Finally a topic for me :)

Mike Knudsen wrote:
> Two years ago at the Union IL swap meet I purchased a used 20-note
> Deleika monkey/grinder organ, the style that should go on a small cart.
> It's in fine-looking shape and beautifully built inside, looking almost
> new inside and out.  I have a few rolls and have Hal O'Rourke's latest
> catalog of music so I can order some more.

You must have a strange feeling about "fine-looking" things -- there's
indeed lots of music for this scale.  (And hopefully more soon, if Robbie
gets to work ;)

> Question 1:  Are my bellows leaking, and if so, do I have to rebuild
> them or can I try to delay the inevitable by applying a coat of
> Neatsfoot oil to the white leather, or would diluted rubber cement be
> better (ugh)?  This organ can't be more than a few years old, and I'm
> surprised that the bellows leather should be porous already.  I should
> probably shellac the top board and maybe check the flap valves inside
> too.

Well, that is nonsense: this organ never _had_ enough wind.

You say the organ is a few years old.  As I know Deleikas, they all have
these problems, for those organs are not of a good quality.  Indeed, I
have to say that they probably may have learned meanwhile, but those
early organs by them are really unworthy to buy, unless you haven't the
possibility to buy a better and expensive one.

The problem of having little wind, and not being able to play slower or
having fermatas and so on, is also a problem for the little 20-key organ
of Mr. Raffin.  As you may have seen, there is a picture of me with the
bigger one ("Konzert") on the foxtail ftp archive.  This type of 20-key
organ was built by Mr. Raffin exactly because of this problem.

If you look into your Deleika, then you will see that there is only one
"pump" to get the wind.  A friend of ours asked if it would be possible
to have a double-pump-system in the little 20-key organ.  So my father
asked Mr. Raffin for this.  His answer was that there wouldn't be enough
room in the little case of the little 20-key organ.

We said: "Take a bigger case."

"Well, then you have a double-pump-system, but what about the space
inside the case -- it would be quite empty."

"No problem.  Put some registers in it!"

That's the whole story of the "Konzert" 20-key by Mr. Raffin, which is
meanwhile one of his best.

This organ really is a dream for all those people having lots of 20-key
rolls.  You have registers and you have enough wind.  But let me tell
you, if you need more wind and have few rolls, you really should think
about taking a bigger one (perhaps a 30-key), and don't think you must
take a Raffin only 'cause I said so.  (If you do, tell him I told you to
do so.)

There are lots of fine organ-builders.  Some would even create an organ
for you the way you want it to be.  For my part I have to say the roll-
system to be one of the best, because of the little space these things
need.

(In the picture of me, there is a case to be seen on the left-hand side;
in this case we can carry about _30_ rolls containing two to six pieces
of music each).

However, you are free to take the most favourite system of the French:
book music.  You saw them for the Le Ludion organ.  They are a bit better
for playing-techniques.  Rhythm and concert nuts are better served by
that, though.

> Question 2:  There's no "melody" and "accompaniment" division, but the
> scale divides into 9 (double) Dutch Bourdons for the top notes, nicely
> displayed, and 9 single Bourdons hidden under the case.

-- plus the two bass-pipes (doubled) on the left and right of the
displayed ones.  The division for melody and accompaniment for the
"Konzert" was told in one of the MMDs of the last days.

> Any means of throttling these Bourdons would correct the instrument's
> tonal balance and help the bellows problems as well.  I rebuilt my Weber
> Duo-Art grand 20 years ago, so I can probably handle whatever solutions
> I decide upon.  Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hee-hee!  Okay, unscrew the top of the case, then you can take out the
front easily.  (I know the system, for Deleika copied it from Raffin).
Now you can see the two bass pipes. They are doubled each with a second
pipe. If you really want to do it, you can divide them, so you have two
pipes less and perhaps a little more wind; but take my words:  you can
do a lot, but you can't change the fact of having not enough wind.

The only, really _only_ way to get more wind in this "thing" is to take
an old vacuum-cleaner and try to get the wind-creating-part of it inside
of that case.  You will need electricity then, and it makes lots of noise,
but you will have enough wind and you can play as slow as you want.

> PPS: I have another posting coming on my basket-case miniature 33-key
> book-driven pierement.  That will be quite a project!

There you are!  That's an organ!!!

Robbie wrote:
>[ I tried throttling the short air-calliope pipes to tame the shrieking,
>[ but it didn't work well.  Even after changing the "cut-up" (the big
>[ gap between the base and the resonator), it still didn't sound very
>[ good.  I didn't try making a narrower wind gap, which maybe would help.

Sounds not very enchanted ;)    [ It wasn't.  -- Robbie ]

>[ I'll be very interested in following your project, Mike.
>[ Let us know what happens.  -- Robbie

Yes...

greetings by(e)¶
Ingmar Krause¶
ERlanger ORGEL-Trio, Familie Krause, erorgelt@balloon.franken.de

 [ See Ingmar's letter in MMDigest 970319, and be sure to view the
 [ photo at the foxtail ftp archive.  . -- Robbie ]