Hurdy-Gurdy / Monkey Organ
By Bob Conant
Charles,
OK, what you are looking for is a small street organ or monkey organ. An old one in unrestored condition may cost between $500 and $5000 depending on scarcity, desirability and condition. Harvey Roehl has had two of these restored and had to have the case entirely replaced. There is generally a lot of inlay or marquettry on these cabinets and it takes some very special skills to do one. The innards can also be a problem, especially the barrel. Normally the gear on the end of the barrel is made of wood and frequently must be replaced, no small task. The barrels themselves may be in poor condition also. There was an article recently I think in the MBSI Journal about constructing a new barrel. Then of course it must be pinned. Some barrels have survived fairly well and may only need some repair. Unless you restore the unit yourself, you are probably looking at a total of $5000 to $10000 to end up with a restored machine. If you purchase one already restored, you are looking at the same general price range. A few special models might even run more than this.
An alternative would be to look for a new or slightly used organ. Raffin makes a fantastic sounding street organ in several sizes. The prices will range from about $6000 to nearly $20000. These are paper roll machines and there is a lot of music available. The contact for these organs is Hal O'Rourke in Lanexa, Virginia.
Also available is the Jagger and Brommer organ which comes in several sizes also. They make one model that is worn around the neck and has the stick to support it. Sometimes this size organ has been called a "belly organ" because it's worn and played on ones belly. I think the J and B belly organ is around $5000. Ron Bopp in Joplin, MO, is the contact.
There is also the Pell organ which can be learned about from Angelo Rulli in St Paul, MN. The Hofbauer organ can also be found in prices ranging from around $8000 to nearly $40000. There are a number of other manufacturers of small organs and many are advertised in the MBSI Bulletins.
I hope this has helped in your quest.
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(Message sent Fri 2 Feb 1996, 17:40:54 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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