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MMD > Archives > May 1999 > 1999.05.05 > 01Prev  Next


Small Monkey Organ by John Smith
By Ed Gaida

I ordered the plans for John Smith's 20-note organ from Chris Doe.
There is a very well-done video that comes with it.

The plans are well-done and I have already started building one.
In the past on the MMD there was a long discussion of what kinds of
wood should be used to build pipes.  The John Smith organ uses balsa!
I finished and voiced a pipe in the mid range and the tone is quite
nice.  I am sure the organ will be soft as Jeffrey Borinsky reported
in his post.

At present you have to cut your own music, but Melvyn Wright has done
a number of paper masters that you can use.  The plans for John's music
roll punch are also well thought out and simple to execute.

When I progress further, I will post some construction pictures on my
site for the MMD.  If you have the inclination to build an organ with
pipes, you just might like these.  After thirty-five years in the music
business and buying plans from others, I have to say that these are
some of the most clever I have ever seen.  This is not a "rattle the
box and it goes together" project.  Pneumatic covering principles and
some knowledge of how organ pipes work is a benefit.

Check out the offer on Chris Doe's site which you can find in the links
section of the MMD.  They take checks -ahem!- cheques in US Dollars, so
there is that convenience attached.

Ed Gaida
egaida@txdirect.net


(Message sent Wed 5 May 1999, 13:12:39 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  John, Monkey, Organ, Small, Smith

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