G'day MMDers all, I have built a kit organ and am now hearing the
music which can be produced from a kit-built busker organ. I refer
to the Castlewood organ.
Its designer and maker, Tom Newsome, lives in Western Australia. His
Castlewood Organ is based on the John Smith busker organ, with several
major design improvements. It uses a 20-note scale similar to, but
not the same as, the Raffin 20-note scale. Rolls are available from
several sources in the northern hemisphere, or you can cut your own
with the help of a freeware program called Midiboek.
The actual construction is built up from laser precut components.
If due care is taken, and one has the ability to stick at the task at
hand, then a very serviceable little organ will result. There is an
on-line discussion group to which makers can subscribe, which is of
great benefit to those who are in the throes of construction. My
Castlewood is No. 7. I believe that more than 50 kits have been sold
so far.
The Castlewood site can be found at http://www.castlewoodorgans.com/
Cheers,
Colin Clarke, Tasmanian, and all that implies.
|