Hello all,

Although I don't believe that anyone in recent MMDs have asked for
scales, I am posting the three most popular Band organ scales in the
U.S., the Wurlitzer 125, 150, and 165 organ scales.  The information
for these was extracted from previous postings, Reblitz and Bowers's
":Treasures of Mechanical Music", "The American Carousel Organ" by Ron
Bopp, and common sense. This is to help anyone needing or wondering
about such information.

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Wurlitzer 125 Band Organ Roll

Used on styles: 103, 104, 105 (both early and late), 106, 125,
125 special, 126, and 127.

6" wide, spaced .1227" per space

 5 Bass notes,
 9 Accompaniment Notes,
13 Trumpet Notes,
14 Melody Notes.

1.     Shutoff
2.     Snare Drum (reiterating)
3-7.   Bass G, C, D, E, F
8-16.  Accompaniment G, A, B, C, C#, D, E, F, F#
17-30. Melody A#, G, A, B, C, C#, D, E, F, F#, G, A, B, C
31-43. Trumpet E, F, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D, E, F, F#, G
44.    Bass Drum and Cymbal
45.    Rewind

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Wurlitzer 150 Band Organ Roll

Used on styles: 130 (probably), 145 series, 146 series, 147, 148,
148 special, 149, 150, 153, and 153 special

7" wide, .1227" per space

3  Bass Notes,
3  Trombone Notes,
9  Accompaniment Notes,
15 Trumpet Notes,
16 Melody Notes.

1.     Swell Shutters Open
2.     Bells On*
3.     Piccolo and Melody Violin Pipes On**
4.     General Cancel
5.     Shutoff
6.     Snare Drum
7-9.   Trombone G, C, D
10-12. Bass G, C, D
13-21. Accomp. G, A, B, C, D, E, F, F#, G
22-37. Melody G, A, B, C, C#, D, E, F, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D, E
38-52. Trumpet C, D, E, F, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D, E, F, F#, G
53.    Bass Drum and Cymbal
54.    Rewind

Notes:

*Since the Wurlitzer 153 was advertised to have automatic stops for
"octave violin, open flute, cello pipes, stopped pipes, bell bars, and
swell shutters", they must have obviously used hole no. 2 (bells), and
hole no. 3 (melody piccolo and violin pipes) to control 2 each of the
ranks mentioned, as well as the bells. The stopped (flute) and cello
pipes mentioned are actually trumpet helpers, of 15 notes each, which
play along with the trumpets when called for by the music roll.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM ORGAN OWNERS IS WELCOMED.

** I am not sure about the piccolo pipes mentioned, as the only organs to
have them (which play this roll) are the brass military styles 130, 148,
149, and 150, as well as the style 147, neither of which had automatic
registers.

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Wurlitzer 165 Band Organ Roll

Used on styles: 157, 162?*, 163, 164, 165, 166, 168, and 175

9 5/8" wide, .1227" per space

6  Bass Notes
10 Accomp. Notes
14 trumpet Notes
22 Melody Notes

1.     Open Bass and Accomp. On (B&A)** ***
2.     Brass Trombone and Brass Trumpet On (CM)***
3.     Uniphone Bells on (M) ***
4.     Triangle
5.     Swell Closed
6.     Orchestra Bells On (M)
7.     Crash Cymbal
8.     Wood Trumpet On (CM)
9.     Loud Violin on (M)
10.    Open Flute (or Flageolet) and Piccolo on (M)
11.    Snare Drum
12-17. Bass C, D, E, F, G, A
18.    Shutoff
19-28. Acc. G, A-D, E, F, F#
29.    Rewind
30-51. Melody G-D, E, F
52.    General Cancel
53-66. Trumpet F-D, E-G
67.    Bass Drum And Tap Cymbal
68.    Stopped Flute and Piccolo On (M)
69.    Soft Violin On (M)
70.    Wood Trombone On (B)
71.    Swell Open
72.    Castanets
73.    Percussion Forte***
74.    Tympani*** ****
75.    Prestant Violin On*** (M)

Notes:

*The style 162 is only mentioned in the Wurlitzer shipping records
in Bowers' Encyclopedia.

Gordon Forcier notes that his "Monster" organ was traded in for a
165-format organ, "possibly a style 162 or 164 organ", but "The
American Carousel Organ" doesn't even mention it's existence, leading
me to belive that they are confusing it with the style 163. If anybody
knows anything about this phantom organ, let me know.

**the first hole in the 165 scale has been labeled "bass bells on" in
some references on the subject. however, I have seen it labeled as the
stop for the open bass and acc. pipes, present only in the 166 organ,
and otherwise not having and opening in the tracker bar to correspond
with its register (listed with the other registers in the catalog).
Tubing a set of bells to the bass is one of the most ridiculous things
I've ever heard!

***The first 3 and the last 3 holes in the tracker bar are used on the
166 organ only.

****Could somebody tell me whether the tympani action (found on styles
157 and 166) is single stroke or reiterating? Also, how is this function
punched into the roll? (I know it works off the bass drum)

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There are quite a few more scales for the early organs (such as styles
100, 110, 120, 135/140, the "Monster" 155,  and the "Mammoth" 160),
which I will list in another posting some other time.

Resources used:

Treasures of Mechanical Music,
by Arthur A. Reblitz and Q. David Bowers
The Vestal Press, 1981

The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments
by Q. David Bowers
The Vestal Press, 1973

The American Carousel Organ
An Illustrated Encyclopedia
by Ron Bopp
Palmer Printing
St. Cloud, MN 1998

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I hope this helps whomever reads this.

Andrew Barrett
email: Barrett@95net.com.geentroep [ drop .geentroep to reply ]