My practice organ died :( + Does anyone know where I can get a pedalboard?

[SilverLuna]

Yup. Yesterday on my B-Day my Lowery organ died while I was at the end of the Widor toccata. It's speakers blew... u.u They've been going for a while, but yesterday finally it finally broke.

So for now i'm playing on my dinky keyboard until we find another one.

Also, I'm looking on cragislist around my area (Krummhorn, if you find anything around, please let me know!), and i see one that the seller says it's in good condition but it just needs a pedalboard, which they said are relativily unexpensive, so I assume I can buy it somewhere? (Here's the link: http://tucson.craigslist.org/msg/1578190552.html Is Conn a good brand? We're also trying to find one inexpensive) And is there a special connector-thingy I need before added it to the organ (hopefully there's a person around here that knows how to do this stuff)? Is there a special brand? Questions questions. Sorry if I'm confusing xD Just ask and i'll try my best to reitterate better. If not, i'll contact the seller with all my killer questions xD

Hope to hear from you!
~Silver

[wljmrbill]

How about replacing the speakers if that is all that is wrong?

[SilverLuna]

Can we do that? I thought since this is an older 70s model, I didn't know if they'll carry the parts anymore..

[wljmrbill]

I would think that speakers could be added to any year or model electronic unit.. only a matter of connected wires to amplifier unit... as far as I know. call local music store and speak with the tech.

[SilverLuna]

Ok. I'll try that. Thanks!

[Krummhorn]

Hi Silver,

Hey, like, bummers ya know, and on your birthday, too. Belated birthday wishes .

I like Bill's suggestion about the speakers. Only word of caution there is to make sure that the replacement one(s) is/are the same wattage and power rating. I forgot if you ever mentioned which model your Lowery is ... I was looking at speaker replacements online but having the model number would be helpful.

To answer your question regarding Conn's ... they are an okay organ ... great for practicing, which is mainly rehearsing the notes. I wouldn't advise considering the one on Craigslist without the pedalboard ... adding one in the field could be a technical nightmare, let alone finding one .

Let us know what you are able to find out about speakers.

[Dorsetmike]

As a temporary measure is there a headphone socket.

Replacing the speakers should definitely be the easiest solution. Are the speakers built into the organ or are they free standing?

If they are built in then you will have to find ones the same physical size as well as the same or higher wattage/power handling. The connections could well be soldered, so you would need somebody who knows what they are doing, badly soldered connections can give problems. (Having worked in electronics for over 40 years I know!!)

If free standing, the power rating must be the same or higher (a bit higher might be a good idea if you intend to continue Widor at full volume)

Does your organ have a MIDI interface, if so you could try out some virtual pipe organ applications, see these threads.

http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/717...ipe-organ.html

http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/983...-0-2-beta.html

[marval]

Hi Silver,

Sorry to hear about your problem, I hope you can get it sorted soon.

A belated happy birthday.


Margaret

[SilverLuna]

Thanks Krummhorn and Marval for the B-Day wishes ^^

BUT

I just discovered today that it's not the speakers (otherwise my headphones would of worked. I use them everytime I play it, unless I'm home alone and feel like blasting the whole house xD), but possibly the whole instrument itself, from the stops to the speakers, everything. All you hear when you turn it on is a vacant hum, when before everything clicked on. My dad was going to look at it (but I persuaded him not to because he could make things worse or shock and hurt himself, i'm the only one in the family that knows a little about organs, but my father does know a few electrical tricks. But I want someone who knows completely what they're doing ), but he knows quite a bit on electrical stuff and he told me that if my headphone jack worked, then it was the just the external speaker. But unfortunately they didn't.

So yea, when I turn it on I hear nothing (not even some kind of hum) through my headphones, and all you hear from the outside is the hum for being on.

Mystery mystery....did the connection for just about everything (stops to keys, keys to speakers.... blahblahblah) just feel like breaking just out of the blue? Because the day before everything was fine.
Maybe I played it too much xP
~Silver

[Krummhorn]

Hmmm, since the headphones are not working either, perhaps you have blown the amplifier. When everything went dead, was there any kind of odd smell or odor?

Another possibility is that the power supply gave up the ghost. Since you are getting a "hum" when the organ is on, might mean that the amplifier is okay ... with the power supply not working there would be no keying voltage or power to the stop rails, which would render the organ not being able to play any notes.

[wljmrbill]

Looks like your best bet is to have an organ technician take a look at it...Then you would know what you are facing regarding repairs etc. also might check out Goodwills, Salvation Army stores as ,many times around here they have instruments that people have donated for a very very reasonable price. MY old Conn church model I got for nothing : all I had to do was get it out of their house. Put ad on Craigslist that you are student and need an instrument for practicing.. never know someone may have one they might give you or for cheap or nothing. worth a try.

[SilverLuna]

Krummhorn- no, there wasn't any weird smell... i'm glad! That would of really freaked me out O.0 And I think you might be right. i'm just getting a power hum and nothing else.

Bill- I think i'd rather find a new one. finding someone around here to fix it probably won't be rational. I remeber we went to the music store here and a few other places regarding another organ I previously had (which some of the stops didn't work), and they had to get someone from Phoenix and that charges a lot. Everyone here and loccaly just works on modern organs; keyboards.

i'll ask my mom if she can also put an ad up in the paper and on the local radio program that announces things for sale and things wanted. There's a lot of people here that inherit organs from thier family but don't know how to use it, so they donate it to a thrift store. In fact, yesterday we saw an organ at the thirft store (a Baldwin Fantaisa with a full pedalboard). I was so excited!! but I was really bummed out when I turned it on and it made this aweful super loud buzzing sound that didn't stop >>

*continues search*
Thanks a lot for all your help everyone!!
~SIlver

[Krummhorn]

Hi Silver,

Beware of thrift store electronic organs . A thrift store here, where I'm the assistant manager, does not take electronic organs as donations just for that reason. There are exceptions, of course, but 95% of the time, we couldn't be able to sell them for firewood .

[Dorsetmike]

Just had a look through Ebay listings, a company in Colorado has some nice looking Hammonds, but they ain't cheap, well maybe cheap for what they are but $1000 don't grow on trees.

This one caught my eye, about a mile away from here

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Modern-Church-...item4a9e889387

Wonder what price it will eventually go for, any suggestions how much would it be worth bidding? I'm not familiar with the make.

I did see a VPO with quite a large spec of samples, only $20,000 introductory offer!! Now where's my lottery ticket.

[SilverLuna]

Krummhorn- yeah, that's why my dad brought an extension cord. Glad he did!!

My mom just put an ad up in the paper and announced on the radio that I need a new practice organ ASAP. Hopefully someone will call soon!