These things used to be very common in university class piano labs before the digital age. They are really quite simple. All of the ones I have seen are opened by removing the two screws on the top that hold the music rack. the same screws hold the lid down. Inside there is a miniature wood action with tiny hammers that strike little tone bar/reed like thingys. There are some mic pickups and a small amplifier in front. Not much to it. The major problem with these today is that the tongues of the reed bars fatigue from use and break off. Naturally there are no replacements for these so they have to be salvaged from other junked instruments. I've got a mostly complete set of them from an old trashed wurly somewhere packed away. Rob Goodale, RPT Las Vegas, NV Leslie W Bartlett wrote: > I did a warranty tuning on a new Kawai today, after which, the owner > asked me if I'd look an an "electric Wurlitzer butterfly piano." > Pretty little thing! With electric "off", it sounds like whatever hammer > mechanism there is hits metal bars rather than strings. I couldn't get > the top off easily to check, though I think it should slide forward. It > was on very solidly, as if it were screwed in somehow. > > Does anyone know anything of these? > Are they tuneable? > Can the "hammers" be replaced or redone?
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