Who was the manufacturer of the pump organ?
The finer pump organs had a wider range of tones, and the cabinets of those intended for churches and affluent homes were often excellent pieces of furniture. Several million free-reed organs and melodeons were made in the USA and Canada between the 1850s and the 1920s. During this time Estey Organ and Mason & Hamlin were popular manufacturers.
What kind of metal is a pump organ?
The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. More portable than pipe organs, free-reed organs were widely used in smaller churches and in private homes in the 19th century, but their volume and tonal range were limited.
How many manuals does a pump organ have?
They generally had one or sometimes two manuals, with pedal-boards being rare. The finer pump organs had a wider range of tones, and the cabinets of those intended for churches and affluent homes were often excellent pieces of furniture. Several million free-reed organs and melodeons were made in the USA and Canada between the 1850s and the 1920s.
What kind of sound does a pump organ make?
Pump organ. The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed.
Why are pump organs called General reed organs?
However, the one thing that almost all antique organs have in common is, you have to pump them with your feet, as a consequence, the general public came to call them pump organs. But if the truth were known the pump organ industry, the people that built them, always called them reed organs because their sound is produced from brass reeds.
Who was the first person to make a pump organ?
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein (1723–1795), professor of physiology at Copenhagen, was credited with the first free-reed instrument made in the Western world, after winning the annual prize in 1780 from the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg.
Can a pump organ be retrofitted with electric bellows?
An electric bellows unit can be retrofitted to your antique pump orgran so that you can have an option of whether or not to manually pump the organ by foot. Meet the Brass Reed Meet the all-important brass reed. It’s the brass reed that makes the sound we hear when playing a pump organ.
How many pump organs were made in the United States?
At one time or another (generally between 1840 and 1930) there were 653 pump organ manufacturers in the United States. Rod explains how to properly operate the foot pedals on an antique pump organ. One of the products of a pump organ restoration done by Rod Fudge is a photo album showing all aspects of the restoration process.
