Music Rack Page Stoppers

[JonathanP]

I was wondering if anyone knows the proper name for these little pegs on the front of the music rack which hold a book open?

Providing that I can source some from somewhere (hopefully with the proper name it might be a little easier), I was wondering will these fit onto the music rack of an Allen System 100 (early 70s MOS-1)?

I don't know if the music rack base is actual wood, or if it's hollow. I head on pianos that newer ones with hollow music racks can't have these things installed because they'd shatter the rack. Would that happen on my Allen?

Surely every organ should have these, or else hymnals are going to be impossible to use!

[Jan Girardot]

JonathanP wrote, in part with: Surely every organ should have these, or else hymnals are going to be impossible to use!

As an organ tech with many years servicing church organs, may I suggest you contact the publisher of your hymnal and
order an accompaniment version of the hymnal. They usually come in 3-ring or similar bindings which stay open on the rack.

Keep calm and carry on,

. . . Jan
the OrganGrinder
in Western Colorado

[SBurton]

They usually come in 3-ring or similar bindings which stay open on the rack.

Well, if you're going to go that route...

I cut up my music books and reduce them to individual pages. =-O Then I put those into plastic sheet protectors that go into three-ring binders.

Sometimes I scan and print extra copies so I can have the same music in more than one binder. B-)

Very easy to move pages around and put them in the order YOU want, and have only what you need/want included at any particular time.

AND, I just had an inspiration! If the music has a D.C. or D.S., one could print extra pages so the page turning goes forward one page at a time...eliminating the clumsy search backwards for the correct page! :-B

I suspect your hymnal isn't the size of a full sheet, so scanning and enlarging would probably be helpful. With some effort, you probably won't even need permission to cut up a hymnal. ;-)

[JonathanP]

I'd rather just get some page stoppers, but thanks for the suggestions.

I've found some, but does anyone know if I'm going to damage the music stand by installing them?

[myorgan]

I'd rather just get some page stoppers, but thanks for the suggestions. I've found some, but does anyone know if I'm going to damage the music stand by installing them?

How are they installed? Does it require modification to the music rack, or do they just clamp to the music rack? The lucite music racks are pretty strong, but I'm not sure about the wooden ones.

Honestly, Jonathan, in my 40+ years of playing instruments, I've never used "page stoppers" for a hymn book. I just open it to the page I want, fold it backwards, place it on the organ/piano bench, and bounce up and down a few times on it. Yes, this breaks the binding in, but all my hymnbooks stay open for me.

Alternately, I use a couple of spare, smaller books, to place at the margins of the hymn I'm playing and they keep the hymn book open while playing from it.

I hope you find your answer soon about the installation of the "page stoppers."

Michael

[JonathanP]

For books where I have page turns, I don't mind breaking the spine. For hymnals where I don't have to (or any other music without page turns), these are ideal. It also means I can keep books in much better condition, some of which aren't mine. Every pipe organ I play has these, and for thick hymnals there are perfect.

I'm referring to these:
http://www.sheargoldmusic.co.uk/piano-music-hooks-pair/

It says they just screw in, so I'm assuming no drilling etc is necessary with this particular product. It's definitely thick enough, but the strength is my concern, as you have seconded.

I'll give Allen an email tomorrow and see what they think on this - maybe they've installed these on similar organs or even sell some themselves.

[SBurton]

The short end of the 'L' is threaded, so I'm assuming you will need to drill holes in the music rack...somewhere.

If you place the holes to suit a smaller book, a larger book might not fit...and vice versa.

If it's not your organ, better not bring a drill anywhere near it!

Plus, I don't see how those could work for a piece requiring a page turn?

If you just want to hold the book open, some large 'binder clips' would do the job.

[jbird604]

I've seen these on a few old organs in the US, but I'm sure they are more common in the UK. Jonathan, if your Allen has the lighted music desk with a fluorescent lamp tube inside the base, you can't drill or screw into it because it doesn't have much real wood in there except at the ends. And there are wires inside that you don't want to drill or screw to!

You can, however, screw these things into any other Allen music desk if the wood is thick enough. Drill pilot holes just a tad smaller than the diameter of the hooks themselves so you won't risk splitting the wood.

I used to have a hymnal-holding device made from two clothes pins and a stiff piece of wire about 8" long. I'd open the book to the desired page and clip the clothes pins onto a few of the pages on each side, and the stiff wire would keep the book from closing. Not too pretty, but it worked!

[JonathanP]

This is for my Allen System 100 at home, to clarify.

The problem with different book sizes is easily solved by using four instead of two. Place two in the right space for hymnals, then two a little bit further apart for average A4 books.

Probably more common in the UK, however every Copeman-Hart I've played has also had these from new as standard.

The stand is wooden, no music rack light. The base looks very thick, but doesn't feel as solid as the rest of the music rack. That could just be me though, I wouldn't have thought Allen were the type to use hollow bases for music racks (at least in 1971-ish anyway?)

Here's a couple of photos to show the model in question:

[Bach-On]

I have had good luck using small magnets. You can order them cheap on eBay.

BachOn

[searchinferu]

If these work on your home organ, they would be great. Looks like they would have enough angle to allow page turning, while still holding pages in place otherwise. However, the newer Allen music rack basis are made up of some pretty light stuff and I doubt they would hold much. ON your organ, view the base of the music rack from the end and you may get a better idea of how it is constructed. Anyone found a suitable substitute for the new models? I don't think I would want to break the bindings, but do agree they are quite the pain.

[JonathanP]

The strength does concern me too. I think whilst this would be ideal, it's absolutely not worth the hassle of possibly cracking the music rack!

I like the idea of magnets, or possibly building some sort of device to keep the hymnal open. I've tried pegs before, but they seem to annoy me.

[davidecasteel]

I'm not sure how the magnets help, but I guess one could fasten pairs across the bottom corners of the opposing pages and the weight would keep them from moving. (One magnet on each side of the page, and they stay by mutual attraction.)

flashguy

[SBurton]

I have had good luck using small magnets. You can order them cheap on eBay.

BachOn

Or for free from a failed computer hard drive.

These might actually be TOO powerful! =-O

[JonathanP]

Or for free from a failed computer hard drive.

These might actually be TOO powerful! =-O

I'm about to have one of those, as it goes...