Hi, everybody.  As many of you know, I finally had to retire from forty
years of band organ, electronic organ, and pipe organ building due to a
terrible accident.  I've had many requests to republish my 1984 book
on electronic band organs, and I am looking into it now.

Since I am in a rest home with nothing to do, I started going through
the MMD Archives, and have gotten as far as 1977.  The reading is so
fascinating that I suddenly realize it is 3 a.m.!

I have been quite interested in the polylon controversy.  I bought
polylon from PPCo, and I have never had a pneumatic fail on me.  I
always used PPCo's PVC glue, and it was so easy to use.  I even
releathered a 3/28 Casavant organ, which I relocated in to the
University of Japan, where I taught organ for forty-two years.  Until we
got a Rodgers 700 for practice, the organ was used twelve hours a day
with nary a problem.

I did use an unusual method for attaching pneumatics to wood.  I used
industrial-use double-sided tape.  It comes in just the right width for
a pneumatic.  Stick it on, cut out the hole with a slightly oversized
punch, and slap the pneumatic into place.  I did this on my rebuild of
the 3/12 Wurlitzer organ in Japan's oldest department store (342 years
in business).  Since 1984 they have never had a pneumatic fall off!  But
if you have to take one off, it's a cinch!  No chiseling or cracking of
pneumatic leaves.

I see from the archives that most of you are into perfect restorations,
making new pneumatics and valves, etc.  So far I have never seen any
thing about Doyle Lane's wonderful plastic valves.  I must have used 500
or so over the years, and I swear by them.  I used them in a piano stack
which is still going strong after 45 years!  Unless you are a fanatic
purist, I strongly recommend these.

I know I will get a lot of static on this, but I think the results speak
for themselves. If you are interested in how I used the Doyle Lane
valves, try to get through inter-library loan my  book, "How To Build An
Electronic Band Organ" ISBN 0-911572-52-X.

Anyway, since I don't have anything to do but eat, sleep, and surf the
Web, I would be interested in hearing from anybody.  I can probably give
you help on band organs and orchestrions as well as pipe organs.  You
can see my orchestrion on p. 16 of Craig Brougher's book on
orchestrions.  The boy in front of the piano did the stained glass.

Vic Searle
Tokyo, Japan