Tour of an Early 1934 Wurlitzer P10 Jukebox

[@cass2771]

I thought I would investigate your back catalogue, and what a gem this is! Yes, beautiful craftsmanship, and investment worthy.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much, Cass. I think this was our first video :)

[@erzahler1930]

Hi, Uncle Doug! I watched your early jukebox videos a couple of years ago; now I am watching them again! This is a very solid and well-built jukebox. Wurlitzer never skimped on quality. There was also a lot of quantity, but quality always came first. You mentioned Wurlitzer built more jukeboxes than any other company. They also built more theatre pipe organs than any other company, which was why Wurlitzer was considered the gold standard in theatre pipe organs. And maybe jukeboxes, too. Whether it was brass musical instruments, theatre pipe organs, jukeboxes, electronic organs, or electric pianos, everything Wurlitzer built was very high quality. You can thank Rudolph Wurlitzer for instilling that ideal early on! Thanks, Uncle Doug. I am a ham radio operator and I love anything with vacuum tubes. I am always learning something from your amplifier repair videos and theory lectures. I thoroughly enjoy your channel. And your kitties!

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much for your very nice comments, E. The kitties send their regards :)

[@Silent-Lucidity]

I've been binge watching your channel and absolutely enjoy the content. I just had to come and watch your original content (10 years ago)!!! It's neat to see the transformation over the years! Thank you, and may you have may more years of great content!

[@UncleDoug]

You're quite welcome, SL. We hope we've improved with age ;)

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for your kind words. That's a very interesting idea. I guess you are envisioning someone pulling their coin back out of the jukebox with a piece of string, but that would not be possible. Once the coin falls from the slide (when it is pushed in) there would be no passage or opening for it to pass back through.

[@Kenoleptic]

As I am getting so close to getting mine back to working order, I have to say again yours is absolutely beautiful. I have a complete Model-10, but in really bad shape, that is in the 2200 S/N series and another (4400 S/N series) that is close to being operational. The older one has rusted parts, including the amp that is about useless. The 4400 series juke amp was superb and the standard re-cap kit had it operational (both are 453's). The whole juke is in amazing shape for original. One thing consistent though is that there was not a "star" wheel on either. The older model did have this one way, ratcheting type half-gear that looked like it kept the selector mechanism from rotating backwards. The 4400 series did not have this, but did have a motor brake. I am so late coming into the jukebox game and my small collection consists of a model-10, P-12 and a 1015....gotta save a piece of history!!

[@UncleDoug]

Indeed we do, Ken. Yes, there are all sorts of early transitional design changes in these jukeboxes. I seriously doubt that any two are exactly alike. They were probably hand built using available parts, which varied, and were improved day to day. Later, mass-produced jukeboxes were far more consistent.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Ed. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jukeboxeddie1]

Beautiful machine Doug. I have 18 grade 1 restored jukeboxes. I have been collecting them for 40 years. I have a rare 1936 model 412 prototype that was displayed in the North Tonawanda plant to show visitors the new designs Paul Fuller was working on at the time. It is the only model of this unit ever made. There were 31.500 412's made but this one was unique as it was arched-shaped and had beautiful bevels on the sides. It is made from 2 kinds of mahogany and is just beautiful. It plays 12 78's and has a 3-coin slide unit in the front. There was a rumor some years ago that a prototype did exist but no one knew what happened to it. I bought the machine from a lady who lived in Buffalo. It was in her basement and it didn't work but was complete. I restored it to museum-quality condition and then found out in 2011 that indeed it IS the long-lost prototype -- it had been hiding in plain sight in my home for 33 years. It has incredible fidelity and uses an 18-watt Wurlitzer amp and a 12" Jensen field-coil speaker. I also noticed that under the mechanism board there are 12 knotched pawls/ratchets -- one for each selection stacked vertically. I found out recently that these old early machines used a "mechanical computer."Lets say you put a dime (2 plays) in the coin slide and picked selections 2 and 9; as the machine cycles on #2 for example, it turns the #2 rachet 1 notch mechanically; when #9 plays it turns the #9 ratchet 1 space -- but then it turns all 12 ratchets together in a single turn. This was the way Operators kept track of how many plays the machine took in per customer -- so in this example, 2 plays for 10 cents. Ditto for 5 plays for 25 cents. This was an engineering marvel and just goes to show you how innovative these engineers were.

[@UncleDoug]

What a great story, Ed. Thanks for sharing it with us. It sounds like you have a wonderful collection of jukeboxes, and your 412 prototype is an incredible rarity. Have you ever posted any photos of it? I would love to see what it looks like. The arch top and beveled sides sound like precursors of future Wurlitzer designs.

[@amoruzz]

Incredible treasures you have! You mentioned the brand "Seeberg". I have a very old mic preamp in a small wood box with a handle on it that I just love. I also have two or three old stand up radio's that need very little work from what I can tell that I would like to move to someone that collects them. I used to part them out and use the shell for a speaker cab.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Amo.

[@NR-bt7yz]

Awesome tour as usual Doug. You're a great teacher!

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, NR :)

[@W1RMD]

Great machine! Thanks for sharing!

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for watching, Ryan.

[@frankowalker4662]

Hi there, I've just found your channel. So I'm starting at the beginning. I love this Wurlitzer, Wonderful condition.

[@UncleDoug]

Welcome to our channel, Franko. Thanks !!

[@adventuringwithjordan1331]

Great video!!!! I had a Seeburg Model USC1 but the maintenance was just too far over my head, so I ended up selling it. That is a gorgeous machine you have!!

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much, LS. I think part of the reason that the craze for vintage jukeboxes died out a few years ago was due to the maintenance challenges. They are, indeed, rather complex devices.

[@erzahler1930]

@@UncleDoug Do you remember the Seeburg record changers (model 1000, I think) which were used in department stores? I am wondering if you ever had the opportunity to work on one. I always thought the tonearms with the dual stylii were rather interesting, as was the fact that one side of each record was played "upside down!"

[@UncleDoug]

@@erzahler1930 Yes, I have seen several of the "Library Units" as I recall them being named. The records actually played vertically, with the tone arm held by spring pressure to the record surface.

[@rhodeswayne55]

WOW I really like the looks of this model then the ones with the fancy lights and all the chrome witch is really beautiful but something about this one just gets me really hooked on lerning more about this type I gess mabe its just something that my grandpa would have listened to as a teen. great video really looking forward for future videos

[@UncleDoug]

+wayne rhodes Thanks, Wayne. I too like the very early all-wood jukeboxes. They are not as flashy as the fancy ones, but they have a beautiful, warm, classy look and sound all their own.

[@rogertyler3237]

I Remembered Wen I Was A Kid In The Late 60's I Loved It Wen Me & My Parents Used To Go To Resteraunts Where They Had Jukeboxes. & I Just Loved The Classic Country That Came Out Of Those Old Jukeboxes. Cause They Had A Real Good Deep Crisp Basy Sound. Now You Don't See Jukeboxes In Resteraunts Anymore. I Think That's What Started A lot Of Fights In Bars Someone Would Have Too Much To Drink & If A Normal Person Walked In & Dropped A Quarter In & If The Person Who Had Too Much To Drink Didnt Like What The Other Person Was Playing Then He'd Getup & Start A Fight.With The Other Person Who Wasn't Bothering Anyone.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for sharing, Roger.

[@nusior]

I know easy remedy for waiting time for new video. Watching again your videos from the begining :)

[@UncleDoug]

+nusior That's a great idea, Nusior. I hope you enjoy them.....again :)))

[@nusior]

+Uncle Doug I always do :)

[@undefinedname1398]

You have so many cool toys.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks :)

[@andrewvassos1902]

that's a neat jukebox

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Andrew.

[@Woodys_Hobbies]

nice uncle doug! i love it!

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for listening, Woody.

[@HotGeneration200]

Awesome.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, HG. I have posted several other jukebox videos that you might also enjoy.

[@jukeboxeddie1]

Doug - also on the pinballrebel.com website is a photo of my grade 1 W850 Peacock. On the Wurlitzer 850 line, click on the photo and you can see it. I was told that of all the hundreds of jukeboxes on this website, my peacock gets the most views. It is 100% original -- peacock glass, polarizing unit -- everything. It has also been "show chrome" plated. Breathtaking -- sounds beautiful.

[@UncleDoug]

Wow, it sounds great. I'll check it out.

[@themongoloid8944]

I don’t know how to send you pictures but its in London, Kentucky where the jukeboxes are listed and I thought you might want to look at them, they are all amazing

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for thinking of us, TM. You can post photos on my FB page: Uncle Doug's Vintage Amps.

[@themongoloid8944]

Uncle Doug a lady put two near mint Wurlitzer Jukeboxes with all records on Facebook in my area of Kentucky for $1500. I thought I would show you and I would bring them to you if you wanna buy the gas. LOL

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much for your kind offer, TM, but since retiring, I have been focusing on selling the items I have rather than buying more.

[@jason681174]

I was hoping you would play a selection at the end

[@UncleDoug]

Watch the Part 2 video. The jukebox plays records.

[@dhpbear2]

The tonearm! It's ALIVE! (4:54)

[@UncleDoug]

It's an early video and I foolishly used YT's "stabilization".......which generally results in hallucinogenic seizures.

[@TheGuitologist]

I think you can go in and remove the stabilization. Go in to the video edit and the original version should be saved. Maybe not after all these years, I don't know.

[@VoyageOne1]

The coin slide is now most commonly found on commercial washing machines

[@UncleDoug]

I guess a version of it is still in use.....

[@TheGuitologist]

All the time I followed your channel, I never saw this series. You should re-shoot this in 1080p for posterity. Thanks, Doug. Miss your videos. Hope all is going well. What projects are you into these days? Any hot rod videos coming?

[@UncleDoug]

I'm glad you found them, Brad. Jukeboxes were a big part of my life for about 12 years, and I'm glad to be able to share the few I have left. All is well here. The Model A Pickup is finished and I am building an engine for the next old junker to be rejuvenated. I will definitely keep the idea of a hot rod video in mind. Thanks for viewing and commenting.....it's always good to hear from you.

[@tough213]

I think the reason for the extended record stacking holder is so that other feaures that were thesamer models might have more records in them

[@UncleDoug]

+tough213 If you're speaking of the "comb" on top of the record stack, I explain its purpose in a separate video that you may enjoy watching.

[@tough213]

ok thank you and I do enjoy all your videos they are great and loo forward to more of your future posts

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome. We've posted almost 120 videos, so there are plenty to watch. Best of luck :)

[@Kenoleptic]

I believe the extended piece of the record stack was to help align the tray selection. The Model 10 can drift backwards after the selection button shaft is made contact with. The model P-12 has the infamous star wheel on the back of the unit that locks the selection in place and some models can have a type of motor brake. The P-10 doesn't have the levers to utilize a star wheel. I base this on having two Model 10's, one is in the 2K S/N range (in parts) while the second is in the 4K S/N range. I also have a working P-12.

[@pinbret]

what a gem that really is a time machine you said the coin Gear has a magnet does it have a blade for string ?

[@GeoNeilUK]

I honestly thought those buttons were a dial of the sort you'd find on an old GPO telephone! And I have to say, that old lady would have been knackered inside of an hour in a modern bar, not just the grille but also the door to the mechanism. 3.5oz... that's about 90 grams (or is that grammes, I can never be sure) not good for even 78s I'd imagine. Also, this is an electronic pickup and not an acoustic one? I've seen CD-based jukeboxes in the 1990s where the CDs would be stored in a carousel and something mechanical would move the disc to a CD player and you could see the disc spin. What would you have on a jukebox now? A hard disc mounted on display for all to see with an access light that flashes now and again? A carousel removing and inserting different microSD cards into a reader? Technology was so fascinsting back then. One of my favourite films is The Conversation, and one of the major reasons behind that... the 1960s technoporn! Could they even remake that film today? I guess Mr Robot comes closest.

[@UncleDoug]

Greetings, Neil. Indeed, the old-style "woody" jukeboxes wouldn't last long in a harsh environment, which is why they went to metal-grill-shielded speaker baffles shortly thereafter. The pickup is electromagnetic.....as the needle wiggles in the record groove, it generates a low-voltage output with the (horseshoe) magnet in the cartridge. Jukeboxes are still being made and used, but they now either play CD's or simply download the selected tune from the Internet.

[@pauljames5914]

Looks almost like the same amp that they used in their original electrostatic Reed organs.

[@UncleDoug]

It could well be, Paul. Using in-house components would make economic sense.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

Talking speakers, the '58 Magnavox Concierto console I'm pawing at has 2 15" Magnavox woofers, now, should the edges near the gasket be coated with some rubber cement or something to give the old paper some more strength for flex? these 15's look perfect, but 60 years old and probably smoked their share of cigars. silly question, probably just fix the thing and find out...but as you mention this old old Juke you have here has possibly a Mag.. speaker? Are they especially valuable? To me they are in any case...

[@UncleDoug]

They are valuable to those of us who worship old, original components, Malcolm, but as far as high intrinsic value, i.e. big bucks on Ebay, not so much. My vote is to apply a light coating of contact cement to the perimeter suspension, just to make it a bit more pliable and resilient.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

ah! so it wont hurt. thanks, UD. I know this console is one of the coolest things I've ever owned, and probably the first stereo one, so it's kinda high hour.. I have the tuner amp pulled now too, and some of the insulation, particularly on shorter wires, seems to have melted off, and in these instances they've been black taped, which also is all fried now, probably some shrink-tubing.. do they make shrink tubing with a slit down it so as not to have to disconnect the wires? I should know this kind of .. no I shouldn't, I'm a newb.

[@UncleDoug]

No, the only shrink tubing I've ever seen was a complete tube.....not slit up the side.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

now that I rethink .. replacing the entire wires would probably be the pro way to go . really slow-going .. I just lack drive.. and know-how lol

[@UncleDoug]

Experience and know-how come from doing the work, Malcolm. It's the best way to learn.

[@toserveman1496]

one man on youtube says that he snips cactus needles from his cactus, lets them dry, and uses them in his record player

[@UncleDoug]

+To SERVE Man I believe it, TSM. In the old days, they sold bamboo needles that you could sharpen with a tool that looked like a pair of pliers. The wood was probably easier on the shellac records and suppressed some of the high-pitched noise and scratches.

[@abfaraci8293]

Doug- I am replacing the main fibre wheel on the Wurlitzer P10. The chassis frame is on the work bench. Any words of wisdom before I start removing hardware? AB Vadax

[@UncleDoug]

It's a tough job, Ab, but if you take your time and work carefully, it can be accomplished in several hours. One of the challenges is driving out the tapered pins that hold the parts on the shaft. Be sure you're driving them in the right direction (i.e. toward the "big" end of the pin). Good luck !!!

[@abfaraci8293]

Doug Thank you for the guidance. The selector pin on the front side was a bear to punch out- drilled it out. The unit works great. I am presently learning how the unit works being I never got to see one work up close except on you videos. I have been taking several photos for future reference. The signal level of the phono cartridge is less than 200 mv. To drive the 453 amp. I need more signal level. The passive componets on the amp hava been replaced. I need > 500mv to really drive the amp. Do I need to repack the cartridge rubber you had mentioned in one of your videos. What frame of mind does it take to do this...sober? Thank you for guidance AB

[@UncleDoug]

Congratulations on a successful fiber gear replacement, Ab. I would nominate it for one of the most challenging of all jukebox repair jobs, along with overhauling a Model 1100 selector unit. As I recall, my P-10 cartridge did need to have the rubber suspension replaced. There is a blade that "wiggles" between the magnet poles. It has to be vertical and evenly spaced between the two poles, without touching either one. This repair was more to improve tone than volume, however. Are you sure your amp is functioning properly?......i.e. strong pre-amp and output tubes. Regardless, replacing the rubber suspension in the cartridge is a worthwhile task.....and one best performed while (reasonably) sober :)) Good luck !!

[@rogertyler3237]

Have You Ever Tried Burning Records To CD's? I Think It's Fun To Do.

[@UncleDoug]

I did, Roger, but after I burned them, they were all warped and never turned into CD's ;)

[@ronalddaub5049]

I wonder what the output walks of that organ amplifier is

[@UncleDoug]

Based on the volume it produces, I would guess that it's fairly stout :)

[@rogertyler3237]

I Seen Those Replicas Of Record Players Where You Can Burn Records Onto CD's At Walmart & Other Stores Like Kmart They Took Me Back To The Oldays But The Sound Quality Wasn't Very good. My Neighbor Downstairs Has One Too With A Cessett Player In It.

[@UncleDoug]

I used to have that feature in an elaborate stereo system (everyone in the 60's and 70's had one), Roger.

[@toserveman1496]

my grandmother had one of these in her restaurant in Washington that the mob put in. The deal was with the mob would put the unit in and come and collect the nickels and God help you if you are missing any of them

[@UncleDoug]

+To SERVE Man I believe you, TSM. Because they were a cash-only device, organized crime used them to skim and launder lots of money.

[@SuperCarver2011]

Three and a half oz tracking on those old 78s would certainly seriously limit their short lives. 1934, how many plays for a nickel or for a dime? Also wasn't this the period of time where there was an abundance of wooden nickels to temporarily supplement the shortage of authentic nickels after some bank failures, but these wooden nickels had an expiry date and if you accepted one that had expired, you would be scammed (in today' jargon), hence "coining" the phrase.."Don't take any Wooden Nickels!". The forerunners of the metal slugs. Interesting that the amplifier that you mentioned with the strange model number 6067A3-2 , seems to be a look-a-like for a model 453. Wurlizter bought the patent rights for the simplex mechanism from Homer E Capehart, (considered to be the father of the jukebox industry), who worked with Wurlitzer as their head salesman until he left in 1933, to form another company called Packard Manufacturing Corp, in 1932 Capehart's company had no relation to the defunct automobile manufacturer, and made their own Jukeboxes from 1940 called the Packard Manhattan up to 1946. Google search they were still manufacturing some models up to 1946. I wonder if the amplifier in this P10 is from another year?...and perhaps as you suggest, intended for the church or theatre organ lines. As a sidenote; I read that in 1934, you could buy a Hershey bar for a nickel or a 7 oz coke in those green bottles. In the mid 1950s, when I was still growing up, Neilsons had a small thin chocolate bar for a nickel and a larger one for 10 cents, which seemed equivalent to what you could buy for$1.50 today + local taxes. That coke in those green 7 oz bottles had some much carbonation in it that the gas from it hurt your nose...and it only cost 7 cents back then!

[@UncleDoug]

SuperCarver2011 There are two versions of the P-10.....an early version, like the one in the video.....and a later version, with a different player mechanism (i.e. no "comb"), sound system (453 amp), and several other features. Recall that Wurlitzer's first jukebox design (or prototype) was the Debutante, which immediately preceded the model P-10 (the first "practical" Wurlitzer jukebox i.e. actually operated for profit). From (the very few available) photos I have seen, the Debutante player mechanism, amp, sound system, interior lighting, etc. were identical to the early P-10 (as seen in the video). I believe the first P-10's were built using parts created for the (defunct) Debutante. When the parts ran out, they were replaced with the more conventional amp, mech, etc. as found in the later model P-10's.

[@carlosvega1587]

it is a wonderful piece. but I wished that you let us listen to it.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Carlos. Please watch the Part 2 video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6Kokndmfducors in which it plays records.

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

@@UncleDoug Ah! the beauty of reading all the comments! Thanks

[@djfrank59]

Wow! Doug! This is an amazing piece of craftsmanship! I was doing a little research on the amplifier...A friend who has a collection of vintage jukeboxes was quite familiar with this model...I usually do the amplifier repairs for him...He's good with the mechanical end of it, but not the electronics...You're right about the model 453 amplifier which I understand was made by Simplex, and uses a tube compliment of a # 53, (2) 2A3's for the output, a 26, and a 5Z3 rectifier...I'm wondering if Wurlitzer put their name on the amplifier that was manufactured by Simplex...I'm curious :) The only thing I could find was info and a schematic from antique radio forum...

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Frank. I worked full time on jukeboxes for many years.....long before guitar amps. I prided myself on doing everything myself (electronics, woodworking, and mechanics) except for the chrome plating, which was not much of an issue with the old "woodie" jukeboxes (prior to Wurlitzer's heyday in the late 30's and throughout the 40's). Re the amplifier, I would guess that Wurlitzer themselves produced them. If you can read the metal label on the amp, it states that it was made by Rudolph Wurlitzer Mfg. Co. Recall that they were making amplified organs at this time, so it wouldn't have been hard to modify one for jukebox use. Simplex is generally associated with the early (10 to 16 select) record player mechanisms, used from 1934 to 1937. Wurlitzer began making their own mechanisms, starting with the Model 24 (see my video) in 1937.

[@jukeboxeddie1]

Doug - go to www.pinballrebel.com and go to the header jukeboxes; then Wurlitzer; then go to the list under 412 -- scroll to the very bottom of the 412 photos and there is a picture of my prototype. TX

[@UncleDoug]

I will, Ed. Thanks for the link.

[@Kenoleptic]

I thought the Model 10 was the first production model?

[@UncleDoug]

This is the Model P-10, which was the first production model, produced in 1934.

[@Kenoleptic]

Uncle Doug Nice jukebox btw!. Do you know where the "Model 10" fits into the production line or is a tagged "Model 10" the same as a tagged "P-10"?

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Ken. To the best of my knowledge, there is no "Model 10" Wurlitzer jukebox. There was a model called a Debutante that preceded the P-10 and was more like a prototype than a commercial jukebox. The P-10 was the first commercial Wurlitzer jukebox. The P-10 in the video is an early model and has the same mechanism and sound system as the Debutante model.

[@Kenoleptic]

Uncle Doug Hey Doug, The reason I was asking is that I have a "Model 10", but am not sure what that means exactly. It actually says "Model 10" on the data tag. It is in very bad shape and while I believe I can get it functioning mechanically...the amp (453) might be impossible to salvage. It was a random purchase and will be a very long project. Thanks for replying back!

[@UncleDoug]

Ken, I just looked closely at the ID tag on my jukebox (the one in the video) and it says "Model Ten", with the ten spelled out rather than in numerals.....yet, it has always been considered to be a Model P-10. I have a theory: It's a very early model, with amp, player mechanism, and interior details that are identical to the Debutante. There is a later model of P-10 that is different in many ways (i.e. no "comb" on top of the stack), which I mention in the video. Perhaps the early models, like ours, were labeled "Model Ten" and the later models were labeled "P-10". To be honest, I never noticed this discrepancy. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I have a friend who is better versed in Wurlitzer history; perhaps he can shed light on this issue. I will advise you if he does. Thanks again.

[@EduardoGarcia-zw4rz]

The pivoting unit on top watch?v=8ZxKwsZMZvQ

[@UncleDoug]

You're right, Ed. The mystery of the comb on top of the stack is solved in another video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bovbfKqpj7KNrLM