Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > August 2006 > 2006.08.21 > 07Prev  Next


Wurlitzer Electro Pneumatic Player, Model 1402
By John A. Tuttle

[ Ref. "Wurlitzer Console Piano with Pneumatic Reproducer" in
 [ 060819 MMDigest.

Hi All,  The Wurlitzer Electro Pneumatic Player, Model 1402, was
produced in the very early 1970's.  The "Player Piano Schematic" in
the Model 1402 Service Manual is dated July 1, 1970.  The '1402' had
a 98-hole trackerbar and a 76-note* pneumatic stack.  It also had an
automatic soft pedal (hole #96), automatic sustain pedal (hole #3),
and automatic cancel (or rewind) which was triggered by hole #91.

Interestingly enough, Ampico also used holes 3, 91, and 96 for the
same purposes.  Therefore, Ampico rolls could be played on the model
1402 and the music would have a small amount of expression.  This is
especially true because Ampico had a tendency to use the hammer rail
lift (or soft pedal) quite a bit.  And, since the Model 1402 only had
a 76-note stack, the other expression perforations on an Ampico roll
didn't trigger anything.

Note*: Although the Model 1402 had a 76-note stack, it also use octave
coupling for holes 8 and 9 on the left, and holes 86, 87, and 88 on
the right.  This configuration left holes number 1-2, 4-7, 89-90, and
92-96 empty, while increasing the effective playing range of the unit
by five notes.

It's also interesting to note that from 1969-1980, Wurlitzer didn't
send out a single Technical Note about the Model 1402.  However, they
sent out at least six Technical Notes about the Model 1202 and 1203,
which, by all accounts, were both produced prior to the 1402.

Why the Model 1402 is so rare as compared to the 1202 and 1203 has
always been somewhat of a mystery to me.  My assumption is that
Aeolian and Kimball were producing pneumatic players that were much
less expensive than the Model 1402, which, by all appearances, had
a finely crafted pneumatic player system...

Musically,
John A Tuttle
Player-Care.com
Brick, New Jersey, USA


(Message sent Mon 21 Aug 2006, 23:51:59 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  1402, Electro, Model, Player, Pneumatic, Wurlitzer

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page