Wurlitzer Style 33 Mandolin PianOrchestra

$10.00

The fancy Wurlitzer style 33 PianOrchestra featured on this audio compact disc is probably the earliest Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra known to survive. When I first laid eyes on this particular PianOrchestra, sitting derelict and abused in an old movie sound stage, it was in wretched condition, with parts missing and the casework dingy due to the accumulation of many years worth of dirt and grime. But all that has been wonderfully changed, with the completion of the restoration by Tim Westman in May of 1999, and the instrument is now not only visually spectacular, but it is also musically happy once again, too. When the music plays, numerous tiny light-bulbs softly illuminate the casework, which is adorned with shinny brass trimmings that  accent the warm oak colored wood. All this, while a "Fancy-Lamp" (known as a "Wonderlamp" using Wurlitzer terminology) above the center niche dazzles listeners with its brilliant turn-of-the-last-century light show. Compared with other PianOrchestras, this specimen is a medium sized instrument, with three ranks of pipes, each of which are individually brought into play by special register controls.

Click here for pictures and additional historical details about this instrument.

The original 1/4 inch stereo tape used as the audio source for this CD was recorded by Tim Westman on May 16, 1999. Once the audio signal was digitized, it was processed for tape hiss removal and background noise elimination, producing a crisp and clear PianOrchestra listening experience. The selection of music is mainly popular tunes from the teens and twenties, with a few march favorites for variety.

Listen to a sample.....

  "BALLIN' THE JACK"

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