All:  I am the proud new owner of a Wurlitzer 105 band organ.  Picked
it up this past weekend from Marty Roenigk.  I don't have any history
on it.  It is a later style 105 with serial number 4096.  All numbers
on the case, chest, pressure, and vacuum bellows match.  It even has
the tracker operating instructions taped (argh!) to the door with the
model and serial number printed on it.  The patent plaque is present.

Other than a terrible repaint job on the front with some sort of brown
paint containing mica or some other flaky stuff, the organ appears
to be relatively untouched.  There was a penciled in note on the lower
pressure bellows access panel which stated "Pressure bellows repaired
1958".  It has the original drums with what appears to be original
leather (skin) drum heads.  The rest of the case is white oak with
a dark brown shellac finish.

It has the 90-degree drive system (pulley on the side, not back).
However, the original flywheel was replaced with a 20" wooden flywheel.
It works but it just doesn't look right.

The pipework looks great.  I've seen only a minor crack or two in the
bottom stopped pipes, and one of these dropped loose during transport,
but was not harmed.  The pipes inside the case look almost new.  The
 piccolos are very tarnished.

Good news -- the pressure bellows seem nice and tight.  Bad news --
the instrument was left unused for a period of time and stored where
little warm fuzzy creatures live.  After blowing out about a pound of
sunflower seed shells, I found that the lack of any vacuum was due to
something having gnawed ever so slightly on the folds of the vacuum
pump, just enough that I only get about an inch of vacuum.  Seems they
weren't interested at all in the wood.

I am not new to the restoration business and I fully understand
hide glue, leather, felt and shellac.  However, this is my first band
organ and I am going to have a lot of questions.  To start with, how
to remove the vacuum bellows.  I am open to any and all suggestions
(I know this will open Pandora's Box).

Someone already contacted me asking for information about the spool
frame.  However, I have lost your e-mail address.  So whoever you are,
please write to me again.  You wanted to get some numbers off of the
frame.  I have looked, but could not find any.

With the closing of PPCo I'm already wondering, like many out there,
where I am going to get things like replacement gaskets for the unit
valves.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone with a spare 45 of
these.  If anyone knows of a spare flywheel of the proper dimension
(seems I read 18" is correct?!) let me know.  For those wanting any
documentation on this instrument, let me know.  I'll try to take
pictures and document what I did.

Jim Quashnock
Texas