How To Get Rid Of Pump Organ? The 80 Top Answers

Does my pump organ have ivory keys? Many pump organ owners want to know if their organ has ivory keys. It’s a good question, and there’s a quick and easy way to find out. If your white or natural keycaps are two-piece, as shown in the image below, they are made of ivory. On the other hand, if they’re all one piece, they were most likely made from a fairly common material at the time called Ivorean, which was an early form of plastic. Note: It is important to realize that Ivorean is quite flammable. For example, a lit cigarette burning on an Ivorian key board could have very serious consequences. Used ivory keys are still available and can sometimes be purchased at antique stores, Craigslist, or on eBay. If you go straight back to our section and search for the “Pumper Organ Parts” heading, you have found a very good resource for almost any organ part you need. Note: Be sure to use clear or white adhesive when attaching keys of any type. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to make sure the surface directory under the spare key is painted or colored white.

In addition to pump pedals, the organ had a lever on the side for pumping by an assistant. The organ was developed for larger chapels and smaller church rooms. The pipe bowl organ weighs over 600 pounds.

Just like that. Can you put a pumping station on your back? There are two ways to transport your organ, the first in its standard upright position and the second on its back. … If they are oil-filled reverb springs, be sure to drain the oil before shipping, otherwise you’ll end up with an organ full of oil!

Are old church organs worth anything? Like antique furniture, a well-preserved pipe organ can increase in monetary value with age. This makes rebuilding an aging pipe organ desirable as it allows your church to preserve an asset with relatively less financial expense than replacing it.

also What are the registers of a pump organ? Stops, sometimes called slide knobs, are those wooden things with Old English writing on them that you have to pull out in order for your pump organ to produce any tone or greater tone volume.

How do you date an antique organ?

The most accurate way to determine the exact age of your instrument is to compare the brand name with the serial number. There are a handful of historical publications that can be used to compare brand names to serial numbers to determine specific dates of manufacture.

How much does a home organ weigh? How much does an organ weigh? The weight of a pipe organ depends on its size and how many stops it has. A good rule of thumb for weight determination is 750 lbs per stop.

What do you do with old organs?

Some great places to donate a vintage piano, organ, or just about any other instrument are to organizations like churches, school music departments, and music programs.

Are Wurlitzer organs still made? Wurlitzer’s jukebox operations were sold in 1973 and relocated to Germany. Wurlitzer’s piano and organ brands and US manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. … The company stopped producing jukeboxes in 2013, but still sells spare parts.

How much is a Hammond organ worth?

New Hammond organs can cost as little as $2,000. Hammond offers several church financing solutions for new organs. Hammond organs are guaranteed for up to five years parts and one year labour.

Are Lowrey organs still made? In 1988 Lowrey was bought by Kawai Musical Instruments. On October 5, 2018, Seijiro Imamura, vice president of Kawai America Corp.’s Lowrey Division, announced that production of Lowrey organs would end in January 2019.

What is a fifteenth organ slide?

At 2′ pitch, a principal may simply be called a principal. It can also be called fifteenth or super octave. Fifteenth notes derive from the fact that a note sounding from this rank is 15 notes (two octaves) higher than the 8′. Super Octave simply means that the note played is an octave above the octave (above octave).

Did the first organ use water? To find the origins of the pipe organ, we must travel back in time to ancient Greece. The earliest pipe organs are believed to have been water organs or hydrauli, which were being developed in North Africa at the time.

How do organ stops work?

STOP: A stop is a series of whistles. It may consist of one row of tubes or may include multiple rows. For example, if an organist selects a stop that combines ten rows of pipes, pressing any key on the keyboard will open ten pipes (all tuned to the same note) simultaneously.

How much does the restoration of a tuning organ cost?

The cost of renovating the organ is high: between $250,000 and $1 million.

How does an old pump organ work? The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that produces sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organs include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon.

How much does a 100 year old piano weigh? while smaller pianos like consoles and spinets typically weigh in the 300 to 500 lb range. Old full-size upright pianos built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries can be exceedingly heavy, weighing more than many popular grand piano models! These large pianos weigh anywhere from 500 to 700 pounds.

Where can I play a pipe organ?

The first stop is the music school. Larger music schools often have one or more pipe organs. In addition, most churches have their own organ. In a church, a pipe organ is often only used during the service.

What is the most expensive organ instrument? The 7000-pipe organ in Lausanne Cathedral is one of the most expensive instruments in the world, but experiencing its sheer power and unique harmonies is priceless.

What is a digital organ?

A digital or electronic organ is an instrument that tries to simulate the sound of a pipe organ as realistically as possible. Digital organs first appeared in the 1990s, but initially didn’t sound as good as classic pipe organs.

Are old Hammond organs worth anything? Be aware that any old Hammond organ today is somewhere in the region of 40-60 years old. … Remember, if you had a 40-60 year old Allen, Rogers, Baldwin, Gulbranson or any other electronic organ, it would be worthless. The only reason an old Hammond is worth anything is that it can be brought back to life.

How do you make a desk out of an old organ?

What can you do with unwanted instruments? What to do with old musical instruments that are no longer needed?

Getting rid of a piano on your own can be difficult. They’re heavy, difficult to load, and can’t be thrown out with the rest of your junk. So what can you do when you’re ready to part with your old ivory keys?

How to get rid of a piano with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Luckily, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? offers a quick and convenient way to handle the moving and disposal of your piano. We take care of the professional disposal of your piano.

No matter what, our friendly, uniformed truck team members will be happy to inspect your piano on site and advise you on your best disposal options.

Piano recording made easy

Due to the complex nature of piano disposal, there are some types of pianos that we may not be able to dispose of. Our friendly, uniformed truck teams will look at your piano on site and inform you about your disposal options.

How do you dispose of a broken piano?

Getting rid of your old piano isn’t as easy as throwing it in the trash. Pianos are large and made from materials that don’t naturally degrade in landfills.

How to properly dispose of your old piano:

Determine if your broken piano is beyond repair – if it can be fixed, it may be worth more than a donation. Find out if your local rubbish or garbage disposal service, charities, and recycling facilities accept pianos or offer a piano disposal service. Arrange a pickup time with piano transporters. Clear a path for the piano transporters to carry the instrument through.

Moving a piano is more than a one-man job. Your best option is to hire professionals who have the tools to do this for you.

How can I donate or recycle a piano?

One way to dispose of an old piano is to donate it. However, the size of your piano and the condition it is in plays a big role in whether or not an organization will accept your donation.

There are many places that accept piano donations, including:

Non-Profit Organizations

schools

social groups

retirement homes

recreation centers

service associations

afterschool programs.

Donations to many of these organizations may be tax deductible. Of course, there are also organizations in your area that accept pianos in need of repair.

Can pianos be recycled?

Pianos are made from a variety of materials, including wood, steel wire, screws, and cast iron, which can be recycled once the instrument is disassembled. If you’re looking to give your piano a second chance, check with your local recycling centers to see if they will accept a used piano and whether or not it will cost money to ship.

How do I disassemble a piano for disposal?

When preparing to get rid of your old piano, you may want to disassemble it first for easier transportation.

How to disassemble a piano:

Open the piano lid and key cover to see the inside of the piano. Unscrew the piano stand or the place where the music rests to reveal the harp. Loosen the screws on the piano key cover to remove it. Remove the bottom circuit board cover or the wall that houses the foot pedals to reveal the bottom mechanism. Unscrew the screws and remove the top cover. Unscrew and remove the muffler felt that runs over the mechanics or hammers. Remove the bracket screws to loosen and remove the mechanics. Pull each key straight up to remove and set aside. Release the tension in each string on the harp by turning the tuning pegs counter-clockwise for security. Unclip and remove the keybed. Lay the piano down for stability. Remove the side supports. Finally, remove the piano harp.

We transport all types of pianos

Manuals Width Weight 2 (small) 5′ 500 lbs 2 (large) 6′ 700 lbs 3 6’7″ 1000 lbs 4 6’10” 1300 lbs

Are old electric organs worth anything? The value of an antique piano and organ is unlimited. There is an important difference between the restoration of an unrestored instrument and an unrestored instrument that is clearly to be noted.

How much does an antique organ weigh? Instrument type/ Item: Reed organ (More lots) Weight: 250 kg

How much do electric organs weigh? There was no point in transporting the original Hammond organ regularly. Pedalboards, organs and benches weigh 205 kg (426 lbs) on the Hammond B-3 organ. This heavy weight combined with a player like Leslie makes it difficult to move isp and Leslie speakers alike.

How much does a pump organ weigh? There is a side lever that allows the assistant to pump along with an organ on display. As well as being used for large chapels and smaller churches, the organ is very sophisticated and designed to operate as a multimode machine. It weighs 599L from the top of the organ.

How much does an organ instrument weigh? An organ would weigh about 60 pounds per square foot assuming it stops at 600 pounds. When partitions are stacked, they generate more than 120 pounds of load per square foot.

How much do organ pipes weigh? The percussion instruments (harp and glockenspiel) can be played on the keyboards and pedals of the organ. More than 50 tons of pipe organs and chests weigh more than an eight-foot-tall full-grown elephant.

How much do old organs weigh? There have never been regular visits to the original Hammond organ. Compared to conventional organs and pedalboards, the Hammond B-3 organ, bench and pedalboard weigh at least 193 kg.

How much is an old organ worth? As of 2014, an antique pump organ sells for between 100 and several thousand dollars, depending on its condition. An early 19th century Victorian pump organ in poor condition can be worth $1,000 to $1,500 today. A restoration is complete and their value averages between $6,500 and $10,000.

How much does an electric organ cost? can cost up to $30,000 to purchase. An old instrument brought to a new home would bring in $0, while a new instrument made for a famous church or concert hall could bring in millions of dollars. It is estimated that a pipe organ will cost a small church between $200,000 and $250,000. – 850,000.

How heavy is an organ piano? For the last hour of your life there is an organ in its entirety. This has discouraged you from moving it as an organ will weigh up to 500 pounds. The following tips will make your move as easy as possible before proceeding and hiring any additional help you might come across.

How much do pump organs weigh? The average organ weighs about 600 pounds per stop, which is 30 pounds per square foot.

They have always been interested in the creation of culture by humans, regardless of where they settled. Culture is not dependent on a specific region or geography. There is no doubt that they invented unique instruments like pump organs as part of their culture.

Pump organs may not have the reputation they should, but they have a rich history that you can’t deny. The portability of pump organs contributed to their popularity compared to pipe organs centuries ago.

Pump organs eventually replaced pipe organs in many wealthy homes and churches. But what is the history of pumping organs and how to identify and evaluate them? Here you can learn more about the history, brand, identification and value of antique pump organs. So read on.

What is a pump organ?

Pump organs are free-reed instruments in which the sound comes from air passing through a vibrating metal frame. Each of these pieces of metal is called a reed. Pump organs, harmonies and melodeons are some of the specific pump organ types.

In the late 1750s, the idea of ​​making a free-reed instrument by importing it from China came to Russia. In contrast, Denmark was the first western country to create a free-reed instrument, in 1780.

In the 19th century, pipe organs were popular in larger churches, but free-reed organs were famous in smaller churches and homes. However, free-reed organs were not as versatile as pipe organs in terms of timbre or loudness.

Most of these instruments have a single manual, while pedalboards are rare. In addition to their wide range of tones, finer pump organs had beautiful cases suited to wealthy homes and churches.

From the late 19th century through the 1920s, American and Canadian manufacturers produced large numbers of pump organs. The West produced many furniture-sized organs, but smaller models also existed.

Among the most important single instruments in the Indian subcontinent was the hand-pumped harmonium, which was developed by the local people to meet local needs. With an additional microtone, the craftsmen created harmonies that anyone could transport.

The history of the ancient pump organ

In 1840, Alexandre Debian in France built a pump organ called the harmonium, one of the earliest pump organs. While some experts claim that authentic antiques must be over 100 years old, others consider pumps antiques if they were made before the Great Depression.

Due to their early manufacture, between 1895 and 1910, most pump organs are now considered antiques. A pair of pedal-driven pumps create air that powers these musical instruments.

Satisfied brass tongues force air to move through the pump. Later, electric organs took over the role of pump organs, but pump organs were famous for several decades. Some musicians still use the pump organs today, but it’s not that common these days.

The pump organ works by forcing air through a thin metal tube. Despite their incredible sounds, pump organs have somewhat limited tones. Pump organs were the most popular musical instrument between 1850 and 1930.

Debussy and Bach are some classical artists who used the pump organ. Mark Twain is among the most admired writers of all time, and he made many references to pumping organs in his writing. Pump organs became so popular at the beginning of the 20th century because of their mobility.

The convenience of pump organs over pipe organs made them increasingly popular in churches. Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein invented the first organ without reeds. He was best known for his contribution to medicine through electricity.

How do you recognize an antique pump organ?

Most people have difficulty identifying antique pump organs due to a lack of knowledge. Listed below are the factors that will help you easily identify antique pump organs.

Analyze the key tips

A button is part of a lever system operated with your fingers, with a valve controlling airflow activating a tongue. Below the keyboard is the plate that covers the sheet called the keymap. Manual operation of the key is through a series of guide pins.

The key works with two pins per key. A pivot bracket extends up and down from the rear end of the key. At the front of the button is a felt-lined indentation that the stylus sits in.

It prevents the key from moving from side to side. Before 1960, almost all pump organs had ivory key tops. White keys that have a hairline between the two parts are those with ivory keys.

Between the two black keys is a thin piece called the “tail” of the white key. The “head” of the key, located in front of the black key, is the flat, wide part of it. Plastic and celluloid keys have been around since the early 1880’s, so there may be pump organs that still have the original plastic keys.

Check the wood

Unlike antique pianos, antique pump organs were mostly made of solid wood, either walnut or oak, and sold for a fraction of the price.

In the late 18th and early 20th centuries, it was uneconomical to use veneer for pump organs. The exception here are the rosewood veneered melodeons, which were made in the 19th century.

Identify the brand

Knowing the brand name of a pump organ can make it easier for you to tell if it’s antique or not. I would recommend examining the inside of the cabinet, possibly with a flashlight, to spot the brand name of the pump organ.

There is a chance that the name on the antique pump organ will appear on adhesive labels or tags. It helps if you are careful with the name displayed above the keyboard as it may refer to a retailer or distributor and not the actual manufacturer. Keep in mind that the brand name inside the case may differ from the name on the area above the keyboard.

Find the serial number

If you look inside the cabinet you will find the serial number and brand name. The majority of pump organ manufacturers worldwide place serial numbers on the rear frame or fairings.

Serial numbers on the antique pump organ are usually painted on with stencils, but sometimes they are also carved directly into the wood. Some companies also put printed labels on the soundboard.

It’s easier to see the label when you remove the back panel of an organ. When you search for the serial number, you want to look for five or six digits. Most design numbers were four digits or less, which factory workers could use to work out which parts went with which models.

Also, if you can’t find the serial number or brand name of the pump organ, take some pictures of the inside and outside of the instrument. Professional organ restorers can clearly assign these photos and use this information to quickly determine the manufacturer and the date of manufacture of the organ.

Contact the Pumporgan professional

A professional organ restorer with an organ history publication can match the serial number against the brand name to find the date of manufacture and other information about your antique pump organ. There are many professionals available online offering pump organ restoration services.

Send pictures and the name of the maker if you can find it, along with the serial number and brand name to the professional organ restorer. In addition to checking references, the specialist also checks all other information about the antique pump organ.

Popular manufacturers of antique pump organs

It is always the case that a few companies dominate their respective industries, which was also the case with pump organ manufacturers.

There were 653 American makers of pump organs, but only about two dozen are best known or considered the most important. Listed below are most of the companies that are considered leaders in the pumping organs market.

Estey was the best-known manufacturer of pump organs. Compared to any other manufacturer, a significant number of pump organs were built by them. Jacob Estey was the founder of the company in 1852 after purchasing another Brattleboro manufacturer.

In the company’s heyday it was one of the world’s largest manufacturers of organs, employing around 700 people and selling high-quality pump organs all over the world. Between 1846 and 1955, Estey built around half a million pump organs.

In addition to pump organs, Estey also produced many pianos at his New York factory. During World War II, Estey became one of the few companies to make electronic organs.

The production of electronic organs makes it one of the few companies to build all three types of organs: reed, pipe and electric organs. Harald Bode came to Estey in the 1950s. In 1951 he developed the Bode organ, a pioneer in computer instrument research since the 1930s.

In the late 1950’s he was one of the founding members of the Estey Electronic Organ Division and contributed to the development of the Estey Electronic Organ.

In 1989, Fletchers Music Centers acquired Estey Organs and began manufacturing several models for the home organ market. The home organ models came with free lessons for life. In the 1990s, the company sold these exclusively through its retail chain worldwide.

Carhart & Needham Company

The Carhart & Needham Organ Company was founded in 1846 by Elias Parkham Needham and Jeremiah Carhart. A company known for the manufacture of organs and melodeons, which has achieved great success throughout its history.

Carhart, Needham & Company was reorganized in 1855 after Samuel C. Swartz joined the firm. In 1865 Swartz died and the company’s name was restored to Carhart & Needham.

The pump organ declined in popularity in the American household as the late 19th century approached and the piano gained popularity. For this reason, Carhart & Needham also shifted their focus from building pump organs to pianos.

Maurer & Hamelin

Mason & Hamlin is another famous company that manufactures pianos and pump organs based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. During the 19th century they also produced many pump organs.

Henry Mason and Emmons Hamlin, two partners who founded Mason & Hamlin in Boston, Massachusetts in 1854, worked together to make the brand successful.

At first they only produced melodeons, but in 1855 they introduced the flat-top cabinet organ, also known as the organ harmonium. The bellows were located vertically under the reeds, making them a model for suction-powered pump organs.

In the early 1870s the company was producing about 200 pump organs a week and employed 500 people. In addition to making pump organs for many composers, Mason & Hamlin patented a form of sostenuto similar to that of pianos.

The company also got into piano manufacturing in 1883. Their first pianos were screw-string uprights, which they patented and marketed as an improvement over traditional tuning peg systems.

An independent German piano designer, Richard W. Gertz, completely overhauled the piano department that year, having previously developed new scales for them.

His invention, the tension resonator, a device attached to the wooden structure of piano soundboards to prevent the soundboards from flattening, was patented in 1903 and he became president of the company in 1906.

The cable company

Between 1880 and 1936, the Cable Company independently manufactured and sold pianos and pump organs in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, this company claimed to be the largest manufacturer of pianos and pump organs.

For decades it was considered one of the largest manufacturers of pump organs. Pianos is one of the best in its premium Conover line. Later, EE Wise and George W. Tewksbury joined the company as partners in 1885.

Both had worked for a company called Western Cottage in Ottawa, Illinois. Willard Naramore Van Matre later joined as shareholder and sales director. The Randolph and Ann factory was again destroyed by fire on March 12, 1886, destroying more than 2,000 pump organs at various stages of production.

Cable estimated the inventory damage would be $50,000 and the machinery damage would be $25,000. According to the Chicago Tribune, several companies arranged insurance for the company for $40,550.

The company employed 174 people. Most of them stayed with the company while setting up temporary offices in their neighborhoods. In 1887 the company purchased land on Paulina Street and built a new plant.

Estimate of the value of antique pump organs

Pump organs can range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars depending on various factors. Here are a few things that can determine how valuable an antique pump organ is.

condition of the organ

The rarity and condition of a pump organ often go hand in hand. Although pumping organs are rare, their current condition adds dramatically to their value. For example, a rare and damaged Pump Organ is not worth as much as one in great condition.

If a pump element malfunctions, the value is therefore significantly lower than if it were in perfect condition. When determining the condition of an antique organ, collectors also pay attention to many special features. Consequently, they will not hesitate to point out minor problems with the pumping organ.

Antique collectors need to keep their antiques in a safe place when storing them. Due to their durability, pump organs are easier to handle than other instruments. However, keep in mind that the pumping organs may be affected by their environment.

Uniqueness & Popularity

Antique organs are valued differently depending on their uniqueness. A large number of pumping organs with a specific pattern and more features tend to be higher values. Rare and popular pump organs could be attractive to many collectors.

Another aspect is the popularity of the pump organ in the market. It is still possible for an extremely rare piece of the antique organ to lose its value if no one wants to buy it.

If you want to sell your antique pump organ, you have to find a market with many buyers. The value of the pump organ is likely to increase if demand is high enough. The concept is essentially the same as an auction.

A person’s willingness to pay for an antique determines its value. So if several people want the same pump organ, they may bid a high price to get it. Pump organs require the cooperation of their suppliers to form an antique of exceptional value.

A high production of antique pump organs and their great popularity will not increase the value of an antique pump organ dramatically. High popularity and limited production will dramatically increase the value of antique pump organs. It will make the pumping organ the most valuable.

Compare to recently sold pieces

You can also compare the prices of vintage pump organs to see how much they are worth. If you are planning to buy or own something, you need an original copy first. Comparison filters on eBay are the most effective way to compare products and know their current value.

It’s good to compare your antique piece to those recently sold on eBay. Below are the current prices for antique pump organs available on eBay.

Determining the correct value for a vintage pump organ is not easy at first, but it becomes easy once you know all the information about it.

Price is one of the key factors that collectors and dealers use to determine an object’s true value. By comparing prices, you ensure that the pump organs are not under- or overpriced.

For example, visit eBay if you want to learn more about an antique pump organ you may own. You must choose the filter according to the information you want to collect.

You will gain the knowledge to properly value and sell your antiques. Whether you are interested in selling or buying, price comparison can provide you with valuable information about the value of your antique pump organ.

What to do with an old pump organ?

If you want to get rid of your old pump organ, we recommend that you sell it. If you own an antique pump organ you will fetch a high price as collectors will surely be interested in buying it. However, it is not always easy to sell a pump organ clock.

It is best to be more careful with antique pump organs, as you do not want to sell them below their value. When you sell an antique, you need to take precautions. You can also contact a stockist if you are selling your old pump organ and are unsure of their value.

The dealer will tell you the value of your pump organ by examining it. The internet and selling antique pump organs in person will help you reach a wider market for sale. If you’re selling your vintage pump organ online, research the prospective seller carefully.

Conclusion

In pump organs, air flows through a vibrating metal frame to produce sound. The harmonium was among the earliest pump organs, made in France by Alexandre Debian in 1840.

There are different types of pump organs, some of which are harmonies and melodeons. In the late 1750s, Russian craftsmen had the idea of ​​making pump organ instruments by importing them from China.

Pumping organs typically cost from a few to several hundred dollars, depending on various factors. It is common for a pump organ’s rarity to correlate with its condition. The current condition of the pump organs can significantly increase the value of these rarities.

Rare but damaged pump organs are not worth as much as those in excellent condition. The value of antique organs also depends on how unique they are. A high value typically indicates many specific patterns and features in pumping organs.

Collectors are likely to be drawn to rare and popular pump organs. Another important detail that tells you something about the pump organ is its serial number. The serial number and manufacturer’s name may be present in the cabinet. Serial numbers appear on the rear frame or fairings of pump organs worldwide.

Below are some frequently asked questions that our customers have when purchasing an organ. Member companies are available to answer specific questions. Please contact us if your question is not listed here.

How much does a pipe organ cost? The cost of a pipe organ can be as low as $30,000.00 for a used instrument being moved to a new home to millions of dollars for a new instrument being built for a large church or concert hall. The cost range for a pipe organ for a small to medium sized church is in the $200,000 – $850,000 range.

How long does a pipe organ last? The main mechanical and sound-producing components of a pipe organ are wood and leather for the frame, chests and case, and zinc, lead and tin for the pipes. The wood and metal parts will last for centuries. The leather parts have to be replaced about every 60 years. This leather replacement always costs a fraction of the original cost of the instrument.

What size organ do I need for my church? The size of a pipe organ is always described in registers. A keystroke is a series of pipes running from the bottom of the keyboard to the top of the keyboard. While there is no hard and fast rule as to the size of pipe organs, a good way to determine an appropriate size range for your church is 5 to 10 stops per 100 people seating capacity. If your church seats 100, consider an organ with 5-10 stops. If your church seats 500, you may consider an organ with 25-50 stops.

How much does an organ weigh? The weight of a pipe organ depends on its size and how many stops it has. A good rule of thumb for weight determination is 750 lbs per stop.

How much does it cost to tune and service a pipe organ? As a rule of thumb, a pipe organ is tuned twice a year, either when the seasons change from hot to cold and from cold to hot, or before Easter and before Christmas. The cost of this biannual tuning depends on the size of the pipe organ and the location of the pipe organ. In general, tuning and maintenance takes about an hour for all six stops in the organ. Hourly rates vary from $85.00 per hour to $125.00 per hour.

How do you start an organ project? The first step in any organ project is the formation of an organ committee. A pipe organ is a significant addition to any church. The organ should not only be bought for the organist, but for the way it enriches the worship life of the church. The committee should be a fairly diverse group reflecting the character of the church membership. Once the committee is formed, they must begin the process of self-education. A pipe organ is a very diverse and complex musical instrument. Because of their diversity and complexity, education is essential for the committee to make an informed decision. Part of this training should include traveling to hear different pipe organs and speaking to different pipe organ builders. After these visits and discussions, it is customary for the committee to select a limited number of builders to submit proposals to the committee. These proposals are then evaluated and a single builder selected to proceed with the project.

How do you pay for a pipe organ? Fundraising for a pipe organ project is different for every church or other institution. In some cases every member of a congregation gives what they can. In others, the entire cost of the project is borne by one person. A third, fairly common approach is to match one-third to one-half of the project’s cost from large donors before submitting the project to the community for further fundraising.

Are there foundations that finance a pipe organ? As far as we know, there are no foundations whose express purpose is to promote pipe organs. However, there are a number of denominational institutions that lend money to churches for pipe organ projects.

How are the pipes of a pipe organ played? There are three different systems for playing the pipes in a pipe organ. Each system is also referred to as a “key action” type. The first key action is the mechanical action, also known as the tracker action. In this system there is a direct mechanical connection between the keys on the console (the place where the organist sits) and the valve for each note. The second is electropneumatic. With this key mechanism, there is an electrical connection between the keys on the console and the valves for each note. The valves for each note are a combination of a small electric magnet and a series of two pneumatic valves, hence the name electro-pneumatic. The latter is direct electromechanical. With electromechanical action, there is an electrical connection between the buttons on the console and a single electrical valve under each tube. It’s not uncommon for these key actions to be used in combination.

What are the different types of pipes in a pipe organ? The pipes in a pipe organ are designed and characterized by two different main factors. First is its pitch. The different registers of a pipe organ are always preceded by a number. This number refers to the speaking length of the keystroke. If the number is 8′, then the register speaks the same pitch as you will hear on a piano. If the number is 16′, the register speaks the pitch an octave lower than the pitch on a piano. If it says 4′, it will speak the pitch an octave above the same pitch on the piano. And so on and so on down to 64′ and all the way up to 2 2/3′, 2′. 1.3/5′, 1 1/3′, 1′ and beyond. Second is wood or tone color. There is a name directly after the pitch number. The name refers to the timbre of the respective stop. In general, the timbres fall into two different categories. They are smoking pipes and tongue pipes. Smoking pipes produce their sound in the same way as a recorder or whistle. The compressed air enters one end of the tube (the foot), passes through a small slit (the wind tunnel), and meets a thin lip a certain distance above the small slit (the top lip). This action causes the column of air in the body of the whistle to vibrate at its specified speed and produce its specified pitch. Flute cores are generally divided into two groups, those with open-topped bodies (principals and strings) and those with truncated tops (flutes). Reed whistles sound similar to a clarinet or saxophone. The compressed air goes into the bottom of the tube (the boot). It runs between a brass reed and a brass shallot (similar to the mouthpiece and reed of a clarinet). This action causes the column of air in the whistle’s resonator to vibrate at its specified speed and produce its specified pitch. Reed whistles are generally divided into two groups, those with conical resonators (trumpet and oboe type stops) and cylindrical resonators (Cromorne and clarinet type stops).

Electric organ

Hammond organ Manufacturers of a Hammond C-3 organ The Hammond Organ Company (1935–1985)

Hammond organ Australia (1986–1989) [1]

Hammond-Suzuki (1989–present)[3] Dates 1935–1975 (tonewheel models)

1967–1985 (transistor models)

1986–Present (digital models) Price $1,193 (Model A, 1935)

$2,745 (Model B-3, 1955) Specifications Polyphony Full Oscillator Tonewheel Synthesis Type Additive Effects Vibrato, Chorus, Reverb, Harmonic Percussion Input/Output Keyboard 2 × 61-note manuals, 25-note pedals (consoles)

2 × 44-note manuals, 13-note pedals (spinettes) External control Amphenol connection to Hammond Tone Cabinet or Leslie speakers

The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Several models have been made, most using sliding drawbars to vary the sound. Until 1975, Hammond organs produced sound by generating an electric current by turning a metal tone wheel near an electromagnetic pickup, and then amplifying the signal with an amplifier to drive a speaker box. The organ is commonly used with the Leslie speaker.

Around two million Hammond organs were made. The organ was originally marketed to churches by the Hammond Organ Company as a less expensive alternative to the wind-powered pipe organ or in place of a piano. It quickly became popular with professional jazz musicians in organ trios, small groups centered around the Hammond organ. Jazz club owners found that organ trios were cheaper than a big band. Jimmy Smith’s use of the Hammond B-3, with its added harmonic percussion feature, inspired a generation of organ players, and its use spread to rhythm and blues, rock, reggae, and progressive rock in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1970s, the Hammond Organ Company abandoned tonewheels and switched to integrated circuits. These organs were less popular and the company went out of business in 1985. The Hammond name was bought by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation, which made digital simulations of the most popular tonewheel organs. This culminated in the production of the “New B-3” in 2002, a replica of the original B-3 organ using digital technology. Hammond-Suzuki continues to make a variety of organs for professional players and churches. Companies like Korg, Roland and Clavia have managed to offer lighter and more portable emulations of the original tonewheel organs. The sound of a tonewheel hammond can be emulated with modern software audio plug-ins.

Functions[edit]

A number of Hammond organ features are not typically found on other keyboards such as the piano or synthesizer. Some resemble a pipe organ, others are unique to the instrument.

Keyboards and Pedalboard[ edit ]

The two manuals of the Hammond B-2

C note A single note ( C ) played on a Hammond organ. Problems playing this file? See media help.

Most Hammond organs have two 61-note (five-octave) keyboards called manuals. As with pipe organ keyboards, the two manuals are arranged close together on two levels. Each is arranged similarly to a piano keyboard, except that on a Hammond, pressing a key causes the note to play continuously until released, while on a piano, the note’s volume decreases. There is no difference in volume regardless of how hard or light the key is pressed (unlike on a piano), so the overall volume is controlled by a pedal (aka a “swell” or “expression” pedal). The keys on each manual have a light action that allows players to play fast passages more easily than on a piano. Unlike piano and pipe organ keys, Hammond keys have a flat front profile, commonly referred to as the “waterfall” style. Early Hammond console models had sharp edges, but from the B-2 onwards these were rounded because they were cheaper to manufacture. The M-series spinets also had waterfall keys (which later made them ideal as replacement parts for the B-3 and C-3), but later spinet models had “springboard” style keys similar to those on a church organ. Modern Hammond Suzuki models use waterfall buttons.[14]

Hammond console organs come with a wooden pedal that is played with the feet to create bass notes. Most console Hammond pedalboards have 25 notes, with the bottom note being a low C and the top note being middle C two octaves higher. Hammond used a 25-note pedalboard because he found that on traditional 32-note pedalboards used in church pipe organs, the top seven notes were rarely used. The Hammond Concert Models E, RT, RT-2, RT-3, and D-100 had 32-note American Guild of Organists (AGO) pedalboards ranging as the top note to G above middle C. The RT-2, RT-3 and D-100 also included a separate solo pedal system that had its own volume control and various other features. Spinet models have miniature 12- or 13-note pedalboards.

Manuals and pedalboards for Hammond organs were originally made from solid palladium alloy wire to ensure a quality electrical connection when a key was pressed.[16] This construction was discontinued with the introduction of the transistor organ. This means that tonewheel organs contain between 3.2 and 8.4 grams of palladium, depending on the make and model.[17]

Drawbars[ edit ]

The sound of a Hammond is varied with drawbars, similar to faders on an audio mixer

The sound of a tonewheel Hammond organ is varied by manipulating drawbars. A drawbar is a metal slider that controls the volume of a specific sound component, much like a fader on an audio mixer. As a Drawbar is gradually pulled out, it increases the volume of its sound. When pushed all the way in, the volume is reduced to zero.

The designation of the drawbar is derived from the register system in pipe organs, in which the physical length of the pipe corresponds to the pitch produced. Most Hammonds contain nine drawbars per manual. The drawbar labeled “8′” produces the root of the note played, the drawbar labeled “16′” is one octave below, and the drawbars labeled “4′”, “2′” and “1′” are one, two or three octaves above. The other drawbars produce various other harmonics and subharmonics of the note. While each individual drawbar produces a relatively pure sound similar to a flute or electronic oscillator, more complex sounds can be created by mixing drawbars in varying amounts. Because of this, the Hammond organ can be viewed as a kind of additive synthesis.

Hammonds manufactured from 1969 onwards have footage of each tongue engraved on the end. Some drawbar settings have become well known and associated with specific musicians. A very popular setting is 888000000 (i.e. with drawbars labeled “16′”, “5+1⁄3′”, and “8′” fully extended) and has been identified as a “classic” Jimmy Smith sound. 22]

Preferences [ edit ]

Preset keys on a Hammond organ are reverse colored and are to the left of the manuals

In addition to drawbars, many Hammond tonewheel organ models also contain presets that make predefined drawbar combinations available at the touch of a button. Console organs have an octave of reverse-colored keys (natives are black, sharps and flats are white) to the left of each manual, with each key activating a preset; The leftmost button (C), also known as the Cancel button, disables all presets and results in no sound coming from this manual. The two rightmost preset buttons (B and B♭) activate the appropriate drawbar set for that manual, while the other preset buttons create preselected drawbar settings that are internally wired to the preset panel.[23]

Vibrato and chorus[edit]

Hammond organs have a built in vibrato effect, which provides a small change in pitch as a note is played, and a chorus effect, where the sound of one note is combined with another sound of slightly different and varying pitch. The most well-known vibrato and chorus system consists of six settings, V1, V2, V3, C1, C2 and C3 (ie three each for vibrato and chorus), which can be selected via a rotary switch. Vibrato/Chorus can be selected independently for each manual.

Harmonic percussion[ edit ]

The B-3 and C-3 models introduced the concept of “Harmonic Percussion”, intended to emulate the percussive sounds of the harp, xylophone and marimba. When selected, this function plays a decaying second or third harmonic overtone when a key is pressed. The selected percussion harmonic fades out, leaving the sustained notes the player selected with the drawbars. The volume of this percussive effect can be selected as either normal or soft. Harmonic Percussion is only retriggered after all notes have been released, so legato passages only cause the effect to sound on the very first note or chord, making Harmonic Percussion uniquely a “single trigger” but still polyphonic effect.[27]

Start and run switches [ edit ]

Console Hammond organs like the B-3 require two switches; “Start” to drive the starter motor and “Run” to drive the main tone wheel generator.

Before a Hammond organ can produce sound, the motor that drives the tone wheels must be running at full speed. On most models, starting a Hammond organ requires two switches. The “start” switch spins a special starter motor that has to run for about 12 seconds. Then the “Run” switch is turned on for about four seconds. Then the “Start” switch is released, whereupon the organ is ready to sound. However, the H-100 and E series consoles and the L-100 and T-100 spinet organs had a self-starting motor that required only a single “on” switch. A pitch bend effect can be created on the Hammond Organ by toggling the Run switch off and on again. This briefly cuts power to the generators, causing them to run slower and produce a lower pitch for a short time. Hammond’s New B3 includes similar switches to emulate this effect despite being a digital instrument.[31]

history [edit]

The Hammond organ technology is derived from the telharmonium, an instrument developed by Thaddeus Cahill in 1897.[33] The telharmonium used rotating electrical AC generators that produced sounds that could be transmitted over wires. The instrument was bulky enough to require several railroad cars for its transport, as the alternators had to be large enough to produce high voltage for a loud enough signal. The Hammond organ solved this problem by using an amplifier.

Laurens Hammond graduated from Cornell University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1916. By the early 1920s he had designed a spring-driven clock that brought him enough sales to start his own business, the Hammond Clock Company, in 1928. In addition to clocks, his early inventions included three-dimensional glasses and an automatic bridge-table shuffler. However, as the Great Depression continued into the 1930s, sales of the Bridge table declined and he decided to look elsewhere for a commercially successful product.[33] Hammond was inspired to create the tone wheel, or “phonic wheel,” by listening to the moving gears of his electric clocks and the tones they produced. He collected pieces from a used upright piano he had bought for $15 and paired it with a tonewheel generator in a similar shape to the telharmonium, albeit much shorter and more compact. Not being a musician, Hammond asked the company’s assistant treasurer, W. L. Lahey, to help him achieve the organ sound he wanted. To cut costs, Hammond made a pedalboard with only 25 notes instead of the usual 32 on church organs, and it quickly became a de facto standard.

On April 24, 1934, Hammond filed a patent for an “electric musical instrument”[38] which was personally delivered to the patent office by Hanert, stating that they could begin production immediately and it would be good for local employment in Chicago would. The invention was presented to the public in April 1935 and the first model, the Model A, was made available in June of the same year. Over 1,750 churches bought a Hammond organ in the first three years of production, and by the late 1930s over 200 instruments were being made each month. By 1966 an estimated 50,000 churches had a Hammond installed. For all of its subsequent success with professional musicians, the original company did not target its products to this market, largely because Hammond did not believe there would be an adequate return.

In 1936, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint alleging that the Hammond Company had made “false and misleading” claims in advertisements for their organ, including that the Hammonds produce “the full range of tonal colors of a pipe organ”. could. [43] The complaint led to a lengthy hearing process that involved a series of listening tests involving a Hammond costing about $2,600, a $75,000 Skinner pipe organ at the University of Rockefeller Chapel faced Chicago. In the listening tests, sustained tones and excerpts from musical works were played on the electric and pipe organs while a group of musicians and amateurs tried to distinguish the instruments. While Hammond’s attorneys argued that the test listeners were wrong or guessed nearly half the time, FTC witnesses alleged that Hammond employees unfairly tampered with the Skinner organ to sound more like the Hammond. In 1938, the FTC ordered Hammond to refrain from making a number of advertising claims, including that his instrument was the equivalent of a $10,000 pipe organ. Following the FTC’s decision, Hammond claimed that the hearings confirmed his company’s claims that the organ produced “genuine,” “fine,” and “beautiful” music, phrases each cited in the FTC’s original complaint but not in the “injunctive relief”. Hammond also claimed that although the hearing was expensive for his company, the process generated so much publicity that “as a result, we sold enough additional organs to cover the cost.”[46]

The Hammond Organ Company produced an estimated two million instruments in its lifetime; These have been described as “probably the most successful electronic organs of all time”. A key factor in the Hammond organ’s success was its use of dealers and a sense of community. Several dedicated organ dealers set up shops in the United States and there was a bi-monthly newsletter, The Hammond Times, sent out to subscribers. Advertisements typically showed families gathered around the instrument, often with a child playing it, in an attempt to show the organ as a focal point of domestic life and to encourage children to learn music.

Tone wheel organs [ edit ]

Hammond organs as manufactured by the original company can be divided into two main groups:

Console organs have two 61-note manuals and a pedal of at least two octaves. Most consoles do not have a built-in power amplifier or speaker, so an external amplifier and speaker cabinet is required.

have two manuals with 61 notes and a pedal of at least two octaves. Most consoles do not have a built-in power amplifier or speaker, so an external amplifier and speaker cabinet is required. Spinet organs have two 44-note manuals and one pedal octave, as well as an internal power amplifier and speaker set.

Console organs[edit]

Medley A medley played on a 1935 Model A Hammond organ through a Leslie speaker. Problems playing this file? See media help.

The B-3 was the most popular Hammond organ made from 1954 to 1974.

The first model, going into production in June 1935, was the Model A. It included most of the features that would become standard on all console Hammonds, including two 61-key manuals, a 25-key pedal, an Expression -Pedal and 12 reverse gears -Colored preset buttons, two sets of drawbars for each manual and one for the pedals.

To address concerns that the Hammond’s sound was not rich enough to accurately mimic a pipe organ, the BC model was introduced in December 1936. It included a chorus generator in which a second tone wheel system added slightly sharp or flat tones to the overall sound of each note. The closet was built deeper for this. Production of the old Model A cases ceased, but the older model continued to be available as the AB until October 1938.

Criticism that the Hammond organ was aesthetically better suited for the home than for church led to the introduction of the Model C in September 1939. It contained the same internals as the AB or BC but was stamped on the front and sides ” Modesty panels “covered” Covering the legs of female organists when playing in a skirt, often a consideration when a church organ was placed in front of the congregation. The Model C did not include a chorus generator, but had room in the case to fit one. The contemporaneous model D was a model C with a pre-built chorus.Development of the vibrato system took place in the early 1940’s and entered production shortly after the end of World War II.The different models available were BV and CV (vibrato only) and BCV and DV (vibrato and chorus).

Designed for the church, the Concert Model E features a full 32-note pedalboard.

The B-2 and C-2, introduced in 1949, allowed vibrato to be enabled or disabled separately for each manual. In 1954, the B-3 and C-3 models were introduced with the addition of harmonic percussion. Despite several attempts by Hammond to replace them, these two models remained popular and remained in continuous production through early 1975. The last models produced were built from leftover stock and are not considered to be as good as previous models.

To more accurately serve the church market, Hammond introduced the Concert Model E in July 1937, which featured a full 32-note pedalboard and four electrical switches called toe pistons that allowed different sounds to be selected with the feet. The Model E was replaced in 1949 by the Model RT, which retained the full-size pedalboard but was otherwise internally identical to the Model B and C. The RT-2 and RT-3 models later appeared in line with the B-2/C-2 and B-3/C-3 models, respectively.

The H-100 was an unsuccessful attempt to replace the B-3

In 1959 Hammond introduced the A-100 series. It was effectively a standalone version of the B-3/C-3, with an internal power amplifier and speakers. The organ was manufactured in a variety of chassis, with the last two digits of the specific model number determining the style and finish of the instrument. For example, A-105 was “Tudor style in light oak or walnut” while A-143 was “warm cherry finish, early American style”. This model numbering scheme was used for several other series of console and spinet organs that appeared later. The D-100 series followed in 1963, delivering a standalone version of the RT-3.

The E-100 series was a reduced-cost version of the A-100 introduced in 1965, with only one set of drawbars per manual, a reduced number of presets, and a slightly different tone generator. The H-100 series followed with a redesigned tonewheel generator and various other additional functions. An upgraded model, the H-300, also featured a built-in drum machine. The organ was not particularly well made and had a reputation for being unreliable. Hammond service engineer Harvey Olsen said, “When they [H-100] work, they sound pretty decent. But die-hard enthusiasts won’t touch it.”

Spinet organs[ edit ]

The L-100 spinet was particularly popular in Britain.

Although the instrument had originally been developed for use in a church, Hammond realized that the home market was a far more lucrative business for amateurs and began manufacturing spinet organs in the late 1940s. Outside the United States, they were manufactured in greater numbers than the consoles and were therefore more widely distributed. Various types of M Series instruments were produced between 1948 and 1964. They included two 44-note manuals, each with a set of drawbars, and a 12-note pedalboard. The M model was produced from 1948 to 1951, the M-2 from 1951 to 1955, and the M-3 from 1955 to 1964. The M series was replaced in 1961 by the M-100 series, which used a numbering system for identification the body style and finish as in previous series of consoles. It featured the same manuals as the M, but increased the pedalboard size to 13 notes, stretched a full octave, and included a number of presets.

The T-402 was one of the last tonewheel organs made and featured a built-in drum machine

The L-100 series went into production at the same time as the M-100. It was an economy version with various cost-cutting changes, allowing the organ to retail for less than $1,000. The vibrato was a simpler circuit than other consoles and spinets. Two variations of vibrato were provided, plus a chorus that mixed different vibrato signals together. Based on a cheaper design, the expression pedal wasn’t as sophisticated as on the other organs. The L-100 sold particularly well in the UK, where several notable British musicians used it in place of a B-3 or C-3.

The T Series, manufactured from 1968 to 1975, was the last of the tone wheel spinet organs. Unlike all previous Hammond organs which used vacuum tubes for preamp, gain, percussion and chorus vibrato control, the T-Series used all solid state transistor circuitry, although unlike the L-100 it included the scanner – vibrato, as seen on the B-3. Aside from the T-100 series models, all other T-series models included a built-in rotating Leslie speaker and some included an analog drum machine, while the T-500 also included a built-in cassette player ] It was one of the last tonewheel Hammonds produced .[22]

Transistor organs[ edit ]

Regent model shown. Hammond began manufacturing transistor organs in the mid-1970s. Model shown circa 1973-1976.

In the 1960s Hammond began making transistor organs in response to competitors such as Lowrey and Wurlitzer who were offering them with a greater feature set compared to tonewheel Hammonds. The first organ to bridge the gap between the tonewheel and the transistor was the X-66, introduced in May 1967. The X-66 contained only 12 tonewheels and used electronics for frequency division. It included separate “vibrato bass” and “vibrato treble” to simulate a Leslie speaker. Hammond designed it as the company’s flagship product in response to market competition and as a replacement for the B-3. However, it was considered expensive at $9,795 and sold poorly. It didn’t sound like a B-3.

Hammond introduced its first integrated circuit (IC) model, the Concorde, in 1971. The company had completely stopped manufacturing tonewheel organs by 1975 due to increasing financial inefficiency and switched to manufacturing IC models full-time. Console models included the 8000 Aurora (1976) and 8000M Aurora (1977), which featured drawbars and a built-in rotating speaker. Spinet organs included the K-100 and J-400 series and the V-series “Cadette”. Some models included a headphone jack. The B-3 and C-3 were replaced by the B-3000, which was designed as a professional use model and had the same look and feel as the earlier organs. It contained the same controls but was 91 kg lighter than a B-3. Although promoted by Hammond as a suitable replacement, musicians did not believe it had a comparable sound. In 1979, a Japanese offshoot, Nihon Hammond, introduced the X-5, a portable solid-state clone of the B-3.[22]

Although transistorized Hammonds were criticized for their sound, the company remained commercially successful. Many such models were sold to churches, funeral homes, and private homes.

Hammond-Suzuki produced the XB-3, a digital emulation of a tonewheel organ, in the 1990s

Laurens Hammond died in 1973,[22] and the company struggled to survive by proposing a takeover of Roland in 1972, which was rejected.[78] Roland’s Ikutaro Kakehashi did not consider it practical at the time to move all manufacturing from Chicago to Japan, and also saw the declining Hammond sales as a problem.

In 1985 Hammond went out of business, although service and parts continued to be available thereafter under the Organ Service Company name.[79] In early 1986 the Hammond brand and rights were acquired by Hammond Organ Australia, run by Noel Crabbe. In 1989 the name was then bought by Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation, which renamed the company Hammond-Suzuki.[22] Although nominally a Japanese company, founder Manji Suzuki was a fan of the instrument and retained several former Hammond Organ Company employees for research and development, ensuring that some production remained in the United States. The new company produced its own brand of portable organs, including the XB-2, XB-3 and XB-5. Rod Spark of Sound on Sound, a longtime Hammond enthusiast, said these models were “obviously a matter of taste, but I don’t think they improve upon the old ones”.[22]

In 2002, Hammond-Suzuki released the New B-3, a recreation of the original electromechanical instrument with modern electronics and a digital tonewheel simulator. The new B-3 is engineered to look like the original B-3, and the designers attempted to retain the subtle nuances of the familiar B-3 sound. Hammond-Suzuki promotional material states that it would be difficult for even an experienced B-3 player to distinguish between the old and new B-3 organs. A review of the New B-3 by Hugh Robjohns called it “a true recreation of an original B-3…in terms of looks and layout and actual sound”.[31] The instrument project almost stalled after negotiations broke down between Japanese and US collaborators, the latter insisting that the case be manufactured in the United States and the organ designed to identical specifications to the original.

In addition to the organ, the Hammond SK1 contained emulations of electric pianos and other keyboard sounds.

The company has since released the XK-3, a single manual organ that uses the same digital tonewheel technology as the New B-3. The XK-3 is part of a modular system that allows the addition of an integrated lower manual and pedals.[83] In response to some clones, including a variety of vintage keyboards in a single package, Hammond released the SK series of organs, which included the standard grand piano, Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Hohner clavinet, and samples from Blas and brass instruments includes drawbar and tonewheel emulation.[84] Keyboard magazine’s Stephen Fortner praised the single-manual SK1, noting that it provided accurate tone throughout the range of drawbar adjustments, and said the organ sound was “fat, warm and utterly authentic”. The XK-1c model was introduced in early 2014, which is simply an organ-only version of the SK1.[86] An updated flagship organ, the XK-5, was launched in 2016[87] and a stage keyboard, the SK-X, followed in 2019, allowing a player to select a custom instrument (organ, piano or synthesizer) for to select any manual.[88]

In the US, Hammond makes a number of specialty console organs, including the B-3mk2 and C-3mk2, and the A-405, a chapel console organ. Das Unternehmen verfügt über ein engagiertes kirchliches Beratungsteam, das Beratung anbietet, damit die Kirchen das am besten geeignete Instrument auswählen können.[89]

Lautsprecher [Bearbeiten]

Tonschrank [ bearbeiten ]

Das autorisierte Lautsprechergehäuse zur Verwendung mit einer Konsolenorgel war das Hammond Tone Cabinet, das einen externen Verstärker und Lautsprecher enthielt. Das Kabinett trug ein symmetrisches Monosignal und Wechselstrom direkt von der Orgel über ein sechspoliges Kabel. Spinettorgeln enthielten einen eigenen eingebauten Verstärker und Lautsprecher.

Das Tonkabinett war ursprünglich die einzige Methode, um einer Hammond-Orgel Nachhall hinzuzufügen. Die ersten produzierten Modelle waren der 20-Watt-A-20 und der 40-Watt-A-40. Die A-20 wurde für Kirchen und Säle mit geringer Kapazität entwickelt und verfügte über eine Reihe von Türen vor dem Lautsprecher, die geschlossen werden konnten, wenn die Orgel nicht benutzt wurde. Der D-20 wurde 1937 eingeführt und ließ den Ton aus den Lautsprechern nur durch eine Lamellenöffnung auf einer Seite und eine Lücke in der Oberseite entweichen. Das kommerziell erfolgreichste Set von Tone Cabinets waren wahrscheinlich die 1959 eingeführten Cabinets der PR-Serie. Der 40-Watt-PR40 wog 126 Pfund (57 kg) und war 37,5 Zoll (950 mm) hoch. Es hat eine gute Ansprache von Basspedalen.

Leslie-Sprecher [ bearbeiten ]

Akkordfolge Eine einfache Akkordfolge, die auf einer Hammond-Orgel über einen Leslie-Lautsprecher gespielt wird. Problems playing this file? See media help.

Viele Spieler ziehen es vor, die Hammond über ein rotierendes Lautsprechergehäuse zu spielen, das nach mehreren Namensänderungen als Leslie-Lautsprecher nach seinem Erfinder Donald J. Leslie bekannt ist. Das typische Leslie-System ist eine integrierte Lautsprecher/Verstärker-Kombination, bei der der Ton von einem rotierenden Horn über einem stationären Höhenkompressionstreiber und einer rotierenden Schallwand unter einem stationären Bass-Tieftöner abgegeben wird. Dies erzeugt einen charakteristischen Klang aufgrund der sich ständig ändernden Tonhöhenverschiebungen, die durch den Doppler-Effekt entstehen, der durch die sich bewegenden Schallquellen erzeugt wird.

Das Leslie wurde ursprünglich entwickelt, um die komplexen Töne und sich ständig verändernden Klangquellen nachzuahmen, die von einer großen Gruppe von Reihen in einer Pfeifenorgel ausgehen. Der Effekt variiert je nach Geschwindigkeit der Rotoren, die mit einem Halbmond- oder Pedalschalter zwischen schnell (Tremolo) und langsam (Choral) umgeschaltet werden können, wobei der deutlichste Effekt auftritt, wenn sich die Rotationsgeschwindigkeit der Lautsprecher ändert. Die beliebtesten Leslies waren die 122, die ein für Konsolenorgeln geeignetes symmetrisches Signal akzeptierte, und die 147, die ein unsymmetrisches Signal akzeptierte und mit einem geeigneten Adapter für Spinettorgeln verwendet werden konnte. Die Leslies der Pro-Line-Serie, die für Gigging-Bands mit Festkörperverstärkern tragbar gemacht wurden, waren in den 1970er Jahren beliebt.

Ein “halbmondförmiger” Schalter zum Ändern der Geschwindigkeit eines Leslie-Lautsprechers

Leslie versuchte zunächst, seine Erfindung an Hammond zu verkaufen, aber Laurens Hammond war unbeeindruckt und lehnte den Kauf ab. Hammond modifizierte ihre Schnittstellenanschlüsse, um „Leslie-sicher“ zu sein, aber Leslie entwickelte schnell eine Problemumgehung. Einige Hammond-Mitarbeiter dachten, Laurens Hammond sei irrational und autokratisch gegenüber Leslie, aber Don Leslie sagte später, es habe dazu beigetragen, seinen Rednern Werbung zu machen.

Die Firma Leslie wurde 1965 an CBS verkauft, und im folgenden Jahr beschloss Hammond schließlich, den Leslie-Sprecher offiziell zu unterstützen. Das 1968 eingeführte T-200 Spinett war die erste Hammond mit integriertem Leslie-Lautsprecher. Hammond kaufte Leslie schließlich 1980. Hammond-Suzuki erwarb 1992 die Rechte an Leslie; Das Unternehmen vermarktet derzeit eine Vielzahl von Lautsprechern unter diesem Namen.[83] Neben originalgetreuen Neuauflagen des ursprünglichen 122-Lautsprechers kündigte das Unternehmen 2013 an, dass es mit der Herstellung eines eigenständigen Leslie-Simulators in einer Bodentreterbox beginnen werde.[103]

Tonerzeugung [ bearbeiten ]

Das Tonrad dreht sich neben einem elektromagnetischen Tonabnehmer.

Although they are sometimes included in the category of electronic organs, the majority of Hammond organs are, strictly speaking, electric or electromechanical rather than electronic organs, because the sound is produced by moving parts rather than electronic oscillators.[31]

The basic component sound of a Hammond organ comes from a tonewheel. Each one rotates in front of an electromagnetic pickup. The variation in the magnetic field induces a small alternating current at a particular frequency, which represents a signal similar to a sine wave. When a key is pressed on the organ, it completes a circuit of nine electrical switches, which are linked to the drawbars. The position of the drawbars, combined with the switches selected by the key pressed, determines which tonewheels are allowed to sound.[104][105] Every tonewheel is connected to a synchronous motor via a system of gears, which ensures that each note remains at a constant relative pitch to every other. The combined signal from all depressed keys and pedals is fed through to the vibrato system, which is driven by a metal scanner. As the scanner rotates around a set of pickups, it changes the pitch of the overall sound slightly. From here, the sound is sent to the main amplifier, and on to the audio speakers.

A prototype light-weight tonewheel generator, produced at the Hammond Organ Company’s factory in Antwerp

The Hammond organ makes technical compromises in the notes it generates. Rather than produce harmonics that are exact multiples of the fundamental as in equal temperament, it uses the nearest-available frequencies generated by the tonewheels. The only guaranteed frequency for a Hammond’s tuning is concert A at 440 Hz.

Crosstalk or “leakage” occurs when the instrument’s magnetic pickups receive the signal from rotating metal tonewheels other than those selected by the organist. Hammond considered crosstalk a defect that required correcting, and in 1963 introduced a new level of resistor–capacitor filtering to greatly reduce this crosstalk, along with 50–60 Hz mains hum.[110] However, the sound of tonewheel crosstalk is now considered part of the signature of the Hammond organ, to the extent that modern digital clones explicitly emulate it.[31]

Some Hammond organs have an audible pop or click when a key is pressed. Originally, key click was considered a design defect and Hammond worked to eliminate or at least reduce it with equalization filters. However, many performers liked the percussive effect, and it has been accepted as part of the classic sound. Hammond research and development engineer Alan Young said, “the professionals who were playing popular music [liked] that the attack was so prominent. And they objected when it was eliminated.”

Because the tones on a Hammond organ are mechanically generated, different models were manufactured for the US and European markets, which run on 110V/60Hz and 240V/50Hz AC mains respectively. The gearing and starter motors are different, and run at 1,200 RPM and 1,500 RPM respectively. Third party companies manufacturer transformers that can allow a Hammond organ designed for one region to run in the other, which are used by internationally touring bands.

Clones and emulation devices [ edit ] [114] According to journalist Gordon Reid, the Korg CX-3 “came close to emulating the true depth and passion of a vintage Hammond”.

The original Hammond organ was never designed to be transported regularly. A Hammond B-3 organ, bench, and pedalboard weighs 425 pounds (193 kg). This weight, combined with that of a Leslie speaker, makes the instrument cumbersome and difficult to move between venues. This created a demand for a more portable and reliable way of generating the same sound. Electronic and digital keyboards that imitate the sound of the Hammond are referred to as “clonewheel organs”.[116]

The first attempts to electronically copy a Hammond appeared in the 1970s, including the Roland VK-1 and VK-9, the Yamaha YC45D, and the Crumar Organizer. The Korg CX-3 (single manual) and BX-3 (dual manual) were the first lightweight organs to produce a comparable sound to the original. Sound on Sound’s Gordon Reid said that the CX-3 “came close to emulating the true depth and passion of a vintage Hammond”, particularly when played through a Leslie speaker.[114]

The Roland VK-7, introduced in 1997, attempted to emulate the sound of a Hammond using digital signal processing technology.[118] An updated version, the VK-8, which appeared in 2002, also provided emulations of other vintage keyboards and provided a connector for a Leslie.[119] Clavia introduced the Nord Electro in 2001; this used buttons to emulate the physical action of pulling or pushing a drawbar, with an LED graph indicating its current state.[117] Clavia has released several updated versions of the Electro since then, and introduced the Nord Stage with the same technology. The Nord C2D was Clavia’s first organ with real drawbars.[120] Diversi, founded by former Hammond-Suzuki sales representative Tom Tuson in 2003, specializes in Hammond clones, and has an endorsement from Joey DeFrancesco.

The Hammond organ has also been emulated in software. One prominent emulator is the Native Instruments B4 series, which has been praised for its attention to detail and choice of features. Emagic (now part of Apple) has also produced a software emulation, the EVB3. This has led to a Hammond organ module with all controls and features of the original instrument in the Logic Pro audio production suite.[122][123]

Notable players[ edit ]

Jimmy Smith ‘s use of the Hammond organ from the 1950s on gained commercial success and influenced other organists.

Early customers of the Hammond included Albert Schweitzer, Henry Ford, Eleanor Roosevelt, and George Gershwin. The instrument was not initially favored by classical organ purists, because the tones of two notes an octave apart were in exact synchronization, as opposed to the slight variation present on a pipe organ. However, the instrument did gradually become popular with jazz players. One of the first performers to use the Hammond organ was Ethel Smith, who was known as the “first lady of the Hammond organ”. Fats Waller and Count Basie also started using the Hammond. Organist John Medeski thinks the Hammond became “the poor man’s big band”, but because of that, it became more economical to book organ trios.

Jimmy Smith began to play Hammond regularly in the 1950s, particularly in his sessions for the BlueNote label between 1956 and 1963. He eschewed a bass player, and played all the bass parts himself using the pedals, generally using a walking bassline on the pedals in combination with percussive left-hand chords. His trio format, composed of organ, guitar, and drums, became internationally known following an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957. Medeski says musicians “were inspired when they heard Jimmy Smith’s records”. “Brother” Jack McDuff switched from piano to Hammond in the 1950s, and toured regularly throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In his Hammond playing, Keith Emerson sought partly to replicate the sound achieved by McDuff in his arrangement of “Rock Candy”. An admirer of Billy Preston’s work also, particularly the 1965 instrumental “Billy’s Bag”, Emerson limited the use of Leslie because he felt that was Preston’s domain at the time, whereas he himself was approaching the instrument with an aesthetic combining “a white European attitude”, classical music, and rock.

Keith Emerson[133] “I took to riding the L100 like a bucking bronco. It weighs 350 lb; when it’s on top of you, you need the adrenalin rush you get onstage to chuck it around.”

Booker T. Jones is cited as being the bridge from rhythm and blues to rock. British organist James Taylor said the Hammond “became popular [in the UK] when people such as Booker T. & the M.G.’s and artists on the Stax Records label came over to London and played gigs”. Matthew Fisher first encountered the Hammond in 1966, having heard the Small Faces’ Ian McLagan playing one. When Fisher asked if he could play it, McLagan told him, “They’re yelling out for Hammond players; why don’t you go out and buy one for yourself?” Fisher played the organ lines on Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, which topped the UK charts in the summer of 1967. Steve Winwood started his musical career with the Spencer Davis Group playing guitar and piano, but he switched to Hammond when he hired one to record “Gimme Some Lovin'”.

Gregg Allman became interested in the Hammond after Mike Finnigan had introduced him to Jimmy Smith’s music, and started to write material with it. His brother Duane specifically requested he play the instrument when forming the Allman Brothers Band, and he was presented with a brand new B-3 and Leslie 122RV upon joining. Allman recalls the instrument was cumbersome to transport, particularly on flights of stairs, which often required the whole band’s assistance. Author Frank Moriarty considers Allman’s Hammond playing a vital ingredient of the band’s sound.

Deep Purple’s Jon Lord became inspired to play the Hammond after hearing Jimmy Smith’s “Walk on the Wild Side”.[143] He modified his Hammond so it could be played through a Marshall stack to get a growling, overdriven sound, which became known as his trademark and he is strongly identified with it.[145] This organ was later acquired by Joey DeFrancesco. Van der Graaf Generator’s Hugh Banton modified his Hammond E-100 extensively with customized electronics, including the ability to put effects such as distortion on one manual but not the other, and rewiring the motor. The modifications created, in Banton’s own words, “unimaginable sonic chaos”.

Joey DeFrancesco has achieved critical success in the jazz genre using both original tonewheel Hammonds and the “New B-3”.

The Hammond was a key instrument in progressive rock music. Author Edward Macan thinks this is because of its versatility, allowing both chords and lead lines to be played, and a choice between quiet and clean, and what Emerson described as a “tacky, aggressive, almost distorted, angry sound”. However, progressive rock historian Paul Stump argued that initially, the popularity of the Hammond organ in progressive rock was less due to the suitability of the instrument to the genre than to its ubiquity in popular music, much like the electric guitar. Emerson first found commercial success with the Nice, with whom he used and abused an L-100, putting knives in the instrument, setting fire to it, playing it upside down, or riding it across stage in the manner of a horse. He continued to play the instrument in this manner alongside other keyboards in Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Other prominent Hammond organists in progressive rock include Argent’s Rod Argent, Yes’s Tony Kaye and Rick Wakeman, Focus’s Thijs van Leer, Uriah Heep’s Ken Hensley, Pink Floyd’s Rick Wright, Kansas’s Steve Walsh, and Genesis’s Tony Banks. Banks later claimed he only used the Hammond because a piano was impractical to transport to gigs.

Ska and reggae music made frequent use of the Hammond throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Junior Marvin started to play the instrument after hearing Booker T & the MGs’ “Green Onions”, although he complained about its weight. Winston Wright was regarded in the music scene of Jamaica as one of the best organ players, and used the Hammond when performing live with Toots and the Maytals, as well as playing it on sessions with Lee “Scratch” Perry, Jimmy Cliff, and Gregory Isaacs. Tyrone Downie, best known as Bob Marley and the Wailers’ keyboard player, made prominent use of the Hammond on “No Woman, No Cry”, as recorded at the Lyceum Theatre, London, for the album Live!

The Hammond organ was perceived as outdated by the late 1970s, particularly in the UK, where it was often used to perform pop songs in social clubs. Punk and new wave bands tended to prefer second-hand combo organs from the 1960s, or use no keyboards at all. Other groups started taking advantage of cheaper and more portable synthesizers that were beginning to become available. The Stranglers’ Dave Greenfield was an exception to this, and used a Hammond onstage during the band’s early career. Andy Thompson, better known for being an aficionado of the Mellotron, stated, “the Hammond never really went away. There are a lot of studios that have had a B-3 or C-3 sitting away in there since the 70s.” The instrument underwent a brief renaissance in the 1980s with the mod revival movement. Taylor played the Hammond through the 1980s, first with the Prisoners and later with the James Taylor Quartet. In the 1990s, Rob Collins’ Hammond playing was integral to the Prisoners-influenced sound of the Charlatans.[159][160] The sound of the Hammond has appeared in hip-hop music, albeit mostly via samples. A significant use is the Beastie Boys’ 1992 single “So What’cha Want”, which features a Hammond mixed into the foreground (the instrument was recorded live rather than being sampled).

Jazz, blues, and gospel musicians continued to use Hammond organs into the 21st century. Barbara Dennerlein has received critical acclaim for her performances on the Hammond, particularly her use of the bass pedals, and has modified the instrument to include samplers triggered by the pedals. Joey DeFrancesco embraced the instrument during the 1990s, and later collaborated with Jimmy Smith.[164] He is positive about the future of the Hammond organ, saying “Everybody loves it. It makes you feel good … I think it’s bigger now than ever.” Grammy-winning jazz keyboardist Cory Henry learned to play the Hammond organ at age two and used it on 2016’s The Revival.[166] Lachy Doley has a Hammond organ as one of his main instruments, and has been described by Glenn Hughes as “the greatest living keyboard player in the world today” and dubbed the “Hendrix of the Hammond Organ” (an accolade also given to Emerson).[167][168]

See also[edit]

References[ edit ]

bibliography

Official sites

archive

One of the reasons pump organs gained popularity centuries ago is that they were often more portable than pipe organs. It became a staple of many wealthy households, and some churches eventually adopted pump organs instead of pipe organs as well. A pump organ is also known as a “harmonium”.

About the pump organ

The pump organ was eventually replaced by the electric organ, but it enjoyed great popularity for several decades. You can still use it by certain musicians, but you probably won’t hear a harmonium in modern times. However, it is still used in Indian music and Pakistani music.

The pump organ works by forcing air past a thin piece of metal (called the “reed”). It should be noted that while a pump organ can sound incredible, it is somewhat limited in tone. The pump organ was most popular between 1850 and 1930. You can hear the pump organ in the works of many classical artists, from Debussy to Bach to Franz Liszt.

Level of popularity of pump organs

Mark Twain is one of the most revered writers in history, and his writing alludes to organ pumping several times. This is because the pump organ was extremely popular around the early 1900s due to its increased portability. Many churches found pump organs more convenient than pipe organs.

The first inventor of a tubeless organ was Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, who was not only an inventor. He was also a doctor, physicist and engineer. In fact, Kratzenstein is best remembered for his contributions to the role of electricity in medicine. He also wrote the first experimental physics textbook for Denmark-Norway uin

The pump organ was eventually replaced by the electric organ in the 1930s, which has had a major impact on the pump organ’s popularity ever since. Interestingly, the pump organ is still widely used in Indian music. It is featured in many Hindu and Sikh songs in particular. There were even several decades when the instrument was banned by All India Radio. All India Radio is the largest public radio network in the world, covering 92% of India.

Pump organs in pop culture

Some of the world’s most famous musicians are famous for incorporating different instruments and styles into their music. The Beatles used a pump organ in their music, as evidenced by songs like “We Can Work It Out.”

Nico, a famous singer in Germany, has worked with the pump organ throughout her career. Nico wasn’t just a singer either. She has also been an activist, model, songwriter and more. She toured the world extensively in the 1980s before passing away in 1988.

People have always been interested in creating a culture wherever they have settled and we see that this is not limited to any particular region or part of the world. Of course, they also came up with their own instruments and unique instruments. Many people may not be familiar with the pump organ, but it has quite a rich history that cannot be denied.

1. (instruments) a wind instrument, such as a harmonium, accordion, or harmonica, in which the sound is produced by reeds, each reed producing only one note. 2. (instruments) some kind of pipe organ, such as B. the Regal, in which all pipes are equipped with reeds.

Just like that How much is an antique pump organ worth? A: Your pump organ was made in the late 19th century. The gold medallions represent awards given to the company, not that particular organ. It should be sold in the $1,200 to $1,500 price range.

Are pump organs still made? The pump organ was eventually replaced by the electric organ, but it enjoyed great popularity for several decades. You can still use it by certain musicians, but you probably won’t hear a harmonium in modern times. However, it is still used in Indian music and Pakistani music.

also How does a pump organ work? The keys operate reeds, so when you press the key, air from the bellows flows up the reed, creating a sound. You can change the sound by using the stops, which are pull knobs that add extra functionality. The expression u201calle registeru201d refers to the simultaneous use of all the feathers of an organ.

What do pump organs weigh?

In addition to pump pedals, the organ had a lever on the side for pumping by an assistant. The organ was developed for larger chapels and smaller church rooms. The pipe bowl organ weighs over 600 pounds.

What is a melodeon organ? Melodeon, also spelled melodium, also called reed organ or American organ, keyboard instrument made to sound by the vibration of free reeds caused by the wind. … It was slower to respond than the harmonium, but sounded more organ-like and had a smoother tone.

Can you put a pumping organ on your back?

There are two ways to transport your organ, the first in its standard upright position and the second on its back. … If they are oil-filled reverb springs, be sure to drain the oil before shipping, otherwise you’ll end up with an organ full of oil!

Are old church organs worth anything? Like antique furniture, a well-preserved pipe organ can increase in monetary value with age. This makes rebuilding an aging pipe organ desirable as it allows your church to preserve an asset with relatively less financial expense than replacing it.

What are the registers of a pump organ?

Stops, sometimes called slide knobs, are those wooden things with Old English writing on them that you have to pull out in order for your pump organ to produce any tone or greater tone volume.

What is the difference between an accordion and a melodeon? Strictly speaking, a melodeon is a single-row instrument with only two basses. … Accordion is the general name for the family of bellows-driven, free-reed instruments that have both chords and melody notes. Button keyboard instruments are sometimes referred to as accordions to distinguish them from piano key accordions.

What is a mellotron in music?

The Mellotron is an early polyphonic sampling keyboard developed shortly after the (earlier) Chamberlin, which was developed in the US as a home entertainment keyboard. Most mellotrons consist of only 35 tones.

How much do melodeons weigh? Hohner accordions have always been famous for their great sound and this accordion is no exception. This accordion weighs approximately 6.8 kg:

…

How much does an accordion weigh?

Number of Bass Buttons and Reeds Average Accordion Weight 72 bass (three sets of reeds) 15-18 lbs (7-8.5 kilos) 72 bass (four sets of reeds) 17-20 lbs (8-9 kilos)

• October 24, 2019

How much does a home organ weigh?

How much does an organ weigh? The weight of a pipe organ depends on its size and how many stops it has. A good rule of thumb for weight determination is 750 lbs per stop.

What do you do with old organs?

Some great places to donate a vintage piano, organ, or just about any other instrument are to organizations like churches, school music departments, and music programs.

Who Invented the Pipe Organ? Hydraulis, earliest known mechanical pipe organ. It was founded in the 3rd century B.C. Invented by Ctesibius of Alexandria in the 3rd century BC, culminating in earlier attempts to fit a large number of panpipes with a mechanical wind supply. Their whistles stood on a windchest connected to a conical wind reservoir.

Are Wurlitzer organs still made? Wurlitzer’s jukebox operations were sold in 1973 and relocated to Germany. Wurlitzer’s piano and organ brands and US manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. … The company stopped producing jukeboxes in 2013, but still sells spare parts.

How much is a Hammond organ worth?

New Hammond organs can cost as little as $2,000. Hammond offers several church financing solutions for new organs. Hammond organs are guaranteed for up to five years parts and one year labour.

What is a fifteenth organ slide? At 2′ pitch, a principal may simply be called a principal. It can also be called fifteenth or super octave. Fifteenth notes derive from the fact that a note sounding from this rank is 15 notes (two octaves) higher than the 8′. Super Octave simply means that the note played is an octave above the octave (above octave).

Did the first organ use water?

To find the origins of the pipe organ, we must travel back in time to ancient Greece. The earliest pipe organs are believed to have been water organs or hydrauli, which were being developed in North Africa at the time.

How do organ stops work? STOP: A stop is a series of whistles. It may consist of one row of tubes or may include multiple rows. For example, if an organist selects a stop that combines ten rows of pipes, pressing any key on the keyboard will open ten pipes (all tuned to the same note) simultaneously.

When was the melodeon invented?

The melodeon is an American invention from the first half of the 19th century. Although melodeons were very popular before and during the Civil War era, they are rarely seen today. Housed in a piano-like case, a melodeon is a small reed organ with a five or six octave keyboard.

What is the key of my melodeon? Re: How do I find out what key my melodeon is in?

on the bottom of the strap at the bass end. Otherwise, get an electronic tuner and find out what note the third button in the inner row plays when you press the bellows. If it’s a G then the box is a D/G, C is a G/C, F is a C/F.

Is the accordion easy to learn?

How hard is it to learn accordion? The accordion is not that difficult to learn. As with any other popular instrument, learning to play the accordion takes time, practice and patience to become familiar with and soon you will enjoy playing it.

Did Pink Floyd use the Mellotron? Mellotrons used:

Pink Floyd are not normally thought of as Mellotron users, but by the late ’60s they owned one of the undetermined but small number of black MkIIs (another being the machine once owned by Princess Margaret!).

Is the Mellotron a synthesizer?

The mellotron, an electronic keyboard made in the 1960s through the 1980s, was one of the most popular — and most hated — musical instruments of all time. Unlike a traditional “synthesizer” or electronic organ, the Mellotron creates its sound from tones recorded on 35 individual tapes.

Are they still making Mellotrons?

We have manufactured the Mellotron Mark VI since 1999 and the Mellotron Mark VII since 2005 and both are still in production. They have the classic look and sound of vintage mellotrons with dozens of technical improvements.

General information about pipe organs

The different departments of an organ are often demarcated with the organ case.

A pipe organ is a unique musical instrument divided into divisions with names like great, swell, choir, solo, and pedal. The section names may sometimes appear in French (Grand-Orgue, Positif, Récit, Bombarde and Pédale), in German (Hauptwerk, Brustwerk, Positiv, Schwellwerk, Pedal) or in other languages. Each subdivision consists of registers, with each register intended to represent a single timbre or sound, e.g. B. a flute or an oboe. For the most part, each stop corresponds to a rank, meaning each stop has a whistle for each note on the keyboard or pedal. Some registers have more than one pipe per note, or more than one rank: a mixture register may have multiple ranks per note, while undulatory registers such as a flute celeste generally have two ranks.

Each rank is assigned a pitch (16′, 8′, 4′, etc.) that corresponds to the note sounded by the longest whistle of the rank. With an open whistle, the length of the whistle from the mouth to the tip of the whistle corresponds to the pitch. For example, the length of the c1 whistle of an 8 foot open register is approximately 8 feet from the mouth to the tip of the whistle. The tapered whistle foot adds maybe 18 inches for a total whistle length of about 9 feet 6 inches for an 8 foot whistle. Stopped whistles – with a wooden stopper or a felted metal cap over the whistle – are almost half the length of an equivalent open whistle. For example, the c1 pipe for a Bourdon 8′ is approximately 4′ long without the foot.

A stop at 8′ corresponds to the pitch of a piano, while a 16′ stop sounds an octave down, a 4′ stop sounds an octave up, and a 2′ stop sounds an octave up. Large organs have some 32-foot registers – the bottom octave of such registers is more felt in the pit of your stomach than heard – while the very smallest pipes in an organ are pitched at 1/16′. Some organ registers have breaks in their pitches and produce tones that have an intervalic relationship to unison pitch, resulting in some unique synthetic colors. For example, a Nazard 2-2/3′ sounds an octave plus a fifth higher than unison pitch and when paired with an 8′ flute produces an elegant and haunting solo voice.

Hundreds of whistles of different shapes

and sizes can be on a windchest.

Organ pipes can be divided into two general families: flues and reeds. Smoking pipes make up about 80% of the pipes on an organ and are built like pipes, with the sound generation taking place at the mouth of the pipe. Reed stops produce a sound in the pipe shoe where a metal reed vibrates against a brass shallot; This hum is then amplified by the whistle’s resonator. Depending on the desired sound, the shape of the shallot and resonator can vary greatly. Organ pipes are generally constructed from alloys using primarily tin and lead in varying proportions, with traces of other metals mixed in for added rigidity. Organ pipes can also be made of wood or zinc, usually for tonal reasons.

Organ pipes sit in rows on windchests resembling thick tables; The chests contain mechanisms that allow whistles to sound when accessed from the console. In a mechanical key action or tracker organ, the keyboards (or manuals) at the console are mechanically linked to palettes that allow or block wind flow to all ranks of a given note in each department. With modern electric promotional boxes, the pallets or pneumatic valves are controlled electrically via an electronic switching system.

Organ cases are generally rectangular in shape; Minimum dimensions are 8 feet long, 12 inches thick, and 3 feet wide, but windchests on large instruments can be significantly larger. One or more walk-through boards at least 12 inches wide should run the full length of the chest to allow for proper access for tuning and service. In addition, 42 inches of clearance under each chest is desirable to allow access to the internal mechanisms of the windchest from the underside.

The horizontal slats in the background allow dynamic control of the sound level resulting from this division.

The wind that makes the organ pipes sound is generated by an organ fan and conducted through the organ via wind pipes. The size of the fans varies depending on the wind capacity and required wind pressure. Their electric motors can be rated from less than 1 hp to over 10 hp and usually require a three-phase power connection. Wind reservoirs serve to stabilize wind flow from the fan and are strategically located within the wind system; They resemble rectangular boxes with floating tops held in place by torsion or coil springs. Many organs also include float-style wind controls built into the underside of the organ’s windchests to further regulate the wind pressure in each case.

Some sections of the organ are built into expression boxes or cases. Resembling a room made of solid wood panels, these boxes follow the perimeter of the entire department. One or more walls of the case have louvers that open or close in response to the organist’s commands at the console, providing an invaluable element of dynamic control.

A pipe organ, if it could be seen from a bird’s-eye view, is usually rectangular in plan, with width typically exceeding depth. The space required for a pipe organ can be roughly calculated at 10 square meters per stop, assuming a 20′ ceiling. If the ceiling is over 20 feet high, it may be possible to build double-story compartments, meaning placing one compartment on top of the other. The weight of an organ is generally 600 lbs per stop, which equates to a load of 60 lbs per square foot. In cases where partitions are stacked, the load doubles to 120 lbs per square foot.

They have always been interested in the creation of culture by humans, regardless of where they settled. Culture is not dependent on a specific region or geography. There is no doubt that they invented unique instruments like pump organs as part of their culture.

Pump organs may not have the reputation they should, but they have a rich history that you can’t deny. The portability of pump organs contributed to their popularity compared to pipe organs centuries ago.

Pump organs eventually replaced pipe organs in many wealthy homes and churches. But what is the history of pumping organs and how to identify and evaluate them? Here you can learn more about the history, brand, identification and value of antique pump organs. So read on.

What is a pump organ?

Pump organs are free-reed instruments in which the sound comes from air passing through a vibrating metal frame. Each of these pieces of metal is called a reed. Pump organs, harmonies and melodeons are some of the specific pump organ types.

In the late 1750s, the idea of ​​making a free-reed instrument by importing it from China came to Russia. In contrast, Denmark was the first western country to create a free-reed instrument, in 1780.

In the 19th century, pipe organs were popular in larger churches, but free-reed organs were famous in smaller churches and homes. However, free-reed organs were not as versatile as pipe organs in terms of timbre or loudness.

Most of these instruments have a single manual, while pedalboards are rare. In addition to their wide range of tones, finer pump organs had beautiful cases suited to wealthy homes and churches.

From the late 19th century through the 1920s, American and Canadian manufacturers produced large numbers of pump organs. The West produced many furniture-sized organs, but smaller models also existed.

Among the most important single instruments in the Indian subcontinent was the hand-pumped harmonium, which was developed by the local people to meet local needs. With an additional microtone, the craftsmen created harmonies that anyone could transport.

The history of the ancient pump organ

In 1840, Alexandre Debian in France built a pump organ called the harmonium, one of the earliest pump organs. While some experts claim that authentic antiques must be over 100 years old, others consider pumps antiques if they were made before the Great Depression.

Due to their early manufacture, between 1895 and 1910, most pump organs are now considered antiques. A pair of pedal-driven pumps create air that powers these musical instruments.

Satisfied brass tongues force air to move through the pump. Later, electric organs took over the role of pump organs, but pump organs were famous for several decades. Some musicians still use the pump organs today, but it’s not that common these days.

The pump organ works by forcing air through a thin metal tube. Despite their incredible sounds, pump organs have somewhat limited tones. Pump organs were the most popular musical instrument between 1850 and 1930.

Debussy and Bach are some classical artists who used the pump organ. Mark Twain is among the most admired writers of all time, and he made many references to pumping organs in his writing. Pump organs became so popular at the beginning of the 20th century because of their mobility.

The convenience of pump organs over pipe organs made them increasingly popular in churches. Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein invented the first organ without reeds. He was best known for his contribution to medicine through electricity.

How do you recognize an antique pump organ?

Most people have difficulty identifying antique pump organs due to a lack of knowledge. Listed below are the factors that will help you easily identify antique pump organs.

Analyze the key tips

A button is part of a lever system operated with your fingers, with a valve controlling airflow activating a tongue. Below the keyboard is the plate that covers the sheet called the keymap. Manual operation of the key is through a series of guide pins.

The key works with two pins per key. A pivot bracket extends up and down from the rear end of the key. At the front of the button is a felt-lined indentation that the stylus sits in.

It prevents the key from moving from side to side. Before 1960, almost all pump organs had ivory key tops. White keys that have a hairline between the two parts are those with ivory keys.

Between the two black keys is a thin piece called the “tail” of the white key. The “head” of the key, located in front of the black key, is the flat, wide part of it. Plastic and celluloid keys have been around since the early 1880’s, so there may be pump organs that still have the original plastic keys.

Check the wood

Unlike antique pianos, antique pump organs were mostly made of solid wood, either walnut or oak, and sold for a fraction of the price.

In the late 18th and early 20th centuries, it was uneconomical to use veneer for pump organs. The exception here are the rosewood veneered melodeons, which were made in the 19th century.

Identify the brand

Knowing the brand name of a pump organ can make it easier for you to tell if it’s antique or not. I would recommend examining the inside of the cabinet, possibly with a flashlight, to spot the brand name of the pump organ.

There is a chance that the name on the antique pump organ will appear on adhesive labels or tags. It helps if you are careful with the name displayed above the keyboard as it may refer to a retailer or distributor and not the actual manufacturer. Keep in mind that the brand name inside the case may differ from the name on the area above the keyboard.

Find the serial number

If you look inside the cabinet you will find the serial number and brand name. The majority of pump organ manufacturers worldwide place serial numbers on the rear frame or fairings.

Serial numbers on the antique pump organ are usually painted on with stencils, but sometimes they are also carved directly into the wood. Some companies also put printed labels on the soundboard.

It’s easier to see the label when you remove the back panel of an organ. When you search for the serial number, you want to look for five or six digits. Most design numbers were four digits or less, which factory workers could use to work out which parts went with which models.

Also, if you can’t find the serial number or brand name of the pump organ, take some pictures of the inside and outside of the instrument. Professional organ restorers can clearly assign these photos and use this information to quickly determine the manufacturer and the date of manufacture of the organ.

Contact the Pumporgan professional

A professional organ restorer with an organ history publication can match the serial number against the brand name to find the date of manufacture and other information about your antique pump organ. There are many professionals available online offering pump organ restoration services.

Send pictures and the name of the maker if you can find it, along with the serial number and brand name to the professional organ restorer. In addition to checking references, the specialist also checks all other information about the antique pump organ.

Popular manufacturers of antique pump organs

It is always the case that a few companies dominate their respective industries, which was also the case with pump organ manufacturers.

There were 653 American makers of pump organs, but only about two dozen are best known or considered the most important. Listed below are most of the companies that are considered leaders in the pumping organs market.

Estey was the best-known manufacturer of pump organs. Compared to any other manufacturer, a significant number of pump organs were built by them. Jacob Estey was the founder of the company in 1852 after purchasing another Brattleboro manufacturer.

In the company’s heyday it was one of the world’s largest manufacturers of organs, employing around 700 people and selling high-quality pump organs all over the world. Between 1846 and 1955, Estey built around half a million pump organs.

In addition to pump organs, Estey also produced many pianos at his New York factory. During World War II, Estey became one of the few companies to make electronic organs.

The production of electronic organs makes it one of the few companies to build all three types of organs: reed, pipe and electric organs. Harald Bode came to Estey in the 1950s. In 1951 he developed the Bode organ, a pioneer in computer instrument research since the 1930s.

In the late 1950’s he was one of the founding members of the Estey Electronic Organ Division and contributed to the development of the Estey Electronic Organ.

In 1989, Fletchers Music Centers acquired Estey Organs and began manufacturing several models for the home organ market. The home organ models came with free lessons for life. In the 1990s, the company sold these exclusively through its retail chain worldwide.

Carhart & Needham Company

The Carhart & Needham Organ Company was founded in 1846 by Elias Parkham Needham and Jeremiah Carhart. A company known for the manufacture of organs and melodeons, which has achieved great success throughout its history.

Carhart, Needham & Company was reorganized in 1855 after Samuel C. Swartz joined the firm. In 1865 Swartz died and the company’s name was restored to Carhart & Needham.

The pump organ declined in popularity in the American household as the late 19th century approached and the piano gained popularity. For this reason, Carhart & Needham also shifted their focus from building pump organs to pianos.

Maurer & Hamelin

Mason & Hamlin is another famous company that manufactures pianos and pump organs based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. During the 19th century they also produced many pump organs.

Henry Mason and Emmons Hamlin, two partners who founded Mason & Hamlin in Boston, Massachusetts in 1854, worked together to make the brand successful.

At first they only produced melodeons, but in 1855 they introduced the flat-top cabinet organ, also known as the organ harmonium. The bellows were located vertically under the reeds, making them a model for suction-powered pump organs.

In the early 1870s the company was producing about 200 pump organs a week and employed 500 people. In addition to making pump organs for many composers, Mason & Hamlin patented a form of sostenuto similar to that of pianos.

The company also got into piano manufacturing in 1883. Their first pianos were screw-string uprights, which they patented and marketed as an improvement over traditional tuning peg systems.

An independent German piano designer, Richard W. Gertz, completely overhauled the piano department that year, having previously developed new scales for them.

His invention, the tension resonator, a device attached to the wooden structure of piano soundboards to prevent the soundboards from flattening, was patented in 1903 and he became president of the company in 1906.

The cable company

Between 1880 and 1936, the Cable Company independently manufactured and sold pianos and pump organs in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, this company claimed to be the largest manufacturer of pianos and pump organs.

For decades it was considered one of the largest manufacturers of pump organs. Pianos is one of the best in its premium Conover line. Later, EE Wise and George W. Tewksbury joined the company as partners in 1885.

Both had worked for a company called Western Cottage in Ottawa, Illinois. Willard Naramore Van Matre later joined as shareholder and sales director. The Randolph and Ann factory was again destroyed by fire on March 12, 1886, destroying more than 2,000 pump organs at various stages of production.

Cable estimated the inventory damage would be $50,000 and the machinery damage would be $25,000. According to the Chicago Tribune, several companies arranged insurance for the company for $40,550.

The company employed 174 people. Most of them stayed with the company while setting up temporary offices in their neighborhoods. In 1887 the company purchased land on Paulina Street and built a new plant.

Estimate of the value of antique pump organs

Pump organs can range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars depending on various factors. Here are a few things that can determine how valuable an antique pump organ is.

condition of the organ

The rarity and condition of a pump organ often go hand in hand. Although pumping organs are rare, their current condition adds dramatically to their value. For example, a rare and damaged Pump Organ is not worth as much as one in great condition.

If a pump element malfunctions, the value is therefore significantly lower than if it were in perfect condition. When determining the condition of an antique organ, collectors also pay attention to many special features. Consequently, they will not hesitate to point out minor problems with the pumping organ.

Antique collectors need to keep their antiques in a safe place when storing them. Due to their durability, pump organs are easier to handle than other instruments. However, keep in mind that the pumping organs may be affected by their environment.

Uniqueness & Popularity

Antique organs are valued differently depending on their uniqueness. A large number of pumping organs with a specific pattern and more features tend to be higher values. Rare and popular pump organs could be attractive to many collectors.

Another aspect is the popularity of the pump organ in the market. It is still possible for an extremely rare piece of the antique organ to lose its value if no one wants to buy it.

If you want to sell your antique pump organ, you have to find a market with many buyers. The value of the pump organ is likely to increase if demand is high enough. The concept is essentially the same as an auction.

A person’s willingness to pay for an antique determines its value. So if several people want the same pump organ, they may bid a high price to get it. Pump organs require the cooperation of their suppliers to form an antique of exceptional value.

A high production of antique pump organs and their great popularity will not increase the value of an antique pump organ dramatically. High popularity and limited production will dramatically increase the value of antique pump organs. It will make the pumping organ the most valuable.

Compare to recently sold pieces

You can also compare the prices of vintage pump organs to see how much they are worth. If you are planning to buy or own something, you need an original copy first. Comparison filters on eBay are the most effective way to compare products and know their current value.

It’s good to compare your antique piece to those recently sold on eBay. Below are the current prices for antique pump organs available on eBay.

Determining the correct value for a vintage pump organ is not easy at first, but it becomes easy once you know all the information about it.

Price is one of the key factors that collectors and dealers use to determine an object’s true value. By comparing prices, you ensure that the pump organs are not under- or overpriced.

For example, visit eBay if you want to learn more about an antique pump organ you may own. You must choose the filter according to the information you want to collect.

You will gain the knowledge to properly value and sell your antiques. Whether you are interested in selling or buying, price comparison can provide you with valuable information about the value of your antique pump organ.

What to do with an old pump organ?

If you want to get rid of your old pump organ, we recommend that you sell it. If you own an antique pump organ you will fetch a high price as collectors will surely be interested in buying it. However, it is not always easy to sell a pump organ clock.

It is best to be more careful with antique pump organs, as you do not want to sell them below their value. When you sell an antique, you need to take precautions. You can also contact a stockist if you are selling your old pump organ and are unsure of their value.

The dealer will tell you the value of your pump organ by examining it. The internet and selling antique pump organs in person will help you reach a wider market for sale. If you’re selling your vintage pump organ online, research the prospective seller carefully.

Conclusion

In pump organs, air flows through a vibrating metal frame to produce sound. The harmonium was among the earliest pump organs, made in France by Alexandre Debian in 1840.

There are different types of pump organs, some of which are harmonies and melodeons. In the late 1750s, Russian craftsmen had the idea of ​​making pump organ instruments by importing them from China.

Pumping organs typically cost from a few to several hundred dollars, depending on various factors. It is common for a pump organ’s rarity to correlate with its condition. The current condition of the pump organs can significantly increase the value of these rarities.

Rare but damaged pump organs are not worth as much as those in excellent condition. The value of antique organs also depends on how unique they are. A high value typically indicates many specific patterns and features in pumping organs.

Collectors are likely to be drawn to rare and popular pump organs. Another important detail that tells you something about the pump organ is its serial number. The serial number and manufacturer’s name may be present in the cabinet. Serial numbers appear on the rear frame or fairings of pump organs worldwide.

When we arrange the sale or transfer of a pipe organ, we receive a finder’s fee from the buyer or recipient. The fee is $2500 or 10% of the actual selling price. The fee is due whenever you learn of an organ’s availability through this website. We recognize that the availability of some organs will be communicated verbally or announced elsewhere, and we rely on the tradition of the “Honorary Box” for our fees.

The prices published with each available organ are for the organ “as is and where it is”.

Significant additional costs are incurred for dismantling, renovation and relocation. These costs vary widely depending on the size and condition of an organ and whether an instrument needs remodeling for its new home.

Upon request, we can prepare quotes for any instrument published on our website. Potential buyers should be aware that “turnkey” prices for most organs will always run into the hundreds of thousands. A full-size organ, perhaps three manuals and fifty stops, costs between $500,000 and $1,000,000.

The cost of moving, overhauling, restoring and refurbishing an old organ is usually 2/3 or 3/4 the cost of starting a new organ.

Living organs that fit under ten-foot ceilings typically cost up to $50,000, “soup to nut.”

The Organ Clearing House does not offer or promote “fire sale” pricing. We live in the age of the $100,000 piano and $1,000,000 pipe organ.