WurliTzer Model 153 Band Organ

[whoisthisguy724]

I must say, MGR Museum needs to restore their band organs,..

[DRUmBEaTTS]

....I also made a new glockenspiel for the lower grill but someone at the museum

stole them and today the bell grill is empty.

Today the museum is run by a very fine person and these things do not happen

as they did in the early days.

If you are ever in the area it would be my pleasure to visit with you.

Don Stinson

78 years old and still working and building organs.

[marcco8]

@DRUmBEaTTS That is really sad that someone stole the glockenspiel. What a beautiful organ. Wonderful work restoring it

[DRUmBEaTTS]

HERE IS THE OFFICIAL STORY FROM DON STINSON ABOUT MY DAD'S ORGAN

Hello Dru,

Good to hear from you after all these years

The organ is a Wurlitzer 125 with a 153 facade.

Jerry had Erwin Heller working on the organ with no results and decided to pick up the parts when Erwin was away.

He never recovered the brass trumpet resonators and Ken

Smith made him a set of wood replacements which greatly enhanced the sound.

I had the organ here one week and had it playing again....

[DRUmBEaTTS]

I hope to clear up some of the debate as this was my dad's (Jerry Betts) organ. It is a Wurlitzer 125 that has been re-piped and equipped with a 153 facade. My dad acquired it with these modifications already in place from the Elgin, Illinois Kiddy Park in 1963. He operated the carousel at this park when he was a teenager in the early 1950's. So, yes it sounds like a 105, yes it plays 125 rolls and yes it's a 153 facade. I hope to get it restored someday and find out where the bells went!

[anglerfly]

Ok, I wasn't going to say this before but this 125/ 105 Is realy a 155 with a 155 facade

[anglerfly]

Theres a CD of this organ enchated carousel

[anglerfly]

enchanted caorusel

[anglerfly]

WHATS THAT SONG CALLED???????...

[KawhackitaRag]

Is that part of another organ facade that I see on the other side of the glass windows behind the organ?

[WurliTzerBandOrgans]

Almost looks like the ornate side panels from a Wurlitzer 165 with the drum "port holes" but I am not certain.

[theorganguy]

so whats the organ that is visible in the background from about 0:25 on...?

[WurliTzerBandOrgans]

It's a non-working Wurlitzer model 104 (which is a model 105 less drums and cymbal).

[Wurlitzer157]

Actually a wurlitzer105 has some different pipes. look up the clover queen and you'll see a 104 with drums and symbols

[KawhackitaRag]

The only difference between a 104 and late model 105 is that the brass piccolos of the earlier 104 are replaced by wood piccolos in the later 105. However, the late model 104 (rarer than the early one?) was simply a late-model 105 without the drums. They are both basically identical organs based upon the model 17 cylinder organ.

The 125 is a completely different organ based upon the model 18 cylinder organ.

[koasterkav]

Nice sound with the wood trumpets instead of the brass ones. Still loud though. It is a 125 model with a 153 facade.

[wurlitzer153duplex]

It's a 125 with wood trumpets replacing the brass ones. There is another organ in this same configuration that rallies regularly.

[Wurlitzer157]

I never saw that organ.

[anglerfly]

Its a little 105. I hope you agree about the facade looking like the hershey park one..

[Wurlitzer157]

@anglerfly

It does, it's a 153 facade.

Does it have a similar paint job.

[Wurlitzer157]

@Wurlitzer157

Nevermind, I saw it more than once.

[anglerfly]

How did they do that? The wurlITzer 153 duplex is somewhere else?

[anglerfly]

I don't get it! it doesn't sound anything like a 125

[wurlitzer153duplex]

@anglerfly It would if it had the original brass trumpets. The wood trumpets have a softer tone. The piccolos/flageolets and trombones are consistent with the later 125s.

[anglerfly]

Why does my video not sound real 125 ? IT doesn't sound like a 125 at north tonawanda carousel

[anglerfly]

@wurlitzer153duplex ENCHATED carousel is a CD of this oragn

[anglerfly]

@wurlitzer153duplex What dod u mean its still a 153 with 125 rolls? IT doesn't sond likt one.

[wurlitzer153duplex]

@anglerfly I never said it was a 153. It is a 125 that had its brass trumpets replaced with wood ones. And it sounds like a 125 with quieter trumpets. The flageolets seem loud because they would normally have to be on the same level as the original brass trumpets. In the current configuration, it sounds somewhat like a 105 but with a stronger bass section.

The tune for anyone still asking is "Gloryland".

[anglerfly]

@wurlitzer153duplex This is a 105 not a 125

[anglerfly]

@wurlitzer153duplex WHat do you mean its not original?? It was ever a 153 converted ot 12 rolls, If it was it wouldn't sound any diffrent ??? I don't get why the pipes aren't original?

[anglerfly]

@wurlitzer153duplex WHY does it sound diffrent because teh rolls were converted?

[clemmiedoodle]

It's nice, but I believe if you check into the matter, you will find that this is not an original 153 organ, it's a 153 case with some other, smaller organ installed in it and playing 125 music. The song is "Gloryland March."

[WurliTzerBandOrgans]

You are correct... the facade is from a model 153 but the actual organ is a model 105 or 125. It plays 125 rolls.

[anglerfly]

@clemmiedoodle Its a 106 because of the facade ( Just kidding ) LOL Doesn't look like a wurlITzer 125 its in great shape this is how it should sound and tuned, It could be a wurlITzer 125 special