Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Pipe Organ Available Free

This is topic Pipe Organ Available Free in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-29-2006, 09:54 PM:

A good friend who is in the organ maintenance business called today to tell me of a church that has an organ that needs to go.
It is an Austin ca.1926, 3 manual approx 22 ranks. Condition unknown though it is believed to be complete. You remove it and haul it away. Would probably fit in a large straight truck. If anybody is interested, email me and I'll go next week and take a look at it. This is in Richmond Va. It will most likely be in need of a total rebuild. This is NOT a theatre organ.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 06-29-2006, 11:21 PM:

If only I had 3 things:

A BIG truck, a place to place the organ, and the money to do a restoration on it. My roommate has dreamed of owning a pipe organ for many years. Hope the organ goes to a good home.

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 06-30-2006, 12:02 AM:

I'm with Bruce. Though I'd be tempted to make a place for it and I can rent a truck, but that still leaves me out of the money.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-30-2006, 01:18 AM:

I hope that whoever takes it has very tolerant neighbours!

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 06-30-2006, 02:06 AM:

off topic but I was in Richmond a month ago Bill, and happened upon the Byrd theater. Didn't get to go inside but it looked fantastic (in that old sort of way) on the outside! Loved the World of Myrh place across the road. Sorry to hear about what happened to the owners.

But anyway, I have no use for a giant organ. [Smile]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-30-2006, 02:18 AM:

Hmm...let's see - 22 ranks at an average of 61 pipes per rank ... almost 1300 pipes...

And if a complete rebuild, new leather for the wind chest and such, then retune..a free organ setup could cost in the 20 plus thousand for the rebuild - let along without setup and find the right size of piperoom for all of those pipes..

But, saw a site where a lady had the same thing happened: Church was getting rid of a small 5 rank Wicks and pipes for nothing for a new electric organ. She grabbed up on that one immediately, but waited 3 yrs for the rebuild. Finally, she had the organ installed down in her basement in two rooms - one room for the console and the ajoining room for the pipe layout which would sound through grillwork in the wall. Then she had to buy a humidifier setup for the basement to keep the humidity at a constant level so the pipes wouldn't lose their tune and the leather stayed supple on the windchest.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 06-30-2006, 02:59 AM:

quote:
I hope that whoever takes it has very tolerant neighbours!

Could be worse, you could have been Fred Dibnah's neighbour, with him riveting boilers in the middle of the night. I went to see his yard some years ago when I happened to be in Bolton, and he invited me in to look around. I noticed that the house next door had a name plate on it; 'Wits End'!

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-30-2006, 08:49 AM:

quote: Allison Parsons
But anyway, I have no use for a giant organ.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-30-2006, 10:28 AM:

And now the rest of the story. It has been claimed. To be removed to a residence in a couple weeks. 22 ranks is fairly small. Figure $125,000+ minimum for an organ shop to rebuild, could be done for less than a quarter of that without labor cost...it is very labor intensive work though.

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 07-01-2006, 08:10 AM:

22 ranks is a nice size organ for ANY house. I've played a lot of churches that don't have an instrument that large. I have 17 ranks in my home and it's a bit overwhelming at times!!

Don

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 07-01-2006, 07:51 PM:

22 ranks of a generously scaled mid '20s Austin would indeed be a lot for all but a real mansion. Biltmore has a 16 rank Skinner in the dining hall and it can be heard almost anywhere in the house. This one came from a room seating about 500.

[ 07-02-2006, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: Bill Enos ]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 07-01-2006, 08:11 PM:

quote: Allison Parsons
But anyway, I have no use for a giant organ.

I totally agree, Allison! Bigger is NOT always better... It's all about how one uses what they were given...or "purchased". [beer]