I BOUGHT A WHOLE CHURCH ORGAN - Part 1 The Organs Removal 

Reading the video title "I bought a church organ" and thinking "yeah, that sounds like a logical next step" is not something you can say about a lot of people

Nice find. That's a bit crazy. One of my friends was an organ builder and had a mini theatre built onto his house with a really excessive theatre organ with lots of systems lashed into one ludicrous console. Sadly he's gone now and was not into the idea of immortalising himself on RU-vid playing four keyboards at once while also using the knee controls and foot pedals. Watching him play it was incredible.

How wonderful! We really hoped this organ wouldn’t end up in a skip … our lovely friend Joan used to play it for us til she got scared of the electrics (understandably!) She’d be so pleased it’s being reassembled again - I think she said it took her and her husband Ron three years when they installed it in the house. It’s certainly ended up with the right person. Thankyou!

If RU-vid existed 50 years ago: Parallel video of some crazy guy going "I bought a church organ and I'm installing it in this house!"

Should have strapped some pipes to the van roof, so they play from the wind as you drive!

Hell yes. That artifact found the exact person it needed to.

I've heard of organ harvesting, just never thought I'd see it happen.

Welcome to my working life for the past 14 years. Looks like you've got quite a task ahead of you. You made the right decision of cutting the cables and deciding to get rid of the old electro-pneumatic mechanical switching system (often called ladder switches). Although reliable when working, the old switching can be a pain to work on and maintain. Your blower looks like a discus, made by Watkins and Watson (company still in existence in Poole) and those things go on forever, with 5 drops of oil on the bearings once a year. Pipework looks in good condition, except the dodgy soldering of the mitred diapason pipes, soldering zinc isn't as hard as you might think with a 400 watt soldering iron! Be careful with the brass reed tongues on that trumpet rank, the slightest bend on those and they'll never speak properly again. If you want any further advice, feel free to get in touch!

Having installed organs in my home, those pneumatic/mechanical relays were pretty common for most of the 1900s, before computers automated the process with solid state relays. Those chests are direct-electric, so once you set up modern relays, the wires from the console (one for each key, and each stop) will feed into the relays, then all the wires will go to each pipe solenoid. The good thing is you can do things one rank at a time. Organs are infinitely scalable. Set up just one of the chests, enough to play and make music. Then worry about the others later

OMG.....I've researched extensively that organ and I was heartbroken when I heard the house was for sale as I knew the organ would be destroyed......but I was overjoyed to find that you rescued it.....it couldn't of gone to a better home.....you do realise pipe organs were the original additive synthesisers......I used to work as a piano and organ tuner but ill health has got in the way however if you need help voicing and or tuning I'd happily volunteer for free......the only condition is I wanna play some of those fantastic synths you got

when that was installed it was a literal labour of love by him, for her. So happy to see that it's going to continue making music

Happy to offer assistance with the rebuild on this, knew it would only be a matter of time before a pipe organ appeared ! We are busy building our own museum in Melton Mowbray with three pipe organs, and around 50 Harmoniums at the moment so feel your pain !

This Museum Is Not Obsolete Is Open This Weekend. however it probably wont be up and running by then :D

As an organist, I can tell you I would do literally anything to have a pipe organ in my home! You have been REALLY lucky to have found such a good bargain

I expect you to install this on a Uboot and use that to travel to Sonar.

If my wife ever complains about me having too much gear, I'll just show her this video.

looking forward for part 2! That looks like a real pain in the arse to assemble.

Why am I so happy that you were the one person in the world who obtained this thing? I am absolutely delighted.

This is remarkable. Imagine the love that man had to have rebuilt this whole thing at home for his wife

So pleased it's you that nabbed this. I actually had that house come up on rightmove when we were househunting a while back. I was briefly tempted as it's in a nice area and probably 20% bigger after the organectomy too, but it was scary to think what horrors the panelled-in organ cupboards were hiding. Turns out the owner made quite a few "mods" to the brickwork, so possibly a lucky swerve.

Fair play to the husband, he did an amazing installation job.

Surprisingly this is the first time I've thought "Sam, this is a bit much..." But for real I would love it if someday you could let us send our MIDI files to the organ to be recorded. I've been dying for that ever since Rob Scallon did MIDI on a pipe organ.

Imagine walking the streets in 1980 and hearing the ominous tones of a pneumatic church organ from "somewhere in the neighborhood". I can imagine that was a humorous conversation for the locals.

You can literally feel the love that guy had to install all that in the house. It's almost a shame it's coming out but i think they'd be happy it's going to be used...idk what true love is but i gotta believe that's what it looks like.

i've seen that organ before! Glad it's going to a good home. I hope it has MIDI over telephone over IP so I can plug my midi controller into USB and email some notes to it :)

Absolute props to the husband who did that setup for his wife. That's incredible! It's almost sad to see it undone, but I'm sure you'll do it justice and keep the music going!

This is quickly becoming the Museum Of Large Machines With Insane Amounts Of Wiring In Them.

So glad you rescued this pipe organ. I used to play the pipe organ and felt really sentimental when I heard your gameboy playing through its relay, so I had to come back and start with part 1. I really love what you play and build with synthesizers, and +1 to whomever first pointed out that the pipe organ was the first additive synthesizer! I feel very much that they go together!

I'm amazed by the scale of projects that you take on! This looks like it's going to be a big one.

Somehow you manage to do every outlandish musical project I've ever dreamed of. You're an absolute legend mate

I’m speechless just thinking of the amount of work he did to adapt it and fit it to their house and of course live with it 😂 There’s a man who loved his wife!

You pulled out all the stops for this video!

The scale of your projects is incredible! Maximum respect and admiration

This is going to be a great series.

The blower is meant to swing “loose” it’s how the noise from the blower motor is insulated from the rest of the organ , my dad has a similar blower connected to his home built fairground organ , it’s also midi controlled and can duet with another one he’s also built , have fun , it will be worth it in the end , the solenoids run best between 12 and 15 volts from memory

I helped pack up a "home" pipe organ for a move, when I was a kid. It literally took up the entire basement of the house. I received a three wooden pipes he didn't want as a gift. They still sit in my parents house 45 years later. We used to play them by using the output side of a canister vacuum cleaner.

Oh Cool. I'm interested to see what you do with it. A local church gave me their 600 pipe organ complete with 1920's console, wind chests, fans and a whole lot of wires. I want to install it in the attic of my house and tie it into my MIDI synth rig. Just need the time.

Dude, if you restore it, you'll probably become a saint right away. There is an incredible job ahead. I wish you strength for this.💪 I believe you can do it!

There is nothing in all things that man has created for sound that can eclipse the synergistic collision of utterly amazing engineering of resonant pipes and metered air to create an ethereal sound than a grand cathedral pipe organ. It's on the level of making the Space Shuttle. All grand pipe organs should be preserved as such. The cathedral, or room, does become a integral part of the final sound too of such a beast.

I will be amazed if you get that entire thing put back together and playable again. So many wires.

I get a very Howard Jones vibe off this fella. That's a compliment :)👍

Just imagine how much the husband cherished his wife to install this! I'm envisioning the couple from "UP". Also I bet this thing is full of lead dust and asbestos, I'd wear a respirator!!

That's awesome. It is fortunate you found it otherwise I guess it would have gone to scrap which would have been such a terrible loss. Looking forward to watching the rebuild.

I love how you keep finding new stuff, learning about it, and finding a way to use/preserve it. Pipe organs are amazing when handled and set up properly, and there are lots of modern control systems with full MIDI support available nowadays. Most mechanical parts are also still available from organ supply houses, so they are almost always fully repairable. It takes a lot of labor, but it's usually plenty worth it. If you want to see a really epic restoration of a pipe organ, check out the Boardwalk Hall organ in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's the largest one in the world, and is being restored by a relatively small team!

The work someone put into this is amazing. Can’t wait to see it up and running.

I know several people who have done this, I have been involved in classical and theatre organs for 14 years. Pipe organs can take up lots of space, especially once you start taking them apart, you find that rooms are completely taken over. One thing I will say is that I hope you have someone involved in a professional capacity to help you with this project, you have well and truly jumped in at the deep end. From the way the pipes have been stacked in the van and moved, I would expect some damage straight off, particularly on the metal pipes. However, congratulations on becoming an organ nut! It's like owning an antique car from the 1920s.

Considering how intensive removing and in some cases there, CUTTING the damn thing out was... I can't even begin to imagine how crazy that will be to reassemble! Wishing you the best of luck, looking forward to seeing it up and running.

IT ALREADY WORKS CHECK PART 2 HERE :- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mWACB04iKT8.html

Sam, I'm following your channel for many years, and this is by far the most crazy thing you've ever done! Good feckin' luck putting that together...

Nice to see this poor instrument has been saved. The lack of interest arises from the many other instruments available in the UK, and the fact that it has been messed with by non-organ builders when installed in the house. And it lost it's wooden structure, too. However, the pipework and soundboards look OK, so you will probably manage to get something out of it. The soundboars all seem to be electric type (Roosevelt), which are easy to manage. For the minor repairs on the pipework, I would get it done by a proper pipe maker. This won't be too expensive, and really worth it. People as Kevin Rutterford or Terry Shires would make a great job. You can also contact people such as the EMCOA, they might have good advices for you. Good luck!

This is going to be your version of Furze's tunnel. So glad to be along for the ride on this one.

As a controls electrician I can honestly say I have had nightmares about people cutting wires the way you did. I am really glad I am not the one that has to figure out that mess.

The wannamaker organ group have done some great organ restoration videos that might help put this back together/explain why the pipe valves are done like they are! Looks like an awesome project and good luck, can't wait to see you get it going again.

This has been one of my childhood dream. Building a large organ into a living room. But that would only become an option if you have a large house and can play the instrument... It's such a beautiful artwork and really showcases how powerful synthesizers are. I though the next crazy addition to your museum would have been a Scanimate - but this tops it.

I am loving the chaos of this find, doesn't look too bad to redo the wiring for another kind of installation, but I am hyped to see what comes of this

WOW! That’s funny as last time I was in Cambridge I think it was Kings College - they were tuning up the organ and it was an amazing thing to experience. Actually thought of it as a massive synth!! The low notes were crazy and go right through you! I almost felt part of the sine wave 😂It’s incredible. Hope you have nice neighbours 😂

This is what I think the Aphex Twin's house/studio looks like. You've gone down a VERY BIG rabbit hole with this project... see you in 20 years on Songs of Praise.

11:55 Oh wow a Selenium Rectifier! As fun as it may be to get them going again, there's two big reasons not to, efficiency, and the smell when they fail. Apparently they have a huge voltage drop, and some other weird properties, so it's not just a straight forward replacement with silicon diodes. That stuff was before my grand dads time.

I step away from this channel for a month to focus on a work assignment and this is what you get up to. This will be a fun project to watch.

This is such a cool purchase. For fixing it, as you will certainly need to while building it, i'd like to recommend this book I got a while ago, and it's mostly for building a new one, but it also has very good tips for fixing organs. Book: "Organ Building for Amateurs" by Mark Wicks.

Well... being an organist myself with some experience in organ building (not practical, only theoretical, except tuning of the reed pipes) I was interested, when I read the title. I wouldn't say that I kept shaking my head throughout the video, but I kept shaking my head throughout the video... you have maybe some luck, the organ isn't that large, maybe 10-12 ranks. The way you packed the pipes, hm, was not.... the best, so to say. I hope that nothing broke while transporting. Anyways, I'm interested in the way you will work with this thing. Especially, like you mentioned, the implimentation of MIDI via Arduinos. This could open up a whole new world to this organ. With this type of windchests (the chests the pipes are placed on) you are able to trigger every pipe individually. A combination of the old console wirh the new technology would be a really hilarious thing. You would make a great contribution to the organ world. An organ itself is not to different to a synthesizer, in a way. In an organ, just like in a synth, you are able to mix the sounds in the way you like. You have different sets of sounds which are more or less different from another, but mix in very beautiful ways. So the combination synth + pipe organs makes more sense than you might think at first For tuning and overall service I would ask an organ builder for help. I think they would have a ton of fun with you, just like you, organ builders are always a bid crazy. In the best way, of course!

As an organist I was really looking forward to this video!

I run one of only three organ control system trade manufacturers in the UK. I'm also an organ enthusiast though not an organ craftsperson. I'm not trying to flog you a control system but do let me know if you want a bit of advice on that side of things. Your instrument basically has four 'ranks' of pipes. These are played in different octaves by the various stops. The 'action' on your instrument is mostly direct electric but some of the bass sections use electro-pnuematic action whereby electromagnets let air into (or out of) a small bellows which in turn operates the valves (or pallets to use the correct name). All the best with your project.

Seriously? You are incredible

Would be wonderful if there was a TV report on this from 1975 when this was installed, something like Nationwide or Tomorrow World or Blue Peter, or whatever the equivalent of Grand Designs was.

This is seriously the maddest thing I've seen on the internet for weeks!

On a Bonkers scale from 1-100 this project is at 10000 😱

Now you can start the Church of No Computer where you worship Mum.

There’s a term for what that organ is right now, and I’ll rearrange a few letters to make it family-friendly. Fustercluck This here is a WHOLE LOT of mess that I know you’ll make amazing, it just is a big tangled dirty fustercluck.

flathead screws really make you respect your grandparents even more.

I used to do some consulting with a guy that travelled across the US doing church organ repair and maintenance. I don't know if he would be glad that you're trying to preserve this bit of history or mortified at the chop job you've done. 😁 As far as I'm concerned, it's always fun to see how this old technology worked and was put together, long before we even knew what "solid state" was. Look forward to seeing how you put it all back together. I'm sure it will be a fun adventure no matter what. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, that house was bonkers, I'm surprised it wasn't shaken to bits! Crazy project, but a great salvage and if anyone can make it work, then its you. This Museum is not Obsolete is really becoming an incredible eclectic collection, love it!

As a “techie” (I’m currently restoring a Viscount Grand Opera digital church organ - 1990s Italian electronics!!!) and an active church organist; thank you for saving this amazing instrument from becoming scrap metal. I fully agree that it should be MIDI enabled at some point, with a dial up modem to allow people to send music files to it (9600,8,n,1) via dial up.

Crikey, you don't do things by half, do you? Love how you find this and with barely a second thought or a clue how big it is, you go and pick it up! Proper sense of adventure, that! I wonder is there a way of letting people control the organ remotely like the telephone exchange, but a musical version! Could be dangerous for one's lugs! 👂😱😂 That organ couldn't have found a better new home! You're living my dream!

Sam! you are an amazing human being! thank you for saving such a treasure from the garbage!! incredible!

Mate, you are insane in the best possible way! Seriously wow what a project. I thought the phone stuff was crazy enough!

Of coures you have. Keep being you mate you are the best.

I'm WELL impressed you got that into the van.

To me, a computer nerd, this makes as much sense as restoring a 1950s vacuum tube computer just so you can see it calculate trigonometry functions. Obsolete means obsolete, even if it's in perfect working order.

Man, that's crazy. May I have a suggestion for the next project : what about buying a second-hand nuclear submarine with control voltage and those pipes so you can imitate whales sounds with it ? You know, just going a little bit over the normality of your usual ideas.

Just found this channel, this looks insane! I can't wait for part 2 Instant subscribe!

I helped move my dads player pipe organ 3 times. Smallest pipe - less than a foot, largest 16’. Fun times! Good luck!! 😆👍

transporting and re-installing a church organ is much more of a project than I'd ever expect from a youtuber. Good luck, if you manage it, you'll earn my respect.

14:50 actually it's Tin or pewter!!! That's traditionally what mostly organ pipes are made of! I really doubt it's zinc because zinc is more white and blue in color! 😉

I'm captivated. I'm imagining a kind old lady hiring a organ builder to move this into her home. And in so curious how you guys will get it working again!

I had the privilege of having a look inside the organ of Stoke Minster when I was younger. Bizarrely, that organ started life installed in a house before being moved to the church in 1921! The organ has 4 manuals so quite ostentatious for a house organ, but perfect for a large church

My friend John owns a house in Hastings that was built by two married organists in the early 1900s, and I believe it came with all the trimmings you'd expect, which they sold on. The long and short of it is they have a 2-story theatre in the middle of the house where the organs were installed, and it's one of the coolest and most unique buildings I've ever set foot in. xD

What a great project you have here! - my teenage son (who plays church organ too) and I watched the full video and, honestly, initially doubted you would manage to remove the organ from that house in any useful way. Pretty cool trick to abandon the nasty wiring and skip the archaic electronics altogether and bring MIDI in instead. Hope you get the MIDI-fied organ up and running soon!

hahahahaha you legend! I saw this and thought they were going to destroy it or something. The pipe organ discord server would love to get in contact and help in any way we can

I live in Bristol. I was wondering who had bought this organ from Bristol that was recently auctioned on Ebay. Due to health problems I recently donated my own house pipe organ, (a fully working but much smaller instrument), to a church in Corby after there were no successful bidders on the Ebay auction. I provided pipe storage crates and also assistance with dismantling for what was an easily transportable organ that even used plugs and sockets for the wiring. I know it has now been reassembled by people with no knowledge of organ building but am still waiting to hear from the church that they have got it working again. Best of luck with rebuilding your new acquisition. You will find it of immense help if you can find a local pipe organ enthusiast to assist in getting it to work again. (There are still some of us about). -See if you have a local Organist's Association who may know someone. I am amazed that you actually fitted such a large instrument into that van. My past experience has been that it should not have been possible.

Forget the removal, think about the installation back in the day, WOW!

You made my day when buying the old mainframe, but the organ is something else ! I wish i could be in your area, i would definitely come over and try to help you in this adventure :)

That is crazy, and I love it, and you're a natural to give it a good home. I salute that crazy organist who wanted to adopt the organ when the church got repurposed, and her crazy husband who said "ok, sure, I'll remodel the house around it", and the crazy guy who came along 50 years later to adopt it again! How was it even played there? It looks like she would have had to strap on a climbing harness and hang in the stairwell. I don't know anything about organ building. My first impulse seeing all of that telephone wire would be to terminate things like the keyboard at punchdown blocks, then make the bulk interconnects with 25-pair phone cables, so it could come apart and go back together more easily if you ever have to move it again. It looked like it was just wired in place at the house, so hacking out the cables was your only viable option.

Could not have gone to a better home. The Guy was obviously a legend to have built this into the house in the first place. Respect is due. Good luck with the re-build and keep up the good work, Dude.

Best video of the century! Look mum no constructeur :)

Fun fact , pipe organs were the first ever analog electromechanical , air powered synthesizers .

At first I was thinking that maybe this was too big of a chunk for you to chew, but afterall, you're such a madlad that you will rebuild this into something uber cool, I'm sure of it!

A shame to remove such a quirk and beautiful installation. The fact that a couple had this in their attic for 50 years is crazier than anything you could possibly do with it. So romantic!

This is totally mad! I love it I would not have thought such an organ would use telephone wires and solenoids, but it makes total sens

When you think that touring with DIY non standard modular synth was too easy so you have to start touring with actual church sized organ :D