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Funmaker 555

Acquisition

The Find

Section titled “The Find”

Acquired free from Craigslist in Meridian, Idaho — March 2026. The listing was straightforward: someone clearing out a home and the organ needed to go. Storage duration unknown.

Craigslist listing — "Free Wurlitzer Electric Organ (Meridian)" The original Craigslist listing. “It is heavy, you will need to bring help to load this.”

Wurlitzer 555 front view from listing — dual manuals with colorful tab stops

Wurlitzer 555 angled view showing Orbit III controls and Wurlitzer nameplate Listing photos showing the console in its pre-pickup state. Both manuals, the Orbit III mini-keys and control panel (top right), colorful tab stops, and the built-in cassette deck (bottom right) are all visible.

The organ was transported to the shop, dusted off, and connected to AC power for an initial assessment.

Why This Organ?

Section titled “Why This Organ?”

The Wurlitzer Funmaker 555 sits at an interesting intersection of analog organ technology and early synthesizer design. The TOD organ architecture is well-documented and repairable. The Orbit III synthesizer is a genuine monophonic analog synth from 1971 — a historically significant instrument in its own right. And the whole package makes an excellent candidate for MIDI conversion: 153 discrete inputs across four playing surfaces, all accessible at the key contact level.

The price was right, too.