Everything you need to know about Wurlitzer Pianos

Image credit: Daryl Durand from Kansas City, United States, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

A really common brand you’ll come across if you’re looking for a used piano is Wurlitzer. Wurlitzer made thousands of reasonable quality pianos in the 20th Century and a good few still survive to this day in excellent condition.

However, if you’re in the market for a spinet piano, is a Wurlitzer a good buy? Or should you steer clear and go for something like a Baldwin? In this article we take you through what we think of Wurlitzer pianos and whether you should buy one.

Please note - we are only talking about Wurlitzer acoustic pianos here. If you’re looking for electric pianos or organs, we don’t talk about these in this article.

Wurlitzer Pianos - A brief history

Wurlitzer was established in 1853 and began importing string and woodwind instruments from Germany to resell in the US. However, as technology evolved, Wurlitzer started making their own instruments, including band organs, acoustic pianos, pipe organs and eventually, electric pianos and organs.

Wurlitzer began making acoustic pianos in around 1880. However, most examples you’ll find out there at the moment date from about the 1960s onwards. In 1973 Wurlitzer’s piano making facilities were acquired by Baldwin (who made very similar types of piano) and production of these pianos was moved overseas. Baldwin stopped using the Wurlitzer name in 2009.

In our experience it’s rare you’ll come across a piano made by Wurlitzer that dates from later than around the 1980s or before the 1950s, and the older examples are generally too old to be useful as a serious practice instrument. However, these instruments were quite well-built and are good stepping-stone instruments for someone who has outgrown a keyboard or a basic digital piano and wants the taste of a real acoustic piano, without having to splurge on something professional-grade like a Yamaha U1.

That being said, not all Wurlitzer pianos were made equal, and as such, you need to make sure that when you think about buying one, the seller has given you an honest appraisal of the instrument and you’re fully aware of what work it might need doing before buying it. We’ll say right off the bat that buying a Wurlitzer for more than about $2,500 is probably not worth it unless it’s a really, really good example.

Common types of Wurlitzer piano out there today

By far the most common Wurlitzer piano you will come across today is the spinet piano. You may find that console pianos are available when you do your search, and these were great instruments, but you need to be sure that they’ve been looked after. I couldn't find any when doing my research for this article. Don’t, for example, buy a piano that’s been used as a practice instrument in a school - as this piano will likely have been beat up and abused, which will limit its useful life.

Spinet pianos look like this:

And console pianos look like this:

(this is not a Wurlitzer as we couldn't find an appropriate image, but a Wurlitzer console will look very similar.)

Are Wurlitzer pianos worth buying for a serious musician?

I will say this really depends on how serious you are. If you’ve outgrown a small Yamaha keyboard or digital piano and are looking for something a little bit more serious, a Wurlitzer piano might be a good investment. I would expect that for those on around ABRSM Grade 3 right through until Grade 8, a 1960s Wurlizer spinet piano will probably be absolutely fine and will serve you quite well. Wurlitzer pianos were well built, and there’s no reason a 1960s example couldn’t serve you another 20 years if it was looked after properly. However, if you’re a college piano major looking for an instrument to practice on, a Wurlitzer piano is probably not going to be adequate and you’d be better served looking elsewhere. 

I will say that Wurlitzer pianos are of far higher quality than some cheaper pianos around the $1,000 - $2,000 mark - I would highly recommend you look at a Wurlitzer spinet piano over any Chinese brand (although these have come a long way in recent years - I would say stay away from anything made before 2005).

How much is a Wurlitzer piano worth?

In good condition, probably about $700. However, this is a ballpark figure and doesn’t take into account the condition of the piano or what model it is. A really, really well looked after Wurlitzer console piano might fetch over $1,500. A really poorly looked after spinet piano that has chipped keys and broken strings is probably only good for scrap.

As a general rule, you’ll pay more for a console piano (effectively, full-sized upright pianos) than you will for a spinet piano. Check that the piano has not been heavily used and ensure you check the condition of the soundboard and other interior components before you buy. Older pianos like Wurlitzers can suffer from all sorts - rot, woodworm and mould, so ensure that (like you would with any older piano) you do a full inspection of the instrument before you hand over any money.

Should you buy a used Wurlitzer piano?

In my opinion, yes - but only if you are fully aware of what you’re getting. A really high quality, well looked after Wurlitzer piano is going to be a brilliant instrument and will serve you well. You must, however, be absolutely aware of the fact that it is an old instrument, and if it hasn’t been rebuilt at some point in its’ life it may require it soon and you will end up paying money for a technician to come to your home to fix things.

If this sounds like a pain, then a good quality digital piano is an excellent Wurlitzer piano alternative - and we’ll list a few comparable instruments down below. Most of these pianos will do exactly the same for your playing as a Wurlitzer piano would, and come with the added benefits of not needing to be tuned and allowing you to use headphones.

We have some excellent articles in the works focusing not only on pianos and keyboards, but string and woodwind instruments as well. Stay tuned for more!