The Initial Purchase

Ever since becoming fascinated with the organ I have wanted a practice instrument in my home. I knew it was a pipe dream (groan) but the thought floated through my head from time to time anyway. If I had the right space, I would go for a modestly sized instrument loaded with German Baroque flavor. In my current house, it would need to be much smaller. A Moller Artiste would be great, but they seem to hold their value relatively well keeping them out of my price range. I've had at least five people say someone they know has an electronic organ they want to get rid of. I turned all five down, thinking that if the opportunity for real pipes came along, I didn't want to be stuck with and old 'toaster'. Besides, those probably weren't AGO standard consoles.

One day in January, 2009 I was browsing around on ebay and stumbled across a listing for a small instrument that needed some work. After sending emails back and forth with the seller I learned that it was more of an assemblage of parts that could become an instrument rather than an instrument that simply needed repairs. It was located in Wichita, KS about 5 hours south of me (Lincoln, NE). It would need to be removed within one week of the end of the auction and would require two full-size pickups or a moving van to haul it.

I tried really hard to talk myself out of it: "You don't know anything about organbuilding." "You already work two jobs and run a small landscaping company. When will you find time to build this thing?" "This will end up being a money pit." "Okay, seriously now. Do you really want this in your house?" I mulled this over for a few days and discussed it with a few fellow organists. I got dimensions from the seller, measured the living room, and made some sketches. I answered my own questions: "True, but I can learn. Besides, organ building isn't rocket science. Wind + electric circuit + pipe = music." "True, but every landscaper needs a good winter project." "Maybe. But I waste almost 45 minutes driving to church and back every time I want to practice. If you put a value on that time the project will eventually pay for itself. And, if I get a steady organist position that will help pay for it too." "Of course! How cool would it be to have a pipe organ in the house!"

The opening bid was well within my price range and I had nothing else to do that weekend. I placed my bid and anxiously watched the clock tick down. I was the first and only bidder and it was mine!

My brother and I each drove our pickups to Wichita the following Saturday leaving at 4am. I spent the whole trip down wondering what I had gotten myself into. The weather was nice for January, 40 degrees and sunny. We arrived at the seller's house and found a basement full of organ parts. He is an organ technician and over the years the spare parts just piled up. He was moving and didn't have room for everything at the new place. It took some time to sort through all the parts to figure out what went and what stayed. We built pipe trays on site and moved all the parts out of the basement and set everything on the back lawn as we decided the best way to pack it all. By 6pm it was loaded and it barely fit into the pickups. I spent the entire trip back still wondering what I had gotten myself into. We were back at the house by midnight and took the time to unpack and move everything into the basement before calling it a day.

The initial purchase included:

Console: Reuter 638. 2 manual (61 note) + pedal (32 note). 29 unified stops derived from 5 ranks, plus 21 note Deagan chimes (prep) & tremulant. Crescendo and swell shoes.  Originally from St. Paul's UCC in Kahoka, MO
Blower: Kenetic. Supposedly 4" wp
Reservoir: Unknown builder
Tremulant: Wurlitzer
Open Diapason: 8' 4' 73 pipes. Unknown builder
Gedeckt: 16' - 2' 97 pipes. Unknown builder
Dulciana: 8' 4' 73 pipes.  From a church in Ajax, ON.  Unknown builder?
Oboe: 8' 61 pipes. From Ajax, ON
Windchests for the above ranks. From Ajax, ON
Assorted parts