The pitch of a reed is determined by it's length, rigidity, and mass. A Wurlitzer reed las a large, pyramid-shaped block of lead or solder on it's end. Alteration of this block by filing or adding solder will raise or lower the pitch respectively. We take great care in shaping and filing your reeds for optimal tone, sustain, and timbre. The reeds must also be mounted with just the right amount of tension. Over-tightening of reed screws results in reed fatigue and breakage down the road.

It takes true discipline and patience to properly tune a Wurlitzer. Here at Mad Scientist, we have a decade of experience in this tricky endeavor. We tune using our powerful Mac G-5, for absolute fundamental accuracy and precision harmonic balance. We have the capacity to provide dozens of various tunings, but nearly all of our clients request an equally tempered A-440.