House Organ, Any advice Options

[Belinda]

Thinking of buying a second-hand organ for the house. Any advice or warnings please

[Swell Box]

Thinking of buying a second-hand organ for the house. Any advice or warnings please

You might like to read through this thread where the topic was discussed a little while ago.

SB

[vectistim]

Thanks for the reminder of that thread, so how is your Roland machine?

[Susie]

I'm sure that most of the electronic ones will fit comfortably into a house and go through the doors.

However, a good many years ago we had an old Compton (I think) with tone-wheels and a large speaker. The console was rather wider than the average house door - I think it was about 39 inches from front to back (minus the pedal board of course) - whereas many house and room doors are only 36 or so inches across. So access can be something to think about too.

[Swell Box]

Thanks for the reminder of that thread, so how is your Roland machine?

Hi Tim,
The Roland is proving very good, and a very worthwhile investment. It was expensive, but I think it is one of those cases where the quality is appreciated long after the purchase price is been forgotten! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The instrument is installed in SB Junior's bedroom, which should provide some idea of it's compact dimensions. The peddleboard is easily detached, and can be stood on end under the manuals when the instrument isn't being played, so it takes up no more space than a small piano. However, the stool covers the peddleboard anyway, so it is usually left just as it is when not in use.

Roland have their own specialist contractor to deliver and install these organs, which is just as well, as the complete instrument weighs about 130 Kg. The console itself weighs about 80 Kg, which had the two installers straining on the stairs! One thing is for certain; when the Roland goes back down the stair to leave this house it won't be coming back ? ever! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Help and support from Roland has been first class, and their staff are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic. SB Junior met with one of the Roland people at JG Windows (by appointment) only yesterday, and learnt quite a few more tricks.

In addition to the inbuilt voicing and temperament options, which seem to be almost endless, there are also MIDI and USB interfaces to use with Sibelius, or even with Hauptwerk if required. The USB sockets can also be used with memory sticks to store memories, or to play and record music. There are sockets for external speakers and sub woofers as required.

As an instrument it is a pleasure to play, and it is proving to be an excellent tool for both learning and practice.

SB

[pitcher54]

Hi Belinda,

I opted for a new Johannus Opus 17 which I bought five years from Makins who are the UK suppliers. I did the rounds trying out Allen, Content, Wyvern, Viscount etc, and tried Makin and Johannus in their showroom. I kept coming back to the Johannus, mainly because the so-called 'baroque' voicing was significantly clearer than anything else on offer. Two men easily got it into my living room despite having a narrow hallway; they simply stood it on end on a piano trolley.

ebay.co.uk usually has a selection of second hand organs for sale. One of my students recently bought a Wyvern for ?800. It was little used and in reasonably good condition, however, being an older model the tone quality is not great. Avoid Norwich, Miller and Compton, and look out for something which is less than ten years old.

Google 'digital organs second hand' and all sorts of things come out of the woodwork....!

Good luck.

[Belinda]

Thanks. Have been to look at new ones. Need some advice please.

The two organs on display in our local shop are:

Johannus Opus 27SE http://www.johannus.co.uk/Product.aspx?productID=14

and

Makin Westmorland Jubilee II http://www.makinorgans.co.uk/Product.aspx?productID=10


The organ my son is inclined towards is the Johannus, but as a three manual, the Opus 37SE:

http://www.johannus.co.uk/Product.aspx?productID=15


So, a few questions please

1. The Westmorland is normally twice the price of the Opus 27 - but he has an ex-demo version of the Westmorland on sale which makes it ?4,000 more expensive than the Opus 27. It is clear that the Westmorland has a higher standard of finish than the Opus, e.g. the toe pistons are solid brass instead of plastic, the stops are made of a nicer material etc - but is there a sufficient difference in specification to partly justify this difference in price? It would appear to us that some of the price difference is also due to the additional amps and speakers which will not be necessary for a house - although it does make the sound richer as less is going through each amp. The organ is going to sit in a normal-sized room, maybe even slightly on the small side, not a big one! My son will use headphones quite a lot I would think, but by no means all the time.

2. The three manual obviously sits between the two in terms of price - but only ?1,500 less than the Westmorland. Is a three manual better to buy? It then ends up with more stops than the Westmorland.

3. Standing back from it all, are any of these organs worth buying for home practice? Our budget would not stretch to anything more - but still no point in buying something useless. They certainly sounded excellent and to our untrained ears we could not tell the difference between them and a real pipe organ. There was also a Viscount organ there to try and the difference between these organs and it was immense.

We are probably coming to the same conclusion as our son - go for the three manual, but would really welcome advice - we know little about organs, electronic or otherwise.

[oldromola]

I have absolutely no idea how these organs compare in sound, but maybe sound quality - provided there is not a huge difference - is not a major factor. I agree 100% with your son - go for the 3 manual!

[pitcher54]

There is nothing to choose between the Makin consoles and the Johannus consoles in terms of build quality. The components all come from the same suppliers. The toe pistons on the Johannus organs are not plastic, they are simply topped off with a black plastic insert which improves grip if you reach for a piston quickly.

I chose the Johannus in preference to the Makin based on touch, and tone quality (given that no digital organ sounds anything like a pipe organ in reality - I used to be an organ builder).

Johannus, Makin, and Copeman Hart are all marketed by the same company now. Johannus organs (which are Dutch) built for the English market sound significantly different from those built for their home market.

Go for the Johannus, and use the 'baroque' setting!