What is the worst classical electronic organ you have played?

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha Lars - Bingo!!! A real Conn-traption. I remember visiting a Lutheran Church which had a Conn that 'popped' awfully, terribly, horribly much - The poor sod who was organist practically cried after the service in embarrassment.

At a private party the other day some musicians, amongst others, four horn players and 8 Double bassists were exchanging pleasantries - In comes the guest conductor and points to one of the horn players and bleats: there's the con-artist! The bassists all roared with laughter since they knew he played a horn built by Conn.

Cheers,

CD

[Clarion]

Except for the theater models, the Conn "classical" line sounded (to me) like the sound was emitting from a megaphone - it was very brittle . . .

In defence of Conn, IMO, with their independent tone generation system, they were the most wonderful sounding organs of their day. My first organ was a Conn Rhapsody (627? two manual, 25 note pedalboard), which I bought right after we bought our first house in the late 1960s. Even my organ teacher drooled with envy over the instument. There wasn't anything else around in that day that could touch a Conn!

One summer Sunday morning way back then, we attended a small-medium sized country church. As we walked up the walkway to the front doors, I was surprized to hear a pipe organ, and a good one, at such a small church. When we got into the church, the wonderful sounding English-Romantic pipe organ, turned out to be a Conn spinet!!

Indeed, Conn theatre organs were the very best of the best; and with later Artist and 3 manual organs they were starting to get the hang of classical stuff. And then they quit; obviously the brainchild of bean counter who didn't like organs!!

I often wonder, what kind of instruments they would be producing today, not to mention the mark they would have set for the competition; if they hadn't quit way back then.

[Desmond Crawford]

Oh my Lord - To play a Conn Organ...Does that make one a Conn artist???

Luckily I have not been the victim of such retrograde electronic turpitude - Just last week I visited an Army base in California where I got to launch an incendiary round from an M1 Abrams at a two-manual Conn...What a magnificent fireball that erupted - The Conn was instantly vaporised...

Cheers,

CD

CD,

I wanted desperately to do what you did- to a nasty little beast called a
Conn "Caprice". I had to settle for burning it instead. It was a true mouse
hotel. And yes, since I own a 651 Theater model, I am literally a Conn artist!
;p lol

Cheers!

Mark

[wljmrbill]

I think overall the worse I played was a Hammond as far as classical goes.. They are good for popular stuff, gospel music, etc. I have an old conn 2 manual 25 pedal rhapsody which I still play occasionally. but like my virtual organ the best as far as sound goes. I do remember many times arriving to play for a friends' funeral,wedding,or service and had to face various beasts to conquer and make sound the best I could. So I have played many brands and models in my day. There always seem to be a "worse" within each brand I have found.

[Ntalikeris666]

There is a 60's Yamaha (sounds like DEATH!) electronic organ in the Conservatorioum in which i go, which is bad from every single aspect... I am not sure if it is even functional now, (by the way its not intended for organ repertoir but it still has 25 radial concave pedal notes) but I recall once that I tryed it...and i can assure you Its sound could easily bring a headache to anyone.

[rmaryman]

gee - I'm surprised that no one has thus far metioned the uniquely AWFUL Baldwin model 5 ! That had the worst sounding stops..the flutes were like the clarinet were like the strings or principals were like the trumpet...and vibrato by varying the touch on the keys or pedals...UGH!
I guess that everyone has their preferences, I always have preferred the Rogers to the Allen with only one exception...a fully custom Allen that had 6 racks of generators, and the best 32' sounding stops eminating from a room full of EV-30 speakers. I hear the Fox Touring organs (all of them) and to me the Rogers were far better than the Allen, but that' just MY opinion.
Rick in VA

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Rick,

I just noticed some of your posts and that you are an organbuilder from Staunton, VA. If my memory serve me the firm of Lively-Fulcher operates in the same town. Anyway, please do feel most welcome here.

Cheers,

CD

[ellll]

All the less than good units have been named, but to comment on the issue of the H series Hammond as used by Clarion; I have the H-262 with 3 leslie built by me or altered with my own spacing and speeds of less than 8 turns a min possible/....

It is a good sub with the usual complaints... The best thing is the I and II harmonics drawbar as well as 4 pedal drawbars... I bought it for under 300.. (can't remember) and it is faultless and allows at least some upper harmonics..

So.. it IS usable if you SLOW down the orig Leslie speed ..(If you can afford a Leslie...)

But I also had a 9 rk pipe organ in my old home so ...I am of course generally VERY dissatisfied...

Regards

[Krummhorn]

gee - I'm surprised that no one has thus far metioned the uniquely AWFUL Baldwin model 5 !

I played one of those model 5's once ... it was hooked up to Conn pipes, which improved the flute sounds, but severely wounded the crap out of the rest of the ensemble. Baldwin reeds through Conn pipes had to be the worst sound my ears ever had heard, and forget about adding tremolo ... the brays of a donkey in heat were much nicer

[wljmrbill]

Oh I had to laugh at that one Lars...Donkey bray vs organ

[rmaryman]

Hi Rick,

I just noticed some of your posts and that you are an organbuilder from Staunton, VA. If my memory serve me the firm of Lively-Fulcher operates in the same town. Anyway, please do feel most welcome here.

Cheers,

CD

Lively-Fulcher is primarily out of Washington DC (northern VA) and they have an ancillary operation in Rocky Mount VA which is a to-the-trade supplier for consoles, windchests, and cabinetry/facade building. Taylor and Boody is just outside (the city of) Staunton. I used to live a few houses away from George Taylor when we first moved to this area 20-some years ago. I have several friends/acquaintances that work at T&B. They do only new work or historically significant rebuild work, and maintain only their own instruments. Much of my work is on existing organs tuning/maintenance/rebuilds, solid-state upgrades and the like...so I am not competing with T&B, we serve different niches of the organ market. that said, there are a number of other firms such as mine in this area so there's lots of competition for the work that is out there.
Rick M

[Corno Dolce]

I played one of those model 5's once ... it was hooked up to Conn pipes, which improved the flute sounds, but severely wounded the crap out of the rest of the ensemble. Baldwin reeds through Conn pipes had to be the worst sound my ears ever had heard, and forget about adding tremolo ... the brays of a donkey in heat were much nicer

Blessed Krummhorn,

Thanx for some much needed comic relief (Donkey Bray) - My ribs hurt because of such hard laughter. Again, thanx a bunch.

[Pat17]

During my vacation back at home, I was playing the Galanti X365 on which I learnt organ playing... I realised how much progress have been done ever since the 70's!

[mikebarias]

do you have a good preset drawbar pattern for XK1 Hammond, ?