boards felt the way they did because they actually threw the hammers AT the sound producing mechanism (tine, reed) reminiscent of what an acoustic piano does (throwing hammers at strings). Today's typical hammer action boards *simulate* what was the natural inherent operation of those analog instruments.

So for example, just as with an acoustic piano, there was no "design choice" to have a graded or ungraded action... it was what it was simply due to the physics of how the piano worked. Today, sonically functionless hammers may be added to try to make a board feel more like a piano, but the Wurli and Rhodes boards actually needed the hammers to make the sound. IOW, on those boards, hammers existed to actually create the sound, rather than to try to create the illusion that they were creating the sound.

 

[Vlady]

The keyboard action of a Wurlitzer 200A as compared to say its "rival" Fender Rhodes Mark 1 (Stage 73) is faster, lighter and shallower than the Fender Rhodes which is sluggish, and has a deeper throw. This is due to the mechanical differences between the two.

Fatar makes keybed actions for many of the manufacturers, so in my Kurzweil Forte the keybed is a Fatar keybed. They make a weighted piano type action (TP40) in three different 'weights'; L, M, and H. The Forte has a TP40L (light piano action). it is more suited for playing Wurli; Nord also uses Fatar and in some of their keybeds they use the TP40H (heavy action). It's probably more suitable toward Rhodes. Crumar makes the "Seven", it is an Electric piano emulator and has a 'variation' of the Fatar TP100 action, it is a sluggish action and that particular variation of the TP100 is as close to a Rhodes action that I have ever played. They manipulated the springs of the TP100 action to make it feel like a Rhodes. Check it out. Link

The Crumar Seven has both a physical modeled Rhodes as well as a physical modeled Wurli. If Electric pianos are your thing this is the keyboard for you.

the models in the videos below show the crumar mojo but these are also the exact same models that are in the Crumar Seven. It's these modeled details which make the difference

Audio link 1

Audio link 2

Thank-you both Delaware Dave and Another Scott...sorry, but my original replies to each of you did not seem to go through. Both very helpful and interesting. I appreciate you both taking the time.

What got me started wondering about the actual Wurly's action was my own struggles in playing a couple of Supertramp songs which use rapid repeating chords...namely songs like "Child of Vision", "Dreamer", etc... It may have more to do with my own flawed technique but I do struggle to keep up the pace and consistency in hitting these chords correctly and with the right emphasis.
On a good day I can come close but more days than not I lose the pace slightly. Not sure if I'm fighting the action a little on it, or just my own flaws. (tried them on a Kawai MP7SE and a Korg SV2).