Subject: Re: Images of Roll Labels
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 20:38:16 -0600
From: mozart@liljasper.com (Phil Underwood)
To: rollreq@foxtail.com

Hello Robbie,

You had written:
> When I wrote last night I was somehow thinking "Welte"!  I have no
> knowledge of the Wurlitzer organ rolls or player system.  Can you
> please tell me about it?

Sure,  Wurlitzer had three basic self-registering roll systems.  The largest was the "R" or residence.  The next size smaller is the "RJ" or residence junior.  The one I have is the "RS" or residence small (AKA concert player). These were installed on both small residence organs and available on all of their Theatre Organs.  It was estimated by someone who actually went thru Wurlitzer's shipping list that they shipped @ 107 players total.  I have no idea how many of each type there were.  There is a possibility this number also included standard 88 note piano roll players also.

The "RS" uses the 9 holes per inch spacing, 11.25" wide rolls.  There are 98 holes in the tracker bar.  37 holes are used for registering/traps/volume. 61 holes are used for notes.  This is where it gets a little tricky.  When you insert the concert rolls it makes a pneumatic switch that tells the player action to play concert rolls.  You can also insert a standard 88 note piano  roll.  This switches the player action to play 88 notes and use the sustain. In this mode the registering/traps/volume are controlled by the operator. This allows one player action to play two types of rolls.  This allowed the theatre owner and the private owner a larger selection of rolls without the added expense of the self-registering rolls.

The Concert rolls are installed in a "spool piece" that is about 3/8" longer than a standard 88 note roll.  This length difference allows the player to "know" what type of roll is installed.  There is one "spool piece" and the concert rolls are installed in it.  I have attached a gif of the roll label.  My software did not make a very clear image of it as a gif.  It did make a good jpg tho.  If the gif is not acceptable I can send you the jpg.

There is a web site for the organ at:  http://www.theatreorgans.com/wurlitzer.471

Phil
 

Concert Organ

(courtesy Phil Underwood)
 ===============

Rolla Artis

(courtesy J. B. Roth)
 ===============

Style 150 Band Organ
  (courtesy Hal Davis)