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1.1 Problems facing the restorer
Our principal activity is the restoration of mechanical musical instruments, especially all types of mechanical organ; we have now been successfully undertaking this work for over 30 years.
70 key Gavioli trumpet barrel organ restored and re-decorated for Mr. A. O. Hunt. This organ, built in the 1880's, had not played since before World War II and is one of the oldest Gavioli fairground organs still in existence.
When discussing a commission, many aspects of the project must be carefully considered, in close consultation with the owner, before a final course of action is decided upon. A fine balance between all of these factors will eventually result in a responsible and successful restoration. An irresponsible restoration, perhaps decided upon in haste, may end in a disappointing result, the destruction of an historic object, considerable monetary devaluation of the piece, and wasted money for the work and materials.
1.2 Our restoration ethic
In the last thirty years, we have worked on a wide variety of instruments, from tiny chamber barrel organs with as few as 14 pipes, to vast fairground organs containing almost a thousand pipes in all shapes and sizes. We have also restored barrel pianos and orchestrions, as well as larger barrel and roll-playing (piano) orchestrions.
Thorough and careful recording of pipe scales, chest designs and dimensions, actions and other components by Workshop Manager Russell Wattam during past restorations often enables missing parts to be authentically duplicated on other similar instruments where these parts are missing or damaged. This does not merely extend to the physical dimensions but also the very substance of an organ, the sound. This intangible element cannot be measured and reproduced without the fine ear of an experienced voicer.
In restoring old pipework, it is very easy to lose the original sound by careless work, incorrect wind pressures and wrong pitch. Our goal is to try to retain as far as is possible the original sound given to the organ by its original builder. Thus a Limonaire should not sound like a Gavioli organ, a Marenghi not like a Mortier and so on. This often involves making new pipes to the original scale, requiring the preparation of drawings and sometimes the sourcing of specific authentic materials. Some restorers offer good, new pipework at a competitive price, but to suit almost all applications. Naturally such pipework can be semi-mass produced, being always the same, and can be sold at a significantly lower price, but will not sound quite like the originals did. We like to think that the extra cost of our new custom pipework is well justified when the result is heard in the finished organ.
1.3 Façade restoration
As well as the musical / technical aspects of an instrument, we can also undertake, if required, the restoration of the decorative façade and / or casework. If the façade or case is complete, and with its original decoration or finish intact, this can also be conserved for the future. In collaboration with experienced wood-carvers, damaged or missing ornamentation can be repaired or replaced. It is even possible to reproduce complete front sections to match missing parts. Figures of all types can be restored and decorated in authentic fashion.
46 keyless Alfred Bruder organ, made in Waldkirch in 1927. The façade has recently been stripped, repared, and completely repainted.
Similar guidelines to the ones outlined in the previous section above also apply to this aspect of our work, where we attempt as far as possible to create an authentic decorative scheme. The application of gold and silver leaf is also possible, in-house, and we have even water-gilded some carved work, as it had been originally, as well as using the more common oil gilding technique. From time to time new figures are available, as well as originals, enabling missing ones to be satisfactorily replaced. Even the lettering on the façade is carefully researched and wherever possible reproduced as original. If this is no longer known, a sample taken from a similar contemporary instrument by the same maker at least guarantees a similar style.
On our website here you will find several examples of instruments which have been completely redecorated in our workshops.
1.4 Repairs
Of course, it can be that your instrument is already in good condition, having been restored several years ago, but perhaps now requires attention in certain specific areas, such as its keyframe or action. In such instances we are happy to repair or restore individual components. We have worked on projects with a number of enthusiasts who have done much of the preparation and cleaning work themselves, thereby saving the client a considerable amount of money, and having the additional satisfaction of seeing their own work in the completed job as well. We are able to supply new organ parts to order.
2.1 Maintenance
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Russell Wattam busy tuning Brian Dunford's 89 key Gavioli during routine maintenance.
Once an organ is restored, it should be periodically checked over, and like other musical instruments, carefully tuned. A significant part of our activity is in this area, and we have made annual trips to service certain organs for more years than we care to remember! Sometimes repairs need to be carried out on-site as well. We have done this kind of work all over the UK, and have also worked in Japan, Europe and the United States. We are often able to accommodate several client visits in one trip, making the cost to each customer as reasonable as possible.
80 key Mortier orchestrion "Lisette". A completely chromatic café organ, built in 1947, which was restored by us in the late 1970's and is still going strong!
Click here to here "Lisette" playing Mustafa, arranged by Albert Decap.
Follow the links below to Bert Mook’s excellent dance organ site to see this organ before it came to England in the early 1970's.
2.2 Music
No matter how well the organ is restored, or however carefully the façade has been re-decorated, the final test must come with the music it produces.
We are able to supply old and new arrangements for many types of instruments. Our arrangements are made for the specific organ type in question, and are not derived automatically by computer from other organ scales and types, as offered at low prices by certain suppliers. You can hear the difference!
As members of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society we are licensed to make arrangements of copyright works, on which a statutory copyright royalty is levied. Our music is also protected by the Performing Right Society, of which we are also members.
We are equipped with special, semi-automatic machinery for converting cardboard stock into folding music books. This is the only machinery of its type in the British Isles. We also supply blank card for you to cut yourself, or to use in the repair of damaged music books. All our books are carefully cut by hand, although a custom automatic perforating machine is under development. Many music books, supplied by some others, are inaccurately cut and carelessly produced on various types of automatic machines: the experienced ear can easily detect this lack of attention to detail. We have unrivalled experience in the supply of music for large French fair organ scales, particularly 110 and 112 key Gavioli, for which we have been regularly making new books since 1977.
You can hear our music on a variety of commercial sound recordings, and we will be pleased to furnish details of these to those interested.
Click here to see the new Perforated Music page.
121 key Gebr. Decap organ 'De Kempenaer' built in 1938. This organ was completely restored by us and is now a featured attraction at the well-known Hall of Halls museum near Osaka, Japan. This is the largest mechanical organ in Asia. We extend our grateful thanks to Taizou Murakami for the use of this photograph.
"De Kempenaer" is seen here without its decorative façade, revealing the wide variety of pipework found in such organs. The packing, shipping, unpacking, erection and tuning in Japan was entirely carried out by A. C. Pilmer Automatic Music Ltd.
2.3 Advice
To prospective purchasers we offer helpful and constructive advice on buying a mechanical organ. We can even help to put together complete collections. We also conduct appraisals and valuations of individual instruments or complete collections at reasonable rates. This service is also available for probate, insurance and estate valuations and other requirements.
92 key Mortier organ No. 948 now located in “Kuju Sayaka", a resort hotel in Japan. This instrument was previously an attraction at Turner’s Musical merry-go-Round, Northampton, England. This restoration involved the making of new swell shutters, and the replacement of missing pipework and percussions with authentic looking and sounding new ones
Click here to see the organ in its present location
3.1 New organs
Our experience in the restoration of old instruments puts us in an enviable position for building new instruments based more or less on historic examples. Whilst our heavy restoration programme has never allowed extensive building of new organs, we would be interested to quote for instruments of all sizes, including ones more than 112 keys. We will be pleased to discuss your requirements.
We like and enjoy all types of mechanical organ; all have their own special character, rendering them easily identifiable. We have worked on most makes of French fair organs, from early trumpet barrel organs through to 110 key Gavioli. We also have experience of Ruth, Gebr. Bruder, Wilhelm Bruder Söhne, Gebr. Wellershaus, Bacigalupo, Imhof & Mukle, Welte and other German products, and we have also worked on many Belgian instruments including those by Mortier, Bursens, van Steenput, Pierre Eich and Gebr. Decap. Our experience in this particular area even takes us through to the more recent instruments incorporating electronic sound sources as well as traditional pipes.