Wurlitzer Style 260

Wurlitzer Style 260

Typical console of a Style 260 (Photo from Regent Theatre - Sydney, Australia)
Console Type	Curved Console
Bolsters	2
Manuals	3
Ranks	15
Tuned Percussions	7
Traps	14
Rank Information
Rank Name Lowest Pitch Notes Trumpet 8' 61 pipes Tuba Horn 16' 85 pipes Diaphonic Diapason 32' 97 pipes Tibia Clausa 16' 85 pipes Clarinet 8' 61 pipes Orchestral Oboe 8' 61 pipes Kinura 8' 61 pipes Saxophone 8' 61 pipes String 8' 61 pipes Viol d'Orchestre 8' 85 pipes Viol Celeste 8' 73 pipes Concert Flute 16' 97 pipes Vox Humana 8' 61 pipes Oboe Horn 8' 61 pipes Quintadena 8' 61 pipes Piano 85 notes Marimba 49 notes Cathedral Chimes 25 notes Xylophone 37 notes Glockenspiel 37 notes Sleigh Bells 25 notes Chrysoglott 49 notes
Layout – Manuals & Touches
Pedal	16' Tuba Profunda 16' Diaphone 16' Bourdon 8' Harmonic Tuba 8' Diaphonic Diapason 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Clarinet 8' Cello 8' Flute 4' Octave Bass Drum Kettle Drum Crash Cymbal Cymbal
3 Combination Toe Pistons
Accompaniment	16' Contra Viol (TC) 16' Bourdon 8' Harmonic Tuba 8' Diaphonic Diapason 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Clarinet 8' Orchestral Oboe 8' Kinura 8' Viol d'Orchestre 8' Viol Celeste 8' Salicional 8' Flute 8' Vox Humana 4' Piccolo 4' Viol 4' Octave Celeste 4' Salicet 4' Flute 4' Vox Humana 2 2⁄3' Twelfth 2' Piccolo 8' Piano 4' Piano Marimba (re-it) Harp Chrysoglott Snare Drum Tambourine Castanets Chinese Block
Accompaniment Second Touches	8' Harmonic Tuba 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Clarinet Sleigh Bells Xylophone Triangle
10 Adjustable Combination Pistons
Great	16' Tuba Profunda 16' Diaphone 16' Bourdon 16' Contra Viol (TC) 8' Harmonic Tuba 8' Diaphonic Diapason 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Clarinet 8' Orchestral Oboe 8' Kinura 8' Viol d'Orchestre 8' Viol Celeste 8' Salicional 8' Flute 8' Vox Humana 4' Harmonic Clarion 4' Octave 4' Piccolo 4' Viol 4' Octave Celeste 4' Salicet 4' Flute 2 2/3 Twelfth 2' Fifteenth 2' Piccolo 1 3⁄5' Tierce 16' Piano 8' Piano 4' Piano Marimba (re-it) Harp Cathedral Chimes Sleigh Bells Xylophone Glockenspiel Orchestral Bells (re-it) Chrysoglott
Great Second Touches	16' Tuba Profunda 8' Tibia Clausa
10 Adjustable Combination Pistons
Solo	16' Tuba Profunda 8' Harmonic Tuba 8' Diaphonic Diapason 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Clarinet 8' Orchestral Oboe 8' Kinura 4' Harmonic Clarion 4' Piccolo Cathedral Chimes Xylophone Glockenspiel Orchestral Bells
6 Adjustable Combination Pistons
Tremulants (3)	Main Solo Vox Humana
Toe Pistons	Siren Auto Horn Fire Gong Gong (re-it) Steamboat Whistle Horse Hoofs
Push Button	Door Bell Steamboat Whistle
General	Two Expression Pedals One Balanced Crescendo Pedal One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal - 1st Touch, Full Stops (wind) - 2nd Touch, Everything One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal - 1st Touch, Snare Drum - 2nd Touch, Bass Drum and Cymbal

The Wurlitzer Style 260 is one of the company's most iconic large-scale theatre organ models, which were often installed in deluxe movie palaces during the late 1920s. It is a 3-manual, 15-rank instrument that provided a powerful and versatile sound palette for silent film accompaniment, vaudeville performances, and solo concerts.

General Information

The Style 260 represented the pinnacle of Wurlitzer’s factory-produced, standardized three-manual instruments. It included an extensive array of orchestral and classical ranks, traps, tuned percussions, and effects to replicate a full orchestra. While some Style 260s were installed exactly as spec’d, many were customized at the request of venue owners or prominent organists.

History

Introduced in the mid-1920s, the 260 was marketed as a deluxe alternative to the more common Style 235. It was part of Wurlitzer's strategy to offer turn-key "unit orchestras" that could fill vast auditoriums with expressive sound. Around a dozen known 260s were built, with variations in stoplists and console decoration depending on customer preference and budget.

Specification Variations and Design Considerations

One of the distinguishing features on the spec sheet was the inclusion of a full 32′ Diaphone rank. However, this was frequently omitted in actual installations due to **ceiling height limitations** in orchestra pits and chambers. In such cases, the pedal section was often adjusted to substitute lower extensions from existing 16′ ranks, or to use resultant tones to simulate 32′ effects.

The Suitable Bass system, another unique element of the specification, was largely considered a marketing gimmick. It attempted to provide a smooth, more mellow fundamental bass tone automatically, but many organists found it to be redundant or underwhelming in practice.

Organists often requested enhancements to the tonal resources of the instrument. A common customization was the extension of the Tuba Mirabilis (on 10″ wind) down to 8′ pitch, which was not part of the standard 260 specification. This gave the instrument a middle ground in its solo voice and reinforced the upperwork with added power and gravitas.

Notable Installations

- *Loew’s State Theatre*, New York, NY (Customized with additional ranks) - *Paramount Theatre*, Oakland, CA (Known for its powerful Tuba and grand scale)

Perception and Legacy

While not as common as smaller styles like the 190 or 235, the Style 260 has gained legendary status among theatre organists and enthusiasts for its grandeur and flexibility. Surviving examples—especially those restored to original specification—are treasured for their immense tonal resources and expressive capability.

List of Known Installations

Opus	Year Installed	Location	City	State	Country	Style	Wiring Schedule
344		Tivoli Theatre	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260SP
383		Ascher Capitol Theatre	Cincinnati	Ohio	U.S.A.	260SP
404		Liberty Theatre	Great Falls	Montana	U.S.A.	260	521
501		Lafayette Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
505		Grauman Egyptian Theatre	Hollywood	California	U.S.A.	260	521
520		Rialto Theatre	New York	New York	U.S.A.	260	521
541		Circle Theatre	Indianapolis	Indiana	U.S.A.	260SP
558		Sheas Hipp Theatre	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	260SP	906
568		Elmwood Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
585		Sheas Hippodrome Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
637		C T P Co	Melbourne	Victoria	Australia	260	521
839		Rivoli Theatre	New York	New York	U.S.A.	260	521
870		Albee Theatre	Brooklyn	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
935		State Theatre	Cleveland	Ohio	U.S.A.	260	521
943		Capitol Theatre	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260SP	562
959		State Theatre	Minneapolis	Minnesota	U.S.A.	260SP	599
978		Plaza Theatre	London	England	Uk	260	521
987		Diversey (Century) Theatre	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260SP	609
1041		Harding Theatre	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260SP	618
1044		Riding Club	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260	629
1097		Howard / Paramount Theatre	Atlanta	Georgia	U.S.A.	260SP
1099		Store Demo Organ	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260SP	636
1115		Keith'S Memorial / Savoy Theatre	Boston	Massachusetts	U.S.A.	260SP	654
1173		Newman Theatre	Kansas City	Missouri	U.S.A.	260	521
1195		Terminal Theatre	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	2604M	676
1196		North Park Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP	682
1198		Paramount Theatre(Olympia)	Miami	Florida	U.S.A.	260	521
1203		Stanley Theatre	Camden	New Jersey	U.S.A.	260SP	680
1323		Scollay Sq Theatre	Boston	Massachusetts	U.S.A.	260SP
1341		Palace Theatre	Cleveland	Ohio	U.S.A.	260SP
1393		Keiths Theatre	Atlanta	Georgia	U.S.A.	260SP	724
1404		Capitol (Paramount) Theatre	St Paul	Minnesota	U.S.A.	260SP	749
1406		Fox 14Th St Theatre	New York	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
1407		Keith Theatre	Columbus	Ohio	U.S.A.	260SP
1473		Famous Pl Texas Theatre	San Antonio	Texas	U.S.A.	260SP	764
1490		Kensington Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
1541		Chinese Theatre	Hollywood	California	U.S.A.	260SP	791
1555		Lexington Ave Theatre	New York	New York	U.S.A.	260SP	778
1569		Famous Players (Florida) Theatre	Jacksonville	Florida	U.S.A.	260SP
1592		Avalon Theatre	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.A.	260SP
1647		Loews Capitol Theatre	Washington	District of Columbia	U.S.A.	260SP
1657		Capitol Theatre	Vancouver	British Columbia	Canada	260SP
1680		Keith'S Albee Theatre	Cincinnati	Ohio	U.S.A.	260SP	819
1726		Denver Theatre	Denver	Colorado	U.S.A.	260SP
1731		United Artists Theatre	Los Angeles	California	U.S.A.	260SP
1752		Madison Theatre	Ridgewood	New Jersey	U.S.A.	260SP	859
1757		Mosque Auditorium	Richmond	Virginia	U.S.A.	260SP	855
1778		Strand Theatre	Portland	Maine	U.S.A.	260SP
1788		Stanley Theatre	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	U.S.A.	260SP	828
1793		Chester Theatre	Bronx	New York	U.S.A.	260SP
1808		Capitol Theatre - Not Installed	Perth	Washington	Australia	260	521
1813		Capitol Theatre	Sydney	New South Wales	Australia	260	521
1824		United Artists Theatre	Detroit	Michigan	U.S.A.	260SP
1896		Regent Theatre	Adelaide	South Australia	Australia	260SP
1901		Tower Theatre	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	U.S.A.	260SP	922
1902		Ambassador Theatre	Perth	Washington	Australia	260SP	950
1908		Kenmore Theatre	Brooklyn	New York	U.S.A.	260	900
1950		Bailey Ave Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP	972
2040		Regent Theatre	Brisbane	Queensland	Australia	260	900
2075		Civic Theatre	Auckland		New Zealand	260SP	1073
2085		Seneca Theatre	Buffalo	New York	U.S.A.	260SP

See Also

• Wurlitzer Style 235
• Wurlitzer Stoplist Notation
• Unit Orchestra Concept

References

• Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ
• Williams, Terry. Theatre Organ Stops and Styles: A Comprehensive Guide