wurlitzer model 465 organ/synth..

[cfz2882]

this past weekend picked up a 1974 wurlitzer model 465
electronic organ for $25-it just barely fit in my dodge SUV
and is at least as heavy as a big console TV from the same
era!-at first i was just going to strip it for parts(it's
kinda beat up)but it's too cool to junk,lots of little
interesting details;old ceramic package IC chips,rotating
drum tremolo unit,3 big speakers, etc. It still works good!

 

[washernoob]

Thats cool!

My first organ was a 1970s Kimball spinet. It was fun. Lots of crazy sounds and funky synth stuff.

But since I needed something with at least 25 pedals, I couldn't keep it that long.

There is a 50s blonde wurlitzer with a leslie cabinet at the goodwill here in town for $50. Its cool, but I dont have the room or permission to get it.

 

[norgeway]

GOOD GRIEF!

The Leslie alone is worth at least 500.00!!

 

[washernoob]

Well.... thats only if its this style of leslie. The ones Wurlitzer were not always necessarily wurlitzer speakers, They would usually spin vertically rather than horizontal.

Still a good speaker, but not as collectible as the full sized cabinet leslies.

 

[norgeway]

Wurlitzer cabinets.

I think there deal was called spectra tone,ok, but NOT a Leslie!

 

[washernoob]

Yep. Your right. I forgot what the company was called. They did however make wurlitzer capable leslie models.

 

[cuffs054]

What was the purpose of the rotating speaker?

 

[petek]

The rotating speaker basically changes the sound from being flat to a pulsing sound depending on the speed of the rotation, slow to fast. Brings it to life in a way. You've seen someone playing a trumpet and moving that cup over the horn end to give that wah wah sound.. similar idea with the speaker.
Some speakers accomplish it by having a baffle rotating in front of the speaker. Other organs just imitate the sound electronically.

 

[cfz2882]

wurlitzer 465 tremolo unit

wurlitzer 465 has a styrofoam drum with a large notch cut in
the side-a small phonograph style shaded pole motor rotates the
drum in front of the speaker

 

[tolivac]

Many musicians like the sounds of a REAL "Leslie" type speaker-Electronic imatations just won't do.That is why real Leslies are commanding high prices-remember fixing one years ago-Looks like one shown in the picture.It was owned and used by a guitarist-he loved playing his guitar thru it.Did make some interesting and even pleasent sounds-replaced the tubes in the units amps.Had two power amps-one for the rotating tweeter and the other amp for the woofer-it had a rotating baffle in front of it.If I came across any"50"s style organ with a Leslie for $50 I would have snapped it up right away-I would FIND space for it.You could RESELL it for far more than that price!In the want ad magazine out here-someone advertised a Hammond "B" with a Leslie-and was selling it at $4500!Only one I had seen in this area.
I do have a Wurlitzer organ speaker and amp system that went ot a very old Wurllizer organ-sadly the swap shop operator thru out the organ and saved the speaker-I bought it for $30-it has a port in the speaker baffle with a rotating baffle in the port.You could probably plug a keyboard into it at this point.I chastised the seller for throwing out the organ-I told him I would have BOUGHT it!!Came from a former music instructor-she taught out of her house in Chocownity.