Things You Should Know about your Pipe Organ. . .
Pipe organs are very resilient instruments, but even though they can be huge and weigh many tons, they are also delicate instruments and need methodical care. In this respect, they're a lot like a fine grand piano -- large, heavy, but easily damaged by careless handling or neglect. Here are a few guidelines that can be helpful in understanding the needs of your pipe organ:
Tuning
Organ technicians tune pipe organs more than they do anything else. Most pipe organs (like pianos) require a tuning at least once a year to sound their best. Depending upon the condition of the organ and the nature of its installation, an organ may need tuning more often. Organ pipes are like a large collection of whistles and party horns, albeit very sophisticated ones. In some organs, the "whistles" can be over 32 feet long and weigh in well over a ton. Pipes can be made of a variety of substances, usually wood and metal, and they are all hand made -- there is no technology for the mass production of organ pipes.
The tuning of a pipe, particularly the "flue" type of pipe (think "whistle" again) is affected by the temperature of the air around and in it. Hotter air is lighter; the molecules are spaced farther apart. Cooler air is heavier; the molecules are closer. So, a pipe has less air in it when its hot than it does when it's cold, and this affects the pitch of the pipe. When a pipe is tuned at 70 degrees, it will come back to that pitch at which it was tuned every time the temperature comes back to 70 degrees. If, after the pipe is tuned, the temperature increases to 75 degrees, the pitch of the pipe will begin to go sharp. If the temperature cools, it will go flat.
This isn't a big problem for organs in environments where the temperature stays within 5 degrees or so of the tuning pitch. It IS a problem if the temperature excursion is greater. This is why most organs installed in "attic" locations (where the roof of the church is also the ceiling of the organ pipe chamber) need to be tuned more often. Seasonally, the temperature fluctuates so much that they won't hold pitch throughout the year, and in the summer good tuning is simply impossible. An organ in less than optimal condition, with wind leaks or poorly fitted or damaged tuning slides or pipes can also require frequent tuning.
We generally make recommendations for the frequency of tuning based upon the condition of the pipework and the winding system, and the nature and location of the pipe chambers. Rather than follow a calendar, we try to follow the weather, and begin our tuning regimes when the weather breaks in early Spring or early Fall. And of course, for the high holy days, Easter and Christmas, most music directors want the choir and the organ to both be in their best form, so the weeks before Easter and Christmas are heavy tuning seasons for us.
If you need tuning before Easter or Christmas or a special occasion, such as a recital, it's generally best to call us to schedule a date as soon as you can. Our schedule fills up very quickly!
The tuning of a pipe, particularly the "flue" type of pipe (think "whistle" again) is affected by the temperature of the air around and in it. Hotter air is lighter; the molecules are spaced farther apart. Cooler air is heavier; the molecules are closer. So, a pipe has less air in it when its hot than it does when it's cold, and this affects the pitch of the pipe. When a pipe is tuned at 70 degrees, it will come back to that pitch at which it was tuned every time the temperature comes back to 70 degrees. If, after the pipe is tuned, the temperature increases to 75 degrees, the pitch of the pipe will begin to go sharp. If the temperature cools, it will go flat.
This isn't a big problem for organs in environments where the temperature stays within 5 degrees or so of the tuning pitch. It IS a problem if the temperature excursion is greater. This is why most organs installed in "attic" locations (where the roof of the church is also the ceiling of the organ pipe chamber) need to be tuned more often. Seasonally, the temperature fluctuates so much that they won't hold pitch throughout the year, and in the summer good tuning is simply impossible. An organ in less than optimal condition, with wind leaks or poorly fitted or damaged tuning slides or pipes can also require frequent tuning.
We generally make recommendations for the frequency of tuning based upon the condition of the pipework and the winding system, and the nature and location of the pipe chambers. Rather than follow a calendar, we try to follow the weather, and begin our tuning regimes when the weather breaks in early Spring or early Fall. And of course, for the high holy days, Easter and Christmas, most music directors want the choir and the organ to both be in their best form, so the weeks before Easter and Christmas are heavy tuning seasons for us.
If you need tuning before Easter or Christmas or a special occasion, such as a recital, it's generally best to call us to schedule a date as soon as you can. Our schedule fills up very quickly!
The Console
The "console" of the organ is what most people think of when you say "organ". It is actually a control center with stops, tablets, drawknobs, pistons, read-outs and keys and pedals which allows the organist to select what sets of pipes he wants to use, and on what keyboards those pipes will play. Of all the parts of an organ, the console gets the most wear and tear, because although a particular set of pipes might be seldom used, the console, with its stops and keyboards, gets used every time it is played.
For this reason, organ consoles will tend to wear out before other parts of the organ do. Keyboard bushings fail and the keys and pedals may start sounding "clacky", stops and pistons may stop working intermittently or finally completely, and the general finish of the organ suffers with layers of masking tape or post-its. When there is a problem with the instrument, it frequently happens in the console or its associated switching and memory mechanisms, which may be mechanical, electro-mechanical or electronic.
Our rule of thumb is that a console is usually good for 30 to 40 years with average use, and sometimes less with greater use. Regular maintenance can certainly extend this term, sometimes greatly, but at some point a rebuilding of the console is appropriate. We have done a great number of console rebuilds, including the upgrade of switching systems from electro-mechanical to solid-state. Visit "Our Work" page to see some examples.
For this reason, organ consoles will tend to wear out before other parts of the organ do. Keyboard bushings fail and the keys and pedals may start sounding "clacky", stops and pistons may stop working intermittently or finally completely, and the general finish of the organ suffers with layers of masking tape or post-its. When there is a problem with the instrument, it frequently happens in the console or its associated switching and memory mechanisms, which may be mechanical, electro-mechanical or electronic.
Our rule of thumb is that a console is usually good for 30 to 40 years with average use, and sometimes less with greater use. Regular maintenance can certainly extend this term, sometimes greatly, but at some point a rebuilding of the console is appropriate. We have done a great number of console rebuilds, including the upgrade of switching systems from electro-mechanical to solid-state. Visit "Our Work" page to see some examples.
