-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD --

I have read with interest the posts regarding the Johnson band organ at
the Salem Riverfront Carousel.  There has been a good deal of criticism
of the instrument, the management of the carousel, the operators, and
finally the technician who is trying to make this work for them (which
would be me).

I came into this after two other individuals had given up on the
project.  I found the instrument with a Plexiglas sheet across the
front and barely playing.

The first issue with the instrument, of course, is that it is a fairly
loud organ.  Brass trumpets and piccolos are by their nature loud.
I have been so far unable to resolve this, as the problem is not just
with the operators.  On average, at least a dozen customers a day
complain that the organ is too loud.  I have witnessed myself several
mothers, carrying a crying child with its hands firmly clasped over its
ears, swearing never to return.  Not a good first impression...

I have tried various things to mitigate this, including turning the
brass trumpets off and lowering the wind pressure.  It is down to 5"
WC, the minimum that the reed pipes can stand.

We looked into acoustic treatment for the building, however the costs
would run in excess of $80k.  (Remember, this is a quasi-government
organization -- got to do every thing by the rule book.)

I am loath to re-voice the pipework for lower pressure, as this
involves lowering the cutup on the flue pipes (cutting the pipe apart
and removing material) and replacing the tongues on the reeds.

The organ has (had) a number of mechanical issues as well.  While the
pipework and windchests are well made and of good materials, a number
of the other components are unable to stand up to continuous use.

The unit valves, in particular, have several flaws.  The bleed cup in
center of the pouch becomes obstructed by the felt disk on the valve
stem over time.  (The felt compresses and will not let air in.)  The
foam valve facings are disintegrating from continuous operation.  The
bass drum pneumatic and the cymbal striker self-destructed.

The speed control for the roll transport motor consisted of a diode and
a potentiometer.  This may work for intermittent operation, such as a
coin-op instrument but, after 12 hours playing a jumbo Wurlitzer 165
music roll, it tends to burn up the motor.  I replaced this with an
inexpensive (under $100) AC variable frequency drive (VFD).  The motor
speed can now be adjusted from 0-120% with no overheating.

Another issue, for which there is really no remedy, is the unorthodox
pneumatic system.  Instead of a traditional pneumatic stack, the key
pneumatics are mounted directly on the chests (there are several
chests).  The Wurlitzer unit block valves are located on a chest at the
extreme end of the organ.  The 3/8 tubing between the valves and the
key pneumatics is as long as 8 feet!  This is a lot of [dead air]
volume for a unit valve that was designed to be only a few inches from
the pneumatic.  This does not make for decent repetition.

Just today, the player piano suction box burned up.  Again, you can't
run this kind of stuff 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

It is unfortunate that the builder of this instrument decided to depart
from the time tested traditional designs, and decided instead to use a
lot of third-party components.  It is also unfortunate that more research
was not done before the purchase.  We at the museum had offered to loan
Salem a Wurlitzer 153, or assist them in buying a suitable instrument.
They instead decided to go with the Johnson.  It was, I suppose, the
"biggest" and the "most impressive looking" for the money.

I have a meeting with the Salem Carousel board later this week.  The
individual who donated the money for the organ will be present as well.
We will try to find a way to salvage the situation, as our goal is to
have a band organ playing on a public carousel.

One of the proposals I will make is to purchase the organ from them for
what they paid for it.  We will then assist them in finding a new
instrument.

We would then try to find a venue for the instrument where it would be
played in public.

At the museum, we have set up an exhibit comparing the work of the
craftsman of old with modern work.  We have a comparison of wood and
plastic horses -- maybe a comparison of wood and plastic band organs
will be next.

Art Thompson,
Curator of Band Organs,
International Museum of Carousel Art
Hood River, Oregon
http://www.carouselmuseum.com/

 [ Art works as network administrator at Multnomah Bible College
 [ and Seminary of Portland, Oregon.  In addition, he and his crew
 [ of skilled volunteers maintain several pipe organs on the campus.
 [ -- Robbie