Wurlitzer Piano price:
A Wurlitzer Piano’s price can vary depending on the model and age. Acoustic Wurlitzers go for anything between $600 – $1700, spinet pianos will go for around $500, and console pianos go for $1700+.
If you’re selling your piano, like with anything, you should be completely honest and upfront about the condition of the piano. If you’re buying, make sure to ask for videos, pictures, & get someone to play it so you know it works properly.
If the seller is a legitimate seller, they won’t mind providing these. If they don’t want to provide them, look elsewhere.
This price will also depend on the condition of the piano. If it hasn’t been kept well enough, for instance there’s cosmetic damage, scratches, mould etc, it would be pretty difficult to sell on. Also, if it’s a piano that’s had a lot of use, you can expect to get lower for it.
Why?
If it’s in bad condition, it can take a lot of restoration work to get it fully functioning, and sounding like it used to. Most Wurlitzers you’ll come across online have most likely been refurbished at some point, or they haven’t been touched and will need a lot of work done to them.
Despite the well known brand name, you won’t usually get as much as you think for your Wurlitzer piano. Unless you’ve got one of the studio upright or grand pianos they made, but these are exceptionally rare.
This is good if you’re buying, because you can save a few dollars, but it might be worth getting a newer digital piano in the price range, because they are generally better.
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Are Wurlizer Pianos Good/Worth it?
Although it might be cool, and you’ll get a nostalgia kick out it, a Wurlitzer piano might not be the best pick for you, when comparing to modern models in the same price range.
That’s obviously if you want it for playing piano. If you want to grab a Wurlitzer for a studio item to record, then it could potentially be worth the money.
The more appealing gear you have in your studio, the more appealing it is going to be for a potential client to come in a record their music there.
However, if you solely want a Wurlitzer for playing, it’s not really worth it.
You can get some absolutely phenomenal digital pianos that will serve you well for stage performance, studio use, & long periods of practise. For a similar price you could get your hands on a Nord Electro 6D, 73 key, stage piano.
Most of the Wurlitzer pianos still knocking about today, are the spinet, console or acoustic, entry-level pianos. These were aimed at amateur musicians looking to get started playing piano, so they’re not the best quality.
They were never intended to be used by professional artists, and were more to be used as a home piano. That means they’ll be fine for minimal, home use, but if you’re a serious piano player, it will become limited very quickly.
There is also a lot of piano software available now that sample the original, high-end Wurlitzers. These pieces of software sound so good, that many pianists struggle to tell the difference from the software and the original.
Keyscape by Spectrasonics is one of these pieces of software, and is available for $399.
If you were to spend $399 of your budget on this, you’d still be able to get a really, really good digital piano that you could hook up to this software, and maybe even some decent speakers to play it through.
Just a thought of how you could spend your money more wisely.
What/Who is Wurlitzer?
Wurlitzer is an American company that made the world famous Wurlitzer piano(s). It was started by a German immigrant: Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer, in Cincinnati, 1853.
When they started out, Wurlitzer orginally imported woodwind, stringed, & barss instruments from Germany to re-sell in the U.S.
Interestingly, the Wurlitzer company saw a lot of success from providing the U.S. military with instruments. In 1880 they began manufacturing pianos, and in 1960 they started to produce their world-famous, entry-level pianos: the Spinet, Console, Studio & Grand Pianos.
Eventually they expanded into making Jukeboxes and electric pianos around 1970.
In 2009, they were acquired by Baldwin. They don’t make musical instruments anymore, but still make the old Wurlitzer parts for refurbishment, and are also interestingly involved in making parts for vending machines.
What a weird switch eh?
The most common Wurlitzer instruments (that are still standing & you get get your hands on), are their range of entry-level pianos: the Spinet, Console, & entry-level acoustic Grands.
They were also very well known for their pipe organs that were made between 1914 – 1943. These are much harder to find than the electric pianos, and the acoustic pianos, but you’ll still be able to find them.
How Much Should You Sell/Buy A Wurlitzer For?
- Spinet: $500 max
- Acoustic entry: $500 – $1700
- Console: $1700+
Like we said above, this really comes down to the condition and model of the Wurlitzer Piano you want to buy, or sell.
If you want to sell a Wurlitzer, be honest with yourself, and with the buyer about the possible defects it might have. If you’ve refurbished it, then let them know it has been fully refurbished.
I wouldn’t imagine you would get anywhere above $2000 (unless you doing some scamming), but it depends on the model you have. If you have a Wurlitzer Grand Piano, or Upright Piano, then you can expect to get a lot more than someone who has a console, or one of the entry-level pianos they made.
I would personally scout the market, check eBay and dealerships. See what other people are selling for, and check the
Should I Get A Wurlitzer Piano?
Although Wurlitzter Pianos are pretty cool, and it would look pretty cool to have in your home, it may not be the best piano for you to get.
For the price range, you could pick up an absolutely insane digital piano, and it’s probably more worthwhile to do that, than get a Wurlitzer.
For instance, you could get your hands on a Yamaha YDP 144 for less than what you’d pay for a Wurlitzer acoustic or console piano. This is a great digital grand that will serve you well.
It has awesome built-in speakers, pedals come with it, and they key action is extremely precise.
And, like we mentioned above, you can also get incredible piano software along with it.
For instance, with Keyscape you get access to concert Grand Piano sounds, Celeste, Wurlitzer & a whole plethora of electronic keyboards, electric harps and other keyed instruments (36 total).
I personally have Keyscape and a Yamaha P45 stage piano. The speakers on the P45 aren’t great, but if you pair it up with Keyscape, and a pair of headphones or nice speakers – boy oh boy are you in for a treat!
The P45 is relatively cheap, and you can pick it up for around $500. It’s a great piano for beginners, with good key action. The only thing I would say is that sometimes, after heavy use the keys can get stuck, which isn’t at all ideal.
Summary
To recap:
A Wurlitzer’s price can vary depending on age and model of the piano. Acoustic Wurlitzers go for anything between $600 – $1700, spinet pianos will go for around $500, and console pianos go for $1700+.
When purchasing a Wurlitzer, you’ll want to ask the buyer for as much information as possible to ensure that you’re getting a piano in good nick. Ask for videos, pictures & recordings of it being played.
If you are selling, don’t expect a huge amount of money for it. The likelihood is that it might be damaged and in need of restoration. We’d recommend taking your piano to a dealer to get it valued.
