Several have inquired or commented about the whereabouts of Tom
Fretty's band organs. I owned the red, white, and blue "Wurlitzer
146 Double" (see Craig Smith's photos) from 2015 to 2019. I bought
it from a collector in Michigan that had bought it directly from
Tom. I planned to contact Tom for more information but unfortunately
he passed away a month or two after I acquired the organ.

One roll frame had been converted to play 48-key 8tti rolls [tracker
bar pitch is 8-to-the-inch] -- presumably by the Wurdemans -- as their
business card and penciled notes were inside the cabinet. At the time
I owned another organ that played 48-key 8tti rolls and several came
with the Wurlitzer organ, so of course I was pleased to add those to
my small collection.

My initial thought was that the Wurlitzer organ would be the perfect
means to showcase both Wurlitzer 150 and 8tti music, but I soon found
that tempo variations and arranging issues were a problem when
switching from one type of roll to the other.

The organ's drum shelves and top cornice were homemade. To make room
for an added bell action, an earlier owner had "sandwiched" a 3-inch
extension between the cabinet and front. The organ was in need of an
overhaul; it would play decently in the summertime, and I enjoyed
listening to it and taking it to local events.

In 2019 a young mechanical music enthusiast came to visit and showed
interest in the organ, and there happened to be a Wurlitzer 153 for
sale at the time, so we struck a deal: he acquired his first band
organ for a very reasonable price and I put the proceeds towards the
153. I kept all the 48-key 8tti rolls because he planned to convert
the organ back to the original Wurlitzer 150 format. The last I knew
he had restored the bell action and all the valves and was thoroughly
enjoying his purchase!

Craig Wiley
Ohio
https://8ttirollography.net/wp49/