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MMD > Archives > March 2016 > 2016.03.10 > 07Prev  Next


Unknown Wurlitzer Band Organ
By Matthew Caulfield

Walt,  Although your band organ probably does play Wurlitzer rolls,
it is certainly in no way a product of Rudolph Wurlitzer Company.  The
general appearance, style, and makeup of the organ is not Wurlitzer's
and the presence of cherubs and statues is a dead give-away to the fact.

It is no doubt a one-of-a-kind band organ.  As such, it probably has
no model number.  Even if it were a Wurlitzer product, there would
none of the manuals, diagrams or other information that you ask for.
It doesn't look like a Stinson Band Organ Company product, although
Stinson was big on statues and cherubs.  Robbie Rhodes is probably
close in suggesting that it looks like a creation of the late Noble
Stidham.

What it is worth is what anyone is willing to pay for it.  They would
of course want to hear how it play and how good it sounds.

In the 04.08.12 MMD Tony Greer writes about his association with Noble
Stidham's Lubbock, Texas, business, Mechanical Systems, Inc., and also
about his part in Stidham's building of the Wurlitzer 165 church-pipe
organ for the late Ray Siou.  Noble Stidham announces in the 02.04.28
MMD his retirement.  That, plus finding on Google mention of a Noble
Stidham Memorial Clubhouse, in Lubbock, suggest to me that Noble is
also dead.

Matthew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York

 [ Noble Stidham died Feb. 26, 2003; he was almost 65.  He operated
 [ Mechanical Systems, Inc., in Lubbock, Texas, until he retired.
 [ Ref. http://caves.org/region/swr/50th/50th%20Anniv.%20SWR%20book.pdf and
 [ http://lubbockonline.com/stories/022703/obi_022703085.shtml#.VuJmGEDizCN 
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Thu 10 Mar 2016, 23:16:25 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Band, Organ, Unknown, Wurlitzer

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