Tuning & Maintenance – In order to keep an instrument in good playing condition, it is wise to maintain and tune regularly. When visiting an instrument to tune, any faults noted in the tuning book are investigated and, where possible, corrected. If the fault is severe, the organist will be left a note in the tuning book, and also contacted with more information and advice as to the work required. The temperature and relative humidity will also be noted in the book.
Cleaning & Overhaul Work – Every organ, irrespective of its pedigree, will require cleaning and a partial or complete overhaul in due course. The time between cleaning & overhauls will vary hugely depending on the type and location of the building in which the organ is housed. City instruments tend to become dirtier due to traffic pollution and general grime. Rural parish instruments frequently suffer from cobwebs and damp. We offer ‘staged’ overhaul options, where possible, to suit a client’s finances as we understand all too well it may not be affordable to overhaul the entire instrument in one go.
Rebuilding & Relocation – Rebuilding can mean many different things to as many people. We feel that it covers everything - electrification of pneumatic actions, revision of organ layout and the winding system, adding of stops/unit chests, tonal revision, and moving an instrument, either within a building, or to a completely new location. We undertake construction of building frames, and designs for layout of an instrument, to suit available space, ensuring that the organ can speak as well as possible into the building.
Polyphone – A welcome addition to the pedal department of any organ is a good bass foundation pedal stop. We are pleased to offer new 32ft Polyphone units. The note chambers can be on the front of the pipe or the reverse, depending on suitability. The Polyphone is a copy of the Compton design. The Polyphone in a good acoustic can be a sensational addition to your instrument’s specification, but must be sited outside the organ case, or at least the mouth must speak through an aperture in the case. If the Polyphone is contained within the case, the concussive sound waves can cause ‘fluttering’ of the treble flue pipes. We can manufacture and install your Polyphone, or supply only.
Dismantling & Clearing of Redundant Organs – Where possible, it is generally preferable to relocate an organ somewhere it will continue to be used. We offer a complete organ-removals service, where we carefully extract the organ from its current position, noting every detail of its inner workings, and provide a custom fit in its new home. Sometimes it is impossible to find a home for a redundant instrument, and it sadly has to be scrapped. In these cases, we will also remove and clear a site, on a cost only basis, our profit being taken from any parts that can be reused in future.