Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration - Page 3 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Hunts smoothing bomb · 29th Mar 2015, 9:58 am

Any more progress as of yet Lucien?

Herald1360 · 29th Mar 2015, 10:48 am

I expect the Ally Pally TX has sidelined other stuff......

Lucien Nunes · 29th Mar 2015, 1:10 pm

No, sorry, the organ is sitting here in the workshop poised for action but time has been a bit tricky recently. Not only as Herald says with the transmitter recovery but also 'proper' work being busy at the moment - 7 day weeks and 16 hour days - which limit restorations to the early hours of the morning.

I'm looking forward to picking this and a couple of other restorations up again soon...

Hunts smoothing bomb · 29th Jul 2015, 2:20 pm

Hi Lucien,

Didn't want to seem like I was nagging but just thought I'd ask if you had made any progress on the organ?

I have since picked up a twin manual complete with bass pedals home entertainments organ made by Sidney S Bird of Poole Dorset, it uses neon lamps in the dividers and valves in the master oscillators, vibrato and amplification. It works a bit but needs lots doing.

All the best

Mike Phelan · 29th Jul 2015, 2:52 pm

I serviced a few Bird organs years ago.
The sound was distinctive as the dividers gave sawtooth waves instead of the usual square waves.

The neon dividers gave many problems if I recall.

Lucien Nunes · 31st Jul 2015, 7:26 pm

Hi, sorry about my extended absence again - as I've related in the members news thread things got a bit heavy-going and I had to duck out of all vintage activities for a while. The organ is still here but under wraps and has not been touched by screwdriver or iron since I last posted. Hopefully I can pick up all these things where I left off, now that the hellish work pressure has abated.

The idea of starting out with a nice simple little restoration to write a thread about, before tacking one of the larger instruments, was rather spectacularly eclipsed a few weeks ago. As part of a larger project, I was commissioned to bring back to life and present to an audience, in just a few days, a rare and fascinating instrument at the other end of the scale. 348 oscillators using 172 ECC82s, and more out-of-spec paper caps that you can shake a stick at, made for an interesting experience. But that is the subject of another thread and I will return to the little Burge any time now.

I have never played or worked on a Bird. We do however have a neon divider organ, a little Hohner spinet, that could be the subject of another thread soon.

29th Mar 2015, 9:58 am	#41
Hunts smoothing bomb Octode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wimborne, Dorset, UK. Posts: 1,407	Re: Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration Any more progress as of yet Lucien? __________________ Lee

29th Mar 2015, 10:48 am	#42
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration I expect the Ally Pally TX has sidelined other stuff...... __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O

29th Mar 2015, 1:10 pm	#43
Lucien Nunes Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London, UK. Posts: 2,508	Re: Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration No, sorry, the organ is sitting here in the workshop poised for action but time has been a bit tricky recently. Not only as Herald says with the transmitter recovery but also 'proper' work being busy at the moment - 7 day weeks and 16 hour days - which limit restorations to the early hours of the morning. I'm looking forward to picking this and a couple of other restorations up again soon...

29th Jul 2015, 2:20 pm	#44
Hunts smoothing bomb Octode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wimborne, Dorset, UK. Posts: 1,407	Re: Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration Hi Lucien, Didn't want to seem like I was nagging but just thought I'd ask if you had made any progress on the organ? I have since picked up a twin manual complete with bass pedals home entertainments organ made by Sidney S Bird of Poole Dorset, it uses neon lamps in the dividers and valves in the master oscillators, vibrato and amplification. It works a bit but needs lots doing. All the best __________________ Lee

29th Jul 2015, 2:52 pm	#45
Mike Phelan Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Near Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Posts: 4,609	Re: Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration I serviced a few Bird organs years ago. The sound was distinctive as the dividers gave sawtooth waves instead of the usual square waves. The neon dividers gave many problems if I recall. __________________ Mike.

31st Jul 2015, 7:26 pm	#46
Lucien Nunes Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London, UK. Posts: 2,508	Re: Electronic (valve) home organ Restoration Hi, sorry about my extended absence again - as I've related in the members news thread things got a bit heavy-going and I had to duck out of all vintage activities for a while. The organ is still here but under wraps and has not been touched by screwdriver or iron since I last posted. Hopefully I can pick up all these things where I left off, now that the hellish work pressure has abated. The idea of starting out with a nice simple little restoration to write a thread about, before tacking one of the larger instruments, was rather spectacularly eclipsed a few weeks ago. As part of a larger project, I was commissioned to bring back to life and present to an audience, in just a few days, a rare and fascinating instrument at the other end of the scale. 348 oscillators using 172 ECC82s, and more out-of-spec paper caps that you can shake a stick at, made for an interesting experience. But that is the subject of another thread and I will return to the little Burge any time now. I have never played or worked on a Bird. We do however have a neon divider organ, a little Hohner spinet, that could be the subject of another thread soon.