Instructions for Tuning Military
Band Organs
Reproduction of original Wurlitzer documents
courtesy Matthew Caulfield
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING
MILITARY BAND ORGANS
Styles No. 147, 148, 149 and 150
For your convenience, place the instrument on two blocks about eighteen
inches high, supporting the sides of the case, so that you can see the
pipes contained in the bottom of the instrument from below.
This instrument contains 22 Stopped Pipes in the bottom of the case,
22 Stopped pipes and 27 open Violin pipes in the main case, also 3 Brass
Trombones, 16 Clarinets, and 16 Brass Piccolos in front. There are stops
for the Trumpets, Trombones, Clarinets, and Piccolos, [also] two stops
for pipes in the main case: one for the open pipes and one for the stopped
pipes. These two stops should be open all the time.
Place the tuning roll in the tracker-frame, and connect the paper with
the take-up spool, push the Stop Lever over to the RIGHT, press the Rewind
Pneumatic to the right a trifle, and pull the hook down over the screw.
The tuning roll can now be moved over the tracker bar from one perforation
to the other, and the suction is still on the chest.
Close all the stopped pipes in the bottom and the main case and the
Piccolos in front with soft paper, just tight enough so that the pipes
will not speak, but that the air will go through the pipes. Close the Trombones,
Trumpets, and Clarinets with their respective stops and start the instrument.
Then begin tuning the open pipes in the main case according to the tuning
sheet. Make the fifths a little flat and the fourths a little sharp. When
the temperature has been finished, tune the open pipes in octaves as the
tuning sheet indicates.
Then open the bottom pipes and tune them according to the respective
open pipes one note at a time, then open the pipes in the main case, then
the clarinets, then the piccolos, trumpets and trombones, tuning them as
the tuning sheet will indicate.
Test the pipes, and if they do not speak properly you may find dust
or a little dirt in the pipes, which should be cleaned with a feather or
something similar. |
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING
WURLITZER BAND ORGANS
Style 125
For your convenience, place the instrument on two blocks about 18" high,
supporting the sides of the case, so that you can see the pipes contained
in the bottom of the instrument from below.
The instrument contains 22 stopped pipes in the bottom, and six stopped
and one open pipe, A flat, and also 28 open (Violin Pipes) in the main
case. In the front there are 13 Flageolets, 13 Brass Trumpets, 13 Brass
Piccolos, and five wooden Trombones. There are stops for the Trumpets,
Flageolets, and Piccolos, also one stop in the main case for the open Violin
Pipes. The latter stop should always remain open.
Before tuning, close all the stopped pipes in the bottom and main case,
also close A flat and the six stopped pipes on the left inner side when
standing behind the instrument, with some soft paper, just tight enough
so that the pipes will not speak, but that the air will pass through the
pipes. Also close Trombones, Trumpets, Flageolets and Brass Piccolos, by
pulling the respective stops.
Place the tuning roll on the tracker frame and connect the paper with
the take-up spool. Push the Stop Lever to the right, press the Rewind Pneumatic
to the right a trifle, and pull the hook down over the screw. The tuning
roll can now be moved back and forward over the tracker bar from one perforation
to the other.
Start the instrument and tune the open pipes in the main case. Tune
the Fifths a little flat and the Fourths a little sharp (Temperature).
When this has been finished, continue moving the tuning sheet, and tune
the open pipes in octaves in the succession as they will sound. When all
the open pipes have been tuned, open the stopped pipes in the bottom, and
then those in the main case, and then tune them to corresponding open pipes.
Then proceed in the same way with the Flageolets, Brass Piccolos, Trumpets
and Trombones as the tuning sheet will indicate.
Test all the pipes and see that the instruments speak properly. If they
do not sound clear, it may be caused by dust or some little dirt accumulated
in the pipes, which should be cleaned with a feather or something similar. |
07 June 2004
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