The Baldwin Co., including its Wurlitzer assets, was subsequently acquired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in about 1996. (commonly called the Baldwin Piano Company) in 1988, and most piano manufacturing moved overseas. manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. The Wurlitzer piano and organ brands and U.S. Wurlitzer's jukebox operations were sold and moved to Germany in 1973.

Wurlitzer also operated a chain of retail stores where the company's products were sold.Īs technology evolved, Wurlitzer began producing electric pianos, electronic organs and jukeboxes, and it eventually became known more for jukeboxes and vending machines, which are still made by Wurlitzer, rather than for actual musical instruments. Over time, Wurlitzer acquired a number of other companies which made a variety of loosely related products, including kitchen appliances, carnival rides, player piano rolls and radios. During the 1960s, they manufactured Spinet, Console, Studio and Grand Pianos. Wurlitzer is most known for their production of entry level pianos. It quickly expanded to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and pipe or theatre organs popular in theatres during the days of silent movies. In 1880, the company began manufacturing pianos and eventually relocated to North Tonawanda, New York. Wurlitzer enjoyed initial success, largely due to defense contracts to provide musical instruments to the U.S. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments from Germany for resale in the United States. The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer.

1963 wurlitzer spinet piano