Wurlitzer Full Metal Pinblock

[Clark A. Foerster]

I service two of these type of wurlitzers.  One is a 7' satin ebony grand
(Wurlitzer Grand 76640; Wurlitzer Studio  94326) with beveled ivory keys,
beautiful though worn action, as fine as any piano I have seen made in the
same period.  The quality is exceptional in this piano and I am still
amazed that it is a Wurlitzer. The original "deep pocket" owner of this
piano choose it over a Steinway and Mason and Hamlin grand at the time.  I
was curious about the unique absence of a pinblock but even more about the
quality of the piano. After getting blank stares from different folk as I
gushed about this great Wurlitzer grand I finally talked to Paul Monachino
and another person (whose name I forget) who knew what I was talking about.
>From these two I got the following two stories.  I don't remember who is
responsible for which one.

Story #1.
The man who told me this story actually worked at the Wurlitzer factory not
long after the Great Depression, about 1933.  He says he was about 15 years
old and was just starting his apprenticeship in piano work.  He recalled
that there was a part of the factory where the best craftsmen were at work
on grand pianos that were seven feet or larger.  He was not permitted
access to this part of the factory and the workmen there appeared to be
quite private about their work.  There was a kind of aura of specialness
and secrecy surrounding their work. This man told me that this division of
the factory was disbanded very soon after he began work there but that
maybe 30 or 50 pianos were made by it. He says Wurlitzer otherwise focussed
only on the smaller grands and the uprights.

Story #2.
The man who told me this story had heard it himself from someone else who
he had since forgotten.  He said that Mr. Wurlitzer was presiding over a
factory board/supervisor/manager meeting. At the end of the meeting, Mr.
Wurlitzer announced that he had something to show those who criticized him
for making "cheap" pianos. He said that he would prove that Wurlitzer could
make a piano that was equal to the finest in the world.  With that, he
opened the curtain and on the stage stood a beautiful concert grand piano
with the name "Wurlitzer" on it.  Mr. Wurlitzer then turned to his audience
and talked about how this was a limited production piano that would not be
made again because it cost too much.  He said he would have to charge $2000
per piano to break even and that the public could not afford it.  As much
as he would like to continue making pianos like this one, he felt profits
were best found in making a mass produced piano that everyone could afford.

I would be interested if anyone could add or detract from these stories and
particularly add any information about these marvelous 7' grands.

By the way, this piano with its non-pinblock is not my favorite to tune but
it is certainly not as bad as many others that do have pinblocks.  It is
comforting to know that if a tuning pin loosens that you simply drive the
wedge slightly farther in the split in the upright or tighten the screw in
the grand.

Clark Foerster RPT