After you finish rebuilding everything, this thing will sound great! Even before working on it, I can tell that it has great tone. With some work (a lot of work...) and a little practice, I'm sure it'll sound great!
Thank you for sharing this with the world, as I will most definitely be watching these as I'm restoring my late grandmothers reed organ. Sat in a dilapidated house for more than 30 years, eaten by rats, repaired with... a seatbelt (the bellow strap)... This is a task, but glad I have a guide from someone just as over their head as I am!
I'm starting a restoration project with my son on an ancient Beethoven Reed Organ tomorrow morning, your videos will be our restoration bible. Thanks for the great detailed videos, we would not be able to do this without your helpful information. We're only on video four, I think we'll up at least past midnight tonight! P.S. Greetings from Wisconsin, USA
May have been mentioned earlier, we learned that you have to suck the air through the reed to get the note... the bellows actually draw air through them rather than push the air. Your video is great because you show care as you gain new knowledge 👍
I must confess, I have little interest in pump organs, but that was absolutely fascinating! I'm looking forward to seeing this series unfold. You have certainly got yourself a challenge and you definitely are a braver man than me, so good on you for stepping up to the mark. I wish you the very best of luck.
I wasn't much into it either, but its definitely growing... I saw this video a couple months ago which I found pretty interesting: (th-cam.com/video/JeB3JnKp8To/w-d-xo.html)... then when my wife's uncle said he was looking to sell an antique organ... I just had to have it... :-)
As I'm sure you have discovered by now, the bellows do not blow air into the box where the reeds are mounted - they create a vacuum inside the box. When you press a key, it allows air to flow through from the top of the reed past the now-open pallet and into the box. That is why you failed to get a sound when you blew into the bottom of the reed you removed. If you blow into the top, it will sound off. That little square wooden flap you saw when you opened the back of the organ is where the air exits from the bellows. Nice looking organ by the way -- in excellent shape.
Hey Macon, I really appreciate your videos only watched a few so far but I'm going to watch them all soon. I inherited my Grandmother's Chicago Cottage organ, it was given to her on her 8th birthday by her mother who received it from her father on her 8th birthday. That puts it somewhere around 1880, I can't read the SN. I hope to do a restoration on it in the future, I know the bellows are damaged, that may have been from me when I was a kid. Your makeshift reed puller was genius! Keep Maconstuff! Todd in Idaho USA.
I have just bought an old reed organ and now started to go through it. So, I’m going to study your videos, I’m glad I found them. Although, I had it stripped down already. My one is absolutely full of dust but nothing interesting like photos or anything.
brilliant... not disappointing at all even though I watched part 2 first... I've now seen my first reed...and have some idea what the knee things do ... and know that there r 2 bellows. .. yes I shud have worked that out before seeing them on your video....superb video..
Thanx... Looks like you're off to a good start buddy... I've been at it for almost 3 years now and I still have a lot to learn... You'll get there, just dont give up... Check out Juan's channel "Woodshop Junkies" on youtube, he is awesome... he just hit 100K subs and he's lives in Cape Town... I gave you a sub by the way, I look forward to watching your channel grow along with your skills...
I may have missed this and about to start a similar project so hoping you can give me an answer. What was the cloth you used for the valves and the cloth you used for the bellows? I have considered making it out of everything from deer hide to old tow behind the boat kevlar innertube fabric. Love the detail and plan to watch along as a trudge forward.
I was thinking about Rob Scallon's vid too when you intro'd this project on Insta. I like how you literally "Pull out all the stops" (aka go "balls to the wall") on this project. This looks like a lot of work my man. Maybe you could get that Windergaarten marble player dude to help out.
Yeah, Rob Scallon is doing some pretty cool stuff on his channel lately... This project is pretty daunting, but I'm gonna give it all I got... Yeah man that marble dude is next level, I doubt he's got any time for little old me... :-)
So nice to find your videos on the restoration of the reed organ. May I please share it on the fb group Traporrels in Suid Afrika? Please join as a member as you will be able to share so much info with the members.
I have a beautiful completely restored pump organ but you have to pump really hard a fast to play it. I don’t see any splits in the bellow materials. What should I do to make it play without wearing myself out quickly.
Hey Gary... it's difficult to say... if you're having to pump a lot to get it playing, then you must have some air leakages... if your bellows and reservoir cloth are in good condition, then you might want to check the valves... hope that helps...
maconSTUFF I’m so sorry for not seeing this info. You posted for me. I really love these things for some reason, more than likely for the history behind them. Like I said, yes, to me everything looks new like they said and had parters showing the money that was spent on it. I can play some but when it comes to jumping in and tackle it myself, it’s quite overwhelming to say the le@st but I must, this is the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen and I just can’t kick it to the curb. You mentioned the valves, is there any videos concerning the valves and what I might do to check them out and do you think I can do it? I’m a wood worker and can do pretty much anything when it comes to wood, not bragging it’s just been a big part of my life , Leading Praise and Worship and being retired from a Coatings. specialist for a Paint Mfg Co. Any help would be much appreciated, even if it cost me for your long distance help. Thank you so much.
I tried to watch all videos which were great but specifically looking for instruction on how to replace the foot pedal strap. Couldnt find. Can someone verify this for me?
Sounds like an F-scale instrument where the lowest key is F and the highest key is F. That was very common for reed organs like this, just the standard way that things were done.
I have a doherty pump organ and it needs restoration. This video has helped me realize this might be a big job....😮
Great video thank you
Glad it helped
How many times I’ve said exactly as you, “I’m way over my head!” Still, we trudge forward. You finished with a good job by the way!
After you finish rebuilding everything, this thing will sound great! Even before working on it, I can tell that it has great tone. With some work (a lot of work...) and a little practice, I'm sure it'll sound great!
Thanx Josh... I can only hope.... LOL
Thank you for sharing this with the world, as I will most definitely be watching these as I'm restoring my late grandmothers reed organ. Sat in a dilapidated house for more than 30 years, eaten by rats, repaired with... a seatbelt (the bellow strap)... This is a task, but glad I have a guide from someone just as over their head as I am!
Cool series, it helped me with my little restoration. thumbs up! Thanks for sharing this info!
Very welcome!
I'm starting a restoration project with my son on an ancient Beethoven Reed Organ tomorrow morning, your videos will be our restoration bible. Thanks for the great detailed videos, we would not be able to do this without your helpful information. We're only on video four, I think we'll up at least past midnight tonight! P.S. Greetings from Wisconsin, USA
That is awesome!... I wish my son had a little more interest... LOL... good luck man... I'm sure you guys will do a great job...
May have been mentioned earlier, we learned that you have to suck the air through the reed to get the note... the bellows actually draw air through them rather than push the air. Your video is great because you show care as you gain new knowledge 👍
I must confess, I have little interest in pump organs, but that was absolutely fascinating! I'm looking forward to seeing this series unfold.
You have certainly got yourself a challenge and you definitely are a braver man than me, so good on you for stepping up to the mark. I wish you the very best of luck.
I wasn't much into it either, but its definitely growing... I saw this video a couple months ago which I found pretty interesting: (th-cam.com/video/JeB3JnKp8To/w-d-xo.html)... then when my wife's uncle said he was looking to sell an antique organ... I just had to have it... :-)
As I'm sure you have discovered by now, the bellows do not blow air into the box where the reeds are mounted - they create a vacuum inside the box. When you press a key, it allows air to flow through from the top of the reed past the now-open pallet and into the box. That is why you failed to get a sound when you blew into the bottom of the reed you removed. If you blow into the top, it will sound off. That little square wooden flap you saw when you opened the back of the organ is where the air exits from the bellows. Nice looking organ by the way -- in excellent shape.
LOL... yeah I only figured that out last week when I removed the bellows... :-)... I felt pretty stupid when it hit me...LOL
I have a similar organ in my dining room, your bellows are shot, and dirty reeds for sure, good diagnosis! Hope to hear it when it's fixed up!
Thanx... if you want to hear it, you can skip to Part 24 of the series "Final Assembly"... :-)
Hey Macon,
I really appreciate your videos only watched a few so far but I'm going to watch them all soon.
I inherited my Grandmother's Chicago Cottage organ, it was given to her on her 8th birthday by her mother who received it from her father on her 8th birthday. That puts it somewhere around 1880, I can't read the SN. I hope to do a restoration on it in the future, I know the bellows are damaged, that may have been from me when I was a kid.
Your makeshift reed puller was genius!
Keep Maconstuff!
Todd in Idaho USA.
I have just bought an old reed organ and now started to go through it. So, I’m going to study your videos, I’m glad I found them. Although, I had it stripped down already. My one is absolutely full of dust but nothing interesting like photos or anything.
Eu gosto de ver alguém restaurando estes lindos órgão antigo de fole,tenho dois para restaurar ,parabéns pelo trabalho.
brilliant... not disappointing at all even though I watched part 2 first...
I've now seen my first reed...and have some idea what the knee things do ... and know that there r 2 bellows. .. yes I shud have worked that out before seeing them on your video....superb video..
Thanx again Juiliet... Yeah, I'm also learning all this stuff for the first time... :-)
Holy smokes mate, you’re more game than me.
We'll have to see about that... LOL
Great job playing, hopefully my woodworking channel will be as good as yours one day
Thanx... Looks like you're off to a good start buddy... I've been at it for almost 3 years now and I still have a lot to learn... You'll get there, just dont give up... Check out Juan's channel "Woodshop Junkies" on youtube, he is awesome... he just hit 100K subs and he's lives in Cape Town... I gave you a sub by the way, I look forward to watching your channel grow along with your skills...
I may have missed this and about to start a similar project so hoping you can give me an answer. What was the cloth you used for the valves and the cloth you used for the bellows? I have considered making it out of everything from deer hide to old tow behind the boat kevlar innertube fabric. Love the detail and plan to watch along as a trudge forward.
I was thinking about Rob Scallon's vid too when you intro'd this project on Insta. I like how you literally "Pull out all the stops" (aka go "balls to the wall") on this project. This looks like a lot of work my man. Maybe you could get that Windergaarten marble player dude to help out.
Yeah, Rob Scallon is doing some pretty cool stuff on his channel lately... This project is pretty daunting, but I'm gonna give it all I got... Yeah man that marble dude is next level, I doubt he's got any time for little old me... :-)
So nice to find your videos on the restoration of the reed organ. May I please share it on the fb group Traporrels in Suid Afrika? Please join as a member as you will be able to share so much info with the members.
Thanx... you are more than welcome to share them... I will go check out the group now...
This is so neat. I love watching this unfold. I’m about to get my great grandmas organ. No idea the age etc.
Wonderful!... good luck!
I have my great grandmother’s too…I’ve been afraid to restore it but this series gives me hope I can do it!
restoring one of my onen
I have a beautiful completely restored pump organ but you have to pump really hard a fast to play it. I don’t see any splits in the bellow materials. What should I do to make it play without wearing myself out quickly.
Hey Gary... it's difficult to say... if you're having to pump a lot to get it playing, then you must have some air leakages... if your bellows and reservoir cloth are in good condition, then you might want to check the valves... hope that helps...
maconSTUFF I su4 wii give that a shot.
maconSTUFF I’m so sorry for not seeing this info. You posted for me. I really love these things for some reason, more than likely for the history behind them. Like I said, yes, to me everything looks new like they said and had parters showing the money that was spent on it. I can play some but when it comes to jumping in and tackle it myself, it’s quite overwhelming to say the le@st but I must, this is the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen and I just can’t kick it to the curb. You mentioned the valves, is there any videos concerning the valves and what I might do to check them out and do you think I can do it?
I’m a wood worker and can do pretty much anything when it comes to wood, not bragging it’s just been a big part of my life , Leading Praise and Worship and being retired from a Coatings. specialist for a Paint Mfg Co. Any help would be much appreciated, even if it cost me for your long distance help.
Thank you so much.
maconSTUFF I have watched some of your videos and Ihave today, your quite amazing in things you put your hands too, much more than me.
Your Afrikaans accent is jumping off my Afrikaans accent scale. Even my wife was able to figure it out after I gave her a couple guesses.
You got me... LOL
Hint: the bellows don't blow,they suck.
Yeah, I eventually figured that out... like 4 months later... LOL
check out Rodney Jantz on you tube. He knows everything about reed organ restoration.
@@jamesrobertson4059 Make that Rodney Jantzi
Where did you purchase this organ
Purchased it from my wife's uncle...
Lie organ on side and access from bottom
I tried to watch all videos which were great but specifically looking for instruction on how to replace the foot pedal strap. Couldnt find. Can someone verify this for me?
Why does my 1800s organ have 3 black keys on the far left instead of two black keys, like modern keyboards?
Mice have destroyed my antique organ does anyone want it for parts?
Why does my 1800s organ have 3 black keys on the far left instead of two black keys, like modern keyboards?
Sounds like an F-scale instrument where the lowest key is F and the highest key is F. That was very common for reed organs like this, just the standard way that things were done.