Description

Nicknamed ‘The Bullet’ and following hot on the heels of the iconic 1015 came the Wurlitzer 1100, which is often said to be one of the prettiest jukeboxes ever made. Its nickname derives from the overall shape, which rises to a subtle point in the centre and resembles a bullet stood on its base.

The 1100 features Wurlitzer’s patented ‘Cobra’ pick up system, about which our jukebox engineers wax lyrical. First introduced in 1948, the Cobra system set new standards in audio quality.

The Wurlitzer 1100 Jukebox was produced from 1947 to 1949 and its appearance is indicative of the move away from 1940’s art deco design to the more modern look favoured in the 1950’s. This was one of the first models where the plastic dome over the record player was large enough to reveal the full working mechanism below. It boasts an impressive 15” speaker paired with a tube type ‘push pull’ amplifier.

It’s a 24-selection jukebox that plays 78-RPM records, accompanied by brilliant multi-coloured lights which rotate within the pilasters creating an impressive light show. Another interesting feature of this machine is the rotating song selector, which nestles within an elegant chrome housing and reflects the lights as the jukebox plays. Like all our jukeboxes, this model will be thoroughly restored and refurbished by the experts at our workshop.

This was one of the first products to be made after WWII when the factories were being converted from war time production. In fact, the shape of the dome is said to be modelled after the turret of fighter planes.

Rudolph Wurlitzer was born into a family of musical instrument makers in Germany in 1829 before emigrating to America at the tender age of 24. He began by importing his family’s instruments and selling them in the US market but quite quickly set up a manufacturing business and in 1880 the first Wurlitzer piano was built in the US. Electric pianos came next, shortly followed by the cinema and theatre organs, dubbed ‘Mighty Wurlitzers’, that provided such a stirring accompaniment to the silent movies of the time.

In 1933 the New York based company bought the rights to a patented jukebox mechanism and under the management of Farny Wurlitzer, Rudolph’s successor, they began designing and manufacturing their first jukebox, the ‘Debutante’. Known as the ‘small man’s concert hall’, it enjoyed tremendous popularity and paved the way for even greater success when Wurlitzer’s inspired designer, Paul Fuller, came up with the 'Bubbler' design that we all know and recognise today.

Allow us to explain how and why we go to such extreme lengths when repairing and restoring vintage games.

Over the years we are fortunate enough to have gathered together a select few individuals whose enthusiasm for jukeboxes, pinball machines and vintage arcade games ensures that they are never less than 100% committed to the task in hand. They quite simply love breathing new life into old circuitry and want to see as many of these classic pieces preserved for future generations as possible.

Not for them the perfunctory checklists and proverbial ‘tyre kicking’ which pass for an inspection at other dealers but instead an unflinching determination to get to grips with the detail. This usually begins with a thorough strip down of the machine and a forensic examination of the internal workings. They’ll be aware of the particular quirks and foibles of any given piece and instead of just replacing failed parts they’ll always go the extra mile, swapping out components which are likely to fail in the near future.

An obvious comparison would be between a classic car which remains on show in a garage and one that you can actually enjoy driving.

Rare though many of these machines are, rarer still are the examples which have been properly restored or can truthfully be said to be in full working order. It goes without saying that when unrestored machines come up for sale online or at auction, they’ll often be priced rather lower than the machines sold by The Games Room Company, and the point we wish to get across above all others is that there’s a reason for this.

In this business The Games Room Company’s reputation is second to none, and as it’s been hard won over the years it’s something we never take for granted. Every machine that goes off to a customer, be they corporate or private, is a potential advertisement for the business and if we didn’t do our job properly then we wouldn’t have the high number of loyal, returning customers that we do.

We’re justly proud of our One Year Parts and Labour Warranty, which extends to on-site visits so if your machine does require some attention, you won’t necessarily have to endure the pain of separation.

We’ve always recognised that with specialised products such as these the after sales service is just as important as the initial sale. It takes a long time to build a reputation and over the years our commitment has won us not just the loyalty of our clients but also the trust of the last remaining American Jukebox manufacturer, Rockola, who in 2014 appointed us as their Exclusive British dealer.

Music itself is an important part of our business, as reflected by our treasured vinyl library, so we are able to help you source and create the perfect playlist. We also make all of the title cards in original typewriter font – so if you’re a bit stuck for choice, we are only too happy to help!

The Games Room Company is one of the oldest jukebox dealers in the country. Our founder, Reginald Waldersmith, first learned about jukeboxes in the early 1950s when we were servicing jukeboxes on American Air Force bases. We’ve been selling jukeboxes since 1962, so know a thing or two about our products! Our showroom will gladly assist you on any questions you may have before or after you purchase any Games Room Company equipment.

Music and Title Cards Pricing

The charge for vintage records is £15 + VAT per record, this covers most records however some are highly collectable for which we have to pay a premium and are charge at a higher price. The title card service is £75.00 + VAT.

It is quite an involved process supply records as we buy them in from dealers or collectors, they will only guarantee the "A" side, so often many records do not pass with us because we always supply records with playable "B" sides as well as the "A".

The centres are then cut (big hole centres) which also leads to some breakage as some of the records split due to their age. Finally they are hand washed and then played both "A" and "B" side on a gramophone for sound quality, only then are they fit to go on the Jukebox. The final check is again playing "A" and "B" side as you would hear it on your Jukebox.

It's all about delivering good quality sound for our clients and if you are investing in a vinyl jukebox the standard of the records have to demonstrate the high standard of our restorations.

Please contact us if you are interested in this service.

Details

  • Dimensions: (H) 147 x (W) 79cm x (D) 71cm
  • Imperial: (H) 58" x (W) 31" x (D) 28"
  • Made in the USA
  • Vinyl Capacity: 24 78 rpm records
  • Highly sought after and still rising in value
  • 15" speaker'
  • Cobra' pick up system

Delivery

  • Free UK delivery
  • Please see here for further delivery information & exceptions
  • Please contact us for an international shipping quotation

Original 1948 Wurlitzer 1100 Vinyl Jukebox

Another little beauty from Wurlitzer's golden age.

Lead time to be confirmed.

Enquire about this product

Related Content

  • The Ultimate St Patrick's Day Playlist!
  • Valentine's Day Playlist

Other games you'll love