The organ comprises the following units and is currently installed in Earlsdon Methodist Church, Coventry where it can be heard and tried. The organ has been played by many great names of the Theatre Organ World over the past 20 years or so including the following:
Mark Aston; Tony Back; John Barnett; Matthew Bason; Foley Bates; Keith Beckingham (2); Craig Boswell; William Davies; Catherine Drummond; Ryan Edwards; Stephen Foulkes (2); Carl Heslop; Simon Gledhill (3); Richard Hills (3); Russell Holmes; John Hosking (2); Peter Jebson; Alastair Kiernan; David Lowe; Donald MacKenzie; John Mann; Nicholas Martin; Jean Martyn (2); Louis Mordish; Nigel Ogden (2); Chris Powell; Paul Roberts (2); Eddie Ruhier; Dudley Savage (5?); David Shepherd (2); Stanley Smith; Ben Vine; John Walker (2); Tony Whittaker (2)
The heart of the organ is a Conn Model 644 Type 201 “Martinique” Serial Number 743309 which has had an extra tone generator board from a Marlborough organ added to it.
The organ speaks through an impressive range of speaker units including a Leslie 920 (Treble and Bass units), A non-rotary Leslie 540 for the percussion sounds and a Leslie 720 (Treble and Bass units).
There is also a large wall-mounted speaker unit for the pedal bass containing a large speaker and 8 power amplifiers, only three of which are in use currently for the organ. (The organ was originally planned to have 8 channels. These are hugely over-rated amplifiers, so that only about 10% of capacity is used for the organ, avoiding problems of distortion from smaller amplifiers.)
The extra voices from the Conn-Marlborough board (Flute 16, Flute 8, Flute 4, Trumpet 8, String Celeste 8, Clarinet 16) speak through a Compton Melotone single-driver exponential horn speaker. (ex Astoria Theatre, Barrow in Furness) The unit has an auto-sostenuto which gives a remarkable “melotone-like” sound.
The organ is also equipped with sets of Conn Pipe speaker units as follows: Two model 146 large pipes; One model 145 asymmetric and Two model 144 small pipe units.
The console which is finished in white (Finish 028) is mounted on a square plinth with castors covered in blue carpeting. The organ also has a set of moving dollies which fit onto the ends of the console and allow it to be jacked up and moved through a standard sized doorway.
Also included in the sale are all switch gear for control of Leslie motors, automatic phased startup of amplifiers and motors to avoid speaker-thump when starting up and a long extension cable allowing the console to be placed approximately 20 metres from the speakers and pipes.
The speakers which were originally in the console are also included and these are mounted in separate white cabinets.
Finally there are a full set of service manuals and schematic diagrams and a large quantity of Conn spares, including one IC Keyer chip. The organ was in full use until recently and is in working order. Inspection is welcomed at any convenient time. For the organ enthusiast this is the sale of the century!
SPECIFICATION OF RICHMOND HOUSE ORGAN NOW INSTALLED AT EARLSDON METHODIST CHURCH, COVENTRY
Pedal:
- 1. Tuba 16
2. Diapason 16
3. Bourdon 16
4. Tibia 8
5. Flute 8
6. String Bass 8
7. Piano 8
Acc. to Ped.
Accompaniment: (Lower Manual)
- 8. Tuba 8
9. Diapason 8
10. Cello 8
11. String 8
12. Vox Humana 8
Acc. to Acc. 4
(Super Octave Coupler) Acts only on bright voices Nos. 8-12
Solo to Acc. 8
Tuned Percussion to Acc. 8
13. Tibia 8
14. Tibia 4
15. Tibia 2 2/3
16. Tibia 2
17. Tibia 1 1/3
18. Tibia 1
Solo:(Upper Manual)
- 19. Trumpet 8
20. Tuba 8
21. Diapason 8
22. Kinura 8
23. Oboe 8
24. Violin 8
25. String 8
26. Vox Humana 8
Solo to Solo 16 (Sub Octave Coupler) Acts only on bright Voices Nos. 19-27
Unison Off Ditto
Solo to solo 4 (Super Octave Coupler) Ditto
27. Cornet 8
28. Tibia 16
29. Tibia 8
30. Tibia, 5 1/3
31. Tibia 4
32. Tibia 2 2/3
33. Tibia 1 3/5
34. Tibia 1 1/3
35. Tibia 1
Orchestral Unit: (Extra voices on upper Solo manual)
- 36. Flute 16
37. Flute 8
38. Flute 4
39. Clarinet 16
40 Trumpet 8
41: String Celeste 8
Tuned Percussion Unit:
- Tuned Percussion to Solo
Solo Tuned Percussion only (Silences all Solo voices)
42. Piano
43. Harpsichord
44. Society Piano
45. Guitar
46. Vibraphone
47. Glockenspiel
48. Chrysoglott
49. Chimes
Traps: (Non-tonal percussions) Rocker tabs on Left Hand cheek.
On Pedal:
- 50. Bass Drum
51. Bongo
52. Cymbal Brush
On Accompaniment:
- 53. Short Brush (Sounds similar to Sand Block)
54. Wood Block
55. Tambourine
56. Castanet
57. Snare Roll
Some traps available on row of push buttons on left hand cheek.
Rhythm unit.
Tremulants: (Tabs in center of console)
- Orchestral Unit
Bright Voices Light
Bright Voices Heavy
Tibia Leslie Fast (Tremolo)
Tibia Leslie Slow (Chorale)
Orchestral Unit Volume p/f (Rocker Tab by orchestral stops)
Rocker Tabs on Right hand cheek:
- Orchestral Unit Upper manual sustain. (Used with Flutes gives Melotone effect) Orchestral Unit Lower manual sustain
Tibia Reverb.
Tibia Sustain
Solo Sustain
Slider for Organ reverb.
Pistons: (Below Solo Manual)
- 0 Cancel Piston- other pistons take effect but do not move tabs. Row of indicator lamps shows which piston is effective.
1), 2), 3) Theatre settings. Can only be altered by rewiring diode matrix.
4) ff straight organ, (Requires Tremulants off)
5) fff straight organ with 16 fts and reeds. (Requires Tremulants off.)
Tremulants are not affected by any of the pistons.
The Leslie speaker cabinets and the Compton horn speaker unit.
William Davies performing on the Richmond House Organ ...
The price this instrument is offered at is 1200 GBP ... Viewing can be arranged if required through Will Light at Earlsdon Methodist Church..
Bill Moore
wapmoore@tiscali.co.uk
07846189924
Will light
willlight@sky.com
02476413511