SUPPORT: Have a Crackling, Popping or Thunderous 200 or 200A???

[RetroLinear]

The Problem: You've installed a new Warneck Amplifier and the Wurlitzer's producing a crackling, popping, or almost synthesizer like noise which may be constant or comes and goes.

The Source
There is a 99.99% likelihood a short is present in the reedbar(s).

A further explanation on Wurlitzer pickup shorts;foreign material / debris caught between the reed and pickup.  You'll notice the tolerance of space between the reed and pickup is very narrow. Any material caught in this gap will short the pickup causing pops, crackles, static!  Sometimes when tuning a reed solder chards which may have not been fully shaved away by the file can break free from the reeds solder mass-  creating a short.


How to resolve this issue

NOTE: Before continuing lets verify a valid electronic installation of your amplifier.
Simply disconnect the RCA pickup cable from your Warneck amplifier, turn on the piano, if you hear a pop noise and amplifier operating noise (minimal) The amps operating, and installed correctly.

Onto identifying and isolating shorts (This applies to both the EP200 & EP200A amplifiers)

On 200 series pianos shorts generally occur during the reed-bar shield installation process.
Our directions include a specific sequence of screws to remove to minimize this scenario however there is some extra wiggle room on the pickups themselves so mechanical shifting at this level may have created a short.

A simple visual inspection can generally produce a result in this case, using a flash light to cast light from underneath the reed can be a handy method to reveal/spot a short.  Feeler gauges can also be used to gap and check reeds. Your looking for any contact of reed to pickup, and any foreign debris in this space.

Isolating shorts: (Applies to both the 200 & 200A)
To isolate an upper or lower reedbar short disconnect 1 half of the pickup cable, on model 200 pianos, this will be the hot terminal lug off pickup cable located between reedbars by your pianos damping mechanism. On model 200A pianos with a pre-amp RCA adapter board you can remove the upper or lower screw in the same location thend raise the mounting bracket so it doesn't make contact.
Following this procedure will run your piano with either the upper or lower disconnected, if you have sound the short is in the disconnected reedbar. If you have no sound in either, there's a short in both.

Mechanically cleaning shorts
Here's the official RetroLinear in-house procedure for quickly clearing shorts.
We have successfully executed this process at least a few hundred times over the 15 year span of our Wurlitzer Restorations- it works.

(this process starts with the piano lid off and the reed-bar shroud cover removed)

Step 1. Exposing the reeds. This can be done by connecting your sustain pedal and holding it down with your foot
Or by clamping the back center bracket of the pianos damper mechanism down to the tray with a large c-clamp or bar clamp.  This elevates every damper for blasting

Step 2. With an air-blasting nozzle and an air compressor set to 75psi - blast the reeds/pickups from a distance of 6-8 inches. While blasting the reeds play all of the keys up and down the register and follow your key strikes with air blasting- back and forth. This will oscillate reeds (wildly) and displace any foreign debris causing your short.

Like all things Wurlitzer, if this didn't work the first time, repeat the process, and if it didn't work after that, try it again until it works..

You can also use feeler gauges to slide between the reeds- this is more tedious, and if your sloppy and not careful detuning a reed or messing up its voicing can occur so - we only advise this as a last ditch effort.

Compressed / Canned air doesn't have the horsepower to dislodge a short, save your $$

if you don't have a compressor but own a Wurlitzer - we suggest owning a compressor, these pianos are dust magnets, and also do not have sealed wooden surfaces internally, so debris tends to build up internally- keeping a Wurlitzer clean is optimal for good performance.

If you can't have a compressor, contact a local auto repair place, if they're down to earth, you can slip them a few bucks to blast your piano..


always be careful using compressors!!!!