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Post by keff on Jan 18, 2023 21:07:01 GMT
The chapel that I attended as a child and adolescent had its organ fully rebuilt in about 1958. I remember it quite well because obsolete parts like trackers were temporary dumped in the chapel's garden and I would collect and use them as arrows (could have been lethal)!
I have been made aware that this organ is beginning to show its age and would imagine if faults are appearing they will be very expensive to put right.
Yesterday I popped into our local music shop where four slightly different models of electronic church organs were on display at what I considered to be very reasonable prices. I guess if the cost of repair of a pipe organ is much the same or even slightly above the cost of a new electronic instrument then the repair is the better option. What do others think?
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Post by Zi on Jan 19, 2023 8:32:32 GMT
keff - How does an electronic church organ differ from the kind of electronic organs people have in their houses? My father had two electronic organs - one when I was growing up and then a very much larger one when I was older so I've come across (and 'played with' - not played) house electronic organs.
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Post by keff on Jan 19, 2023 10:22:48 GMT
I guess I am referring to the electronic organs that are made to look like the console of a modern pipe organ. They have at least two manuals and a full pedal board. The sounds are controlled by stop switches and the sounds themselves are limited to the types of pipe found in churches. The case work is usually polished but not darkened oak. They are essentially small enough to fit in a home depending how much space is available. Viscount is a reasonably well known make and they have a website if you would like to see pictures. We have a Yamaha Electone organ in the house that our son used to play. It is slightly bigger than a keyboard, two short manuals and only one octave of pedals but even though it is perhaps forty years old has many more voices (perhaps I could say modern voices), rhythm beats and other electronic bells&whistles.
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Post by Zi on Jan 19, 2023 10:36:22 GMT
Thank you! I like those! Very impressive. I have no interest in playing the piano but oh how I would love to play the organ. My father's last organ was a double keyboard and foot pedals but they weren't as complex as the ones on that site. I love the traditional church pipe organs. They have an architectural presence. I find them strangely reassuring.
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lafa
Quaver
Posts: 17
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Post by lafa on Jan 21, 2023 16:13:23 GMT
This is a bit off-topic.
I was reading this thread and as I didn‘t know exactly was an Electone Organ is, I looked it up and came across a varied list of questions about organs.
In addition to the usual - what’s the difference between pipe organs, electronic organs, electric organs; is an organ easy to play etc. - was this question.
Why are organs so cheap?
I couldn‘t believe my eyes so opened up to see the answer:
Cheaper cuts and reduced waste: Organ meats are not a popular cut of meat, so you can often get them at a cheap price. Eating these parts of the animal also reduces food waste.
This is what search engines do for you.
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Post by keff on Jan 21, 2023 16:36:47 GMT
Our Yamaha Electone is a HC-2 or maybe HC-4 which puts the year of manufacture between 1987 and 91, according to Wiki. We acquired it second hand from our son's music teacher in 1995. We could use the space that it sits in but don't have the heart to sell it or even exchange for 0.5kg of liver.  |
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Post by pavane on Jan 22, 2023 10:25:55 GMT
The chapel that I attended as a child and adolescent had its organ fully rebuilt in about 1958. I remember it quite well because obsolete parts like trackers were temporary dumped in the chapel's garden and I would collect and use them as arrows (could have been lethal)! I was in a church somewhere once and the old pipe organ had been taken out and an electric one put in. The old one clearly was quite ancient - the pipes were wooden, no idea what they were but looked like oak as they had that look of the soft bits having been eaten. The whole thing was stacked up in a disused corner of the church gathering dust. Maybe it was destined for restoration, but it didn't look much like it. It seemed quite sad and (only momentarily!) I considered hiring a van and "rescuing" it though of course I didn't. I presume it must cost a fortune to restore such things and, unless they were once played by Bach - unlikely in Wiltshire - the chances aren't high. |
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Post by keff on Jan 22, 2023 10:56:01 GMT
Many years ago I became friendly with a chap building his own organ. He would collect pipes from churches and reuse them. The larger ones tended to be wood probably because if they were made from the lead/tin alloy used for metal pipes they might not be able to withstand their own weight. This chap rebuilt the wind chests for the pipes to stand on and the organ console although he must have bought in things like the keyboards and pedal assembly.
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