I have, and gig with, a Wurli 200, a Rhodes suitcase and a Hammond/Leslie. I recently purchased a "Clonewheel' (Roland VK-8) and am really happy not to haul my Hammond any longer. I am thinking about swapping the Wurlitzer and the Rhodes out for something more portable/giggable. Here's the backstory....
I was playing a gig Friday night. The band asked me to start a song that I normally don't. No biggie. I am playing away, when out of nowhere, SNAPCRAKLEPOPWOWEEKAZOO!!! My Wurlitzer starts making some really terrible sounds! I swing over and continue playing along on my vk8 and finish the gig.
I get the Wurlitzer home and inspect it. One of the reeds was so close to the pickup that it shorted out. This happened 2 hours into the gig. The Wurli didn't get jarred by anything between when it was playing fine, and when it was shorting out. And only 2 weeks prior I was checking some tuning, and verified that every reed screw was adequately tight. I have had notes on my Rhodes mysteriously go out of tune in the middle of a show too. Plus, these muthas are heavy, fragile and take time to setup.
For these types of reasons that are typically associated with this vintage gear, I am considering getting into more modern gear. I have a hard time owning pieces that I have to worry about moving to a gig because of something like this.
I cant afford to buy new gear without selling the old. I feel that in terms of cash value, the wurli/rhodes are probably near their cap. I don't think they will be worth considerably more in 20 years. They are taken better care of now than they ever have been, and VV is making new ones.
So, In 15 years am I really going to kick myself in the butt for selling my wurli and rhodes to get a Nord? Thoughts?
I was playing a gig Friday night. The band asked me to start a song that I normally don't. No biggie. I am playing away, when out of nowhere, SNAPCRAKLEPOPWOWEEKAZOO!!! My Wurlitzer starts making some really terrible sounds! I swing over and continue playing along on my vk8 and finish the gig.
I get the Wurlitzer home and inspect it. One of the reeds was so close to the pickup that it shorted out. This happened 2 hours into the gig. The Wurli didn't get jarred by anything between when it was playing fine, and when it was shorting out. And only 2 weeks prior I was checking some tuning, and verified that every reed screw was adequately tight. I have had notes on my Rhodes mysteriously go out of tune in the middle of a show too. Plus, these muthas are heavy, fragile and take time to setup.
For these types of reasons that are typically associated with this vintage gear, I am considering getting into more modern gear. I have a hard time owning pieces that I have to worry about moving to a gig because of something like this.
I cant afford to buy new gear without selling the old. I feel that in terms of cash value, the wurli/rhodes are probably near their cap. I don't think they will be worth considerably more in 20 years. They are taken better care of now than they ever have been, and VV is making new ones.
So, In 15 years am I really going to kick myself in the butt for selling my wurli and rhodes to get a Nord? Thoughts?