Rudolph Wurlitzer Company Cincinnati Cornet 11 photo. Antique M Dupont Paris For Sears Silver Cornet 12 photo. Keat And Sons Field Trumpet/bugle Antique 3 photo. If you find an error, or have a cornet produced before roughly 1970 (see serial number index) with a model number that doesn't appear on this list or is produced outside the years indicated on this list, please let me know (see main page for e-mail). Vintage Band Instruments is your number one dealer offering vintage trumpets for sale! Serial #78xxx $1700.00. Cornet Lyon and Healy American Professional Serial #25xx. Shepard's Crook $70.00. Trumpet Conn Victor 22B Serial #883XXX $625.00. Cornet Lyric made by Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Trumpet Case Olds Ambassador $200.00. Going by the published serial numbers, this places it's age somewhere between 1893 and 1915 (helpful.) However, on the same website there is an announcement that the 'King C-Melody was introduced around 1916-1920' - in fact probably closer to 1920 Hrmmmmm. Date Serial Number 1893-1915 1-50,000. Note: From 1987 to present, add 50 to the serial number prefix to calculate the year of manufacture.1980 - 1986 serial numbers are for student trumpet and cornets only. Other cup mouthpiece serial numbers are not available at this time.
Wurlitzer Pianos is one of the oldest names in the piano manufacturing industry in the United States. The quality of their pianos can be lined up with the best names in the realm of piano manufacturing and design.
Company History
Wurlitzer was established in 1853 by Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer. He built a piano manufacturing plant in Ohio in 1861, and four years later, he opened a retail shop, expanding his distribution across the Unites States. In 1880 Wurlitzer began to make pianos, and the company grew and became particularly well known for military and mechanical instruments.
Despite Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer’s death in 1914, the company carried on and survived the age of the gramophone by introducing the first automatic jukebox, the Wurlitzer Simplex.
During the 1920’s Wurlitzer acquired the Melville Clark line of pianos and continued to manufacture the same name of instruments.
In 1935, Wurlitzer introduced the tradition-breaking spinet piano, proving that a piano only thirty-nine inches high could replace the bulky instruments traditionally produced.
Wurlitzer Piano
Developments and Innovations
Through science, research, and ingenuity, Wurlitzer has created exclusive features such as Tonecrafted Hammers, the Pentagonal Sound Board, the Augmented Sound Board, and many others to provide a greater volume of rich, resonant tones for their instrument. Another unique achievement of Wurlitzer is their 'Wurl-on' finish which is highly resistant to heat, cold, dryness, and moisture.. as well as smears, scratches, and abrasions - an attractive as well as a durable and long-lasting finish.
In 1955, Wurlitzer introduced their sensational new electronic piano that had no strings or sound board, yet provided a natural piano tone through the means of an entirely electronic mechanism. Another unique feature is that it weighed only sixty-eight pounds and could be carried like a suitcase by means of its handy porta-cover.
Since these electronic models do not have any strings, hammers or soundboard, the instrument is unaffected by changes in temperature or climatic conditions. Additional features of this piano resembles that of the modern electronic instruments of today. A console model of the electronic piano was introduced in 1957 which met with immediate popularity.
Wurlitzer piano lines are manufactured under the names Apollo, De Kalb, Julius Bauer, Melville Clark, Student Butterfly Clavichord, Farney, Kingston, Kurtzmann, Merriam, Schaff Bros. and Underwood.
In 1995 Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. Toto driver download for windows 10. purchased the Wurlitzer name. Baldwin appointed Young Chang to build Wurlitzer grands, until about 1996, when production was moved to Samick. Gibson Guitars acquired the Baldwin Piano Co. in 2001, along with the Wurlitzer name.
Wurlitzer Piano
Serial Numbers - Piano Age
Using the chart below, locate the serial number on your Wurlitzer piano to find the piano age. Having trouble locating the serial number? Visit this page for assistance -- CLICK HERE
1903 - 1910
1905 - 4500
1910 - 11600
1915 - 22000
1920 - 40000
1925 - 63000
1930 - 112000
1935 - 136000
1940 - 195000
1946 - 330000
1950 - 400000
1955 - 537000
1960 - 657000
1965 - 905000
1970 - 1105000
1976 - 1385000
1980 - 1595000
1985 - 1825000
1990 - 2080001
1995 - 2825969
2000 - 2840520
2001 - 2842220
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Wurlitzer Lyric Cornet Serial Numbers Diagram
When I started researching the history of F.E. Olds and Son about 35 years ago, there was very little known about the early years of this company. I interviewed several former employees but was unable to get any specific dates of model introductions much less exact serial numbers. With the little information that I had and making a few guesses, I put together a few serial numbers with dates. When I got two pre-war catalogs I made guesses as to the dates that they were published. When others became interested in Olds history they added to what I had done. Unfortunately, my guesses were off by several years.
These were all honest attempts at adding to our knowledge, but unfortunately my early errors were magnified rather than minimized. This became more apparent when Dale Olson found out that fellow Olds alumni, Howard Wilson had an archive of photos and information from the factory that he saved when it was being thrown out. This included two log books with production or shipping records of the earliest Olds trumpets and cornets. I decided that we were overdue for a careful look at all the data that we had. I put together all of the relevant information from Dale Olson as mentioned, Alan Rouse of Olds Central, Eric Hamlin of The Olds Register and known catalogs in various collections. The following is what I have come up with. Please contact me with any additions and corrections.
Wurlitzer Lyric Cornet Serial Numbers List
Wurlitzer Cornet Serial Numbers
For now, The Olds Register, is not allowing additional entries, but it contains a wealth of information as it is.
Some known dates stated below may be production or shipping dates and others are sales dates. Some are guesses based on models shown in catalogs, using earliest known examples. The rest are guesses based on rational analysis of production increases. The catalog that we previously dated 1930 or 1931 is after 1933 based on reference to Radio City Music Hall which opened that year. The catalog that was previously thought to be about 1930 (because I had guessed that a slightly later catalog was about 1932) is actually after the 1935 patent (applied and granted that year) covering the fluted trombone slide tubes that are introduced therein. Another catalog is actually dated 1939 and shows the Radio model cornet but still does not introduce the Super Recording trumpet and cornet.
Wurlitzer Piano Model Numbers
The Olds trombones had a separate series of numbers that started in the ‘teens and were higher than those of the trumpets and cornets through the 1930s and 1940s (about 10,000 by 1938). According to Olds employee, Don Agard, who was there at the time, all Olds brass instruments used a single series starting with 100,000 in 1953.
Please let me know of any other data that will increase the correctness of this list. An early 1945 date would be especially useful. The last date below is based on Uan Rasey's memory of getting his Recording model trumpet during his first year at MGM. Also, I know that the Recording cornet was redesigned in January of 1948 but the earliest that we know of so far is 53,871 and I'm guessing that it was made a year or so later and we will find earlier examples in the future.
Wurlitzer Lyric Cornet
The second list here is a serial number list from 1952 until the end of production was provided by Olds in the 1970s and has been included in the Allied Supply catalog since then is still believed to be completely accurate.