Anatomy of a WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ
XYLOPHONE - Small scale
This version has the bars held in place with a pin through one end and a metal strip over the top
each side. (The second strip not yet fitted) There are other styles, like the standard scale
version on Opus 1730, that have the bars sitting between the pins on each side held in place
only by strings through horizontal holes in the bars just outside the guide pins. This version
has the advantage of being able to be handled without the bars falling out of position.
The felt strip usually found under the bars is replaced by rubber tubing which has greater
resiliance and less damping. Surgical silicon tubing would be better but none of the correct size
was available at the time. The rubber should last a few years and can be easily replaced when
it goes hard.
Felt under the metal strips stops any extraneous noises when the bars bounce after being struck.
There is a gap between the bars and the felt so that no damping occurs.
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