loran questions

Larry wrote:

> krj <joyner_k.TakeThisOut@bellsouth.net> wrote in news:MA2tf.18280$dZ1.10176
> @bignews2.bellsouth.net:
>
>
>>But you haven't really lived until you sit in the balcony of a 4000
>
> seat
>
>>theatre listening to a beautiful 3/15 Wurlitzer that you just spent 3
>>years restoring.
>>krj
>>
>
>
> Hugo blew the roof off First Scots Presbyterian Church in 1989. Alan
> Ontko was tasked at replacing the old organ with one of his, from his
> shop in Charleston. This console:
> http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/gallery/southeast/south_carolina/charle
> ston_firstscottsontko.shtml
> (sorry for the wordwrap)
> came from England, as did the master control computer back in the 3-
> story-high pipe chamber. Some of the bass flutes are so big they were
> cut to fit the building, partially laying on their sides on the floor,
> then going up the wall.
>
> A mixture of old world pipe organ and modern computers, the console talks
> to the computer that selects which pipe to play with a fibre optic cable
> that must be less then 5 Km long. It is. The organ is in a loft on the
> other end of the sanctuary. I've been INSIDE the organ while it was
> playing itself from its midi interface. If the organist is sick or stuck
> in traffic...no problemo. Plug 'n Play!...(c;
>
> The sound is amazing. At the dedication, a professional organist from
> some of the finest schools in the world played it for the concert. They
> have a CD of the event.
>
> The stop buttons you simply touch, they light up. The thing looks like
> the master control of the Starship Enterprise when it's operating. Too
> bad noone turned it on when they took this picture. It's quite a light
> show.
>
> If you enjoy organ music, you must wait until they finish, again,
> restoring the Atlantic City Organ:
> http://www.acchos.org/
> I'm a member. It's the largest Wurlitzer every built. It is so large
> the SIX blowers must be put online one-at-a-time to keep from overloading
> the auditorium's electric power supply..(c; Look through the website at
> the HUGE pipes, a 64' rank, the largest pipes on the planet.
>
> Me, I fix Hammonds....vintage Hammonds. I'm in the South, you know,
> where church music isn't classical, it's gospel. Drop by and I'll take
> you way out on Wadmalaw Island to an AME church where the people speak
> Gullah, not English, the organ is a B-3 with twin Leslies all tubes, and
> show you what REAL Christians do on Sunday morning....It's not about
> money or power.
>
Sorry Larry, the Atlantic City convention center organ is not a
Wurlitzer. It's a Midmer-Losh. It is closed indefinitely for asbestos
removal. Check http://theatreorgans.com/atlcity/ The largest Wurlitzer
is installed at Pipe Organ Pizza in Mesa, AZ. Although it is made up of
parts from several organs, it still sounds wonderful.
krj
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krj <joyner_k RemoveThis @bellsouth.net> wrote in news:8Zbtf.78199$k76.77169
@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

> Sorry Larry, the Atlantic City convention center organ is not a
> Wurlitzer. It's a Midmer-Losh. It is closed indefinitely for asbestos
> removal. Check http://theatreorgans.com/atlcity/ The largest Wurlitzer
> is installed at Pipe Organ Pizza in Mesa, AZ. Although it is made up of
> parts from several organs, it still sounds wonderful.
> krj
>
>

Hmm....I'm sorry, too. Just went and read about the asbestos problem. It
will probably doom the organ.
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Larry wrote:
>I'm a member. It's the largest Wurlitzer every built. It is so
>large the SIX blowers must be put online one-at-a-time to keep from
>overloading the auditorium's electric power supply..(c; Look
>through the website at the HUGE pipes, a 64' rank, the largest
>pipes on the planet.
>Me, I fix Hammonds....vintage Hammonds. I'm in the South, you know,
>where church music isn't classical, it's gospel. Drop by and I'll
>take you way out on Wadmalaw Island to an AME church where the
>people speak Gullah, not English, the organ is a B-3 with twin
>Leslies all tubes, and show you what REAL Christians do on Sunday
>morning....It's not about money or power.
ROckin'! I had an old 1942 (I think) Hammond b-v which I
had converted to a 3. I bought it from a lady played gospel
on SUnday mornings. Bought myself the 147 to go with it,
they were using a homebrew amp/peaker cabinet her husband
built back in the '40's, he was a TV and radio repair guy.
Anyway I loved that piece.
I bought it from her in Des MOines Iowa in 1983. SHe was
moving to one of those assisted living places and couldn't
take her big organ. IT was in cherry condition having never
left her living room, she played one at church with the
lEslies etc. Anyway I gave her four $100 bills for this
thing. Brought a pickup truck with three buddies to move it
since I hadn't built my organ dolly yet. SHe cried when I
threw a couple blankets over it to move it out the door,
because then she figured out that her pride and joy was
going on the road playing rock blues and jazz in clubs bars
etc.
I love those things. GOnna have to settle for their newer
xb models because they're single manual and I can do the
bass pedals wthing with a pedal controller and midi. ONe
120 LB. old fart can't move it by himself. STill I'd like
to put another one of those big bad boys in my studio when I
eventually rebuild it.

73



Richard Webb, nf5b
replace anything before the @ symbol with elspider to email


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0junk4me.RemoveThis@bellsouth.net wrote in news:O5ntf.23435$Lb1.13193
@bignews3.bellsouth.net:

> I love those things.

The finest, original Hammond C-3, the B-3 in the church cabinet, with the
original PR-40 tone cabinet, in pristine condition, is mine. Well, it
WILL be mine......

I got a service call to fix a C-3 in Hanahan, SC, one of the little
fiefdoms on the edge of the city, here. I went and there sat the finest
C-3 I had ever seen. It is completely unscathed! The bench was covered
the day her husband bought it with a custom bench cushion she made in the
1960's. Anyway, it had not worked in years and wouldn't start because
noone in the store ever told ANYONE you had to SERVICE it on a regular
basis for fear of losing the sale. "What? You mean I have to spend
money oiling it and taking care of it?" So, dealers kept quiet and let
the owner's manual noone ever read cover their asses. The generator was
locked.

I oiled it double and waited 3 months for it to follow the felts and
cotton strings to the oillite bearings to soak up the shellac from the
original 1960 oil. All the damned rubber wires UL made them use because
plastic was dangerous had, of course, disintegrated into rock-hard
powder, so I set out replacing all the power wiring in the console and
the 30' interconnect cable to the tone cabinet. I estimate the organ
played around 50 hours, total, before the husband died, its only player.
The kids hated it. The wife didn't want to play it but liked how it
filled her living room....an ornament. The only reason I was there was
some guest was coming for Christmas who was an organist and she wanted to
hear him play it.

After the long wait, I carefully hand-turned the generator, which freed
right up. Started it and made one lady very happy.....but that's not the
end of the story.

With all the hours I'd spent on this fine instrument, the bill wasn't
$40. She got upset, as usual when you're a serviceman. You get immune
from the abuse. She knew my rates and how much work I put in it....

But, I WANTED THIS ORGAN.

So, I made her a deal. Her son, the only heir, was there and had talked
to me about how much he hated the beast. He didn't want it and had even
asked me how to get rid of the "old thing" when Mom died. She knew he
hated it. So, I told her I'd make her a deal. "I'll eat this bill,
completely, and will come once a year to do the regular maintenance on
the organ if you'll put me in your will and give me a certified copy
willing the organ to me at your death.", I told her. Faced with paying
the bill and knowing her son hated it, she accepted, gladly.

So, I have the finest C-3 on the planet, sitting in her living room where
it has been moved 4 times in its total life to change the carpet out from
underneath it. All the plastic pedal protectors that were delivered with
it are on the pedals. The wood on the pedals has never had a sock
pressing on them. There is not a nick or scratch or flaw on the
cabinets. The organ is in a little alcove away from the main living
room, away from things that would bump it.....

AND IT'S MINE!.....(c; She's 80 and in fair health....

I go up in March to service my organ, properly. It was played twice
since we started this by her organist friend, whos organ I'm now also
servicing, an Allen.
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