Dear MMDers,  Marc Elbasani wrote in MMD 990218 regarding the
Tilden Park organ identity:

> ...  the Ruth organs of Waldkirch are known to have stopped flutes in
> front of the trumpets (as helpers), whereas Bruder organs have cellos.
> ... in front of the trumpets, I see quite clearly a rank of stopped
> flutes that are the same number and at half length of the trumpets.
> Unless this is a chop by B.A.B., I think what we have here is a Ruth!
> Opinions anyone?

I would just like to make the point that there are several "Bruder"
organs made by different companies in Waldkirch, Germany.  Probably
most well known is the Gebruder Bruder.  However, almost equally well
known is the Wilhelm Bruder Sohne (literally Wilhelm Bruder's sons,
Wilhelm being one of the Bruder brothers in Gebruder Bruder).  There
was also Alfred Bruder and Ignaz Bruder who built organs in their own
factories.  People commonly talk about Bruder organs but don't define
which one they are talking about.

Regarding the trumpet helper pipes, my large Wilhelm Bruder Sohne organ
has 17 trumpets on the front of the main chest with the resonators
pointing downward.  They are connected to the chest by a separate small
block for each pipe.  On top of each block is the corresponding stopped
flute helper pipe, very similar to most Ruths.  Thus, flute helper
pipes do not define Ruth or rule out "Bruder", in this case Wilhelm
Bruder Sohne.  While B.A.B. may have modified the pipework in an organ,
this type of change seems unlikely.

I hope this helps to clarify this point.

Bob Conant