Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

Spring Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > February 2007 > 2007.02.17 > 14Prev  Next


Wurlitzer Organ Pitch & Tuning Organ Bells
By Bill Finch

> We have read and heard that it is impossible or undesirable to try
> to drag a band organ to standard pitch; that they are what they are
> and that's how they were made.

I have a Wurlitzer 145B and it is quite happy to play at concert
(A=440) pitch.  All pipes speak well and the tuning slides are not at
an end position.  A=440 was first used by the Paris conservatory in
1812 and finally adapted as an international standard in 1939.  A=440
was the US standard since 1925.

This particular 145B was built in 1928. Its ability to play in standard
pitch was probably accidental.

When I tune an unknown organ I usually tune it to standard pitch and if
some pipes won't speak well I'll try those pipes at another pitch and
if they speak well then I'll use that pitch as a basis for retuning the
whole organ.

A=440 chromatic bells can be re plumbed in half steps to match an off
pitch chromatic organ.  The organ is then re tuned to that standard.
If you have a non chromatic Wurlitzer organ with Wurlitzer bells then
just tune the organ to the bell pitch.

Retuning bell bars is a fool's errand.  Good luck.  It's possible to
sharpen the tone but you really need to devise new mounting dimensions
so that the mount points coincide with nodal points.  Otherwise the
bells sound clunky rather than ringy.

But I get carried away...
Bill Finch


(Message sent Sat 17 Feb 2007, 22:14:39 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Bells, Organ, Pitch, Tuning, Wurlitzer

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page