Faulty Rodgers 640 on the chopping block

[Guest]

Hello, i am new to this but here goes:

A local country church near here has a model 640 Rodgers organ in their loft which hasn’t worked right for 10 years or more. The volume is very low and will not go higher; and though some stops do work, quite a few stops don’t work. The volume pedal takes it from ppp to pp.


They have enlisted several people over the years who have tried to fix it, but now it is to the point where the church is being restored and the consensus is that it isn’t worth fixing. I just learned today that they are going to chop it up and throw it away next week.

I play organ at our church and told them I might be interested in it as a practice organ at home if I can find enough space for it, and if I can move it (it is heavy and the electronics inside appear to be attached to the sides so it cannot be disassembled for transport).. which now seems questionable. It is unfortunate, I think, because it seems like it should have given more service to the community than it did. (From what I gather third or fourth hand, it could be the amp is not functioning properly.)


It has a humongus speaker up near the ceiling, which I am sure I cannot fit in my house.. it is nearly as big as the organ and probably weighs a whole lot. The very small sound comes from that huge speaker cabinet, and the internal speakers(it has 2) don’t seem to speak at all. Are the internal speakers usually disconnected when the external speakers are set up?

Is it difficult to reconnect them? I need to know if they will work before even thinking of attempting to move it. Oh how I wish it could work well and stay there.

I have to let them know by this weekend if I want it, then if so, have to move it early next week. Seems like a long shot, but I thought I’d write you to see what information you may have to offer in this quandry.
Dolp

[james]

I would let them go ahead and chop it up. Then they ought to burn it with a hot fire. You can find much better organs out there than some old Rodgers that has been passed down to the third and fourth owners, etc. Sitting in a country church in the the heat and cold hasn't done any of the electronic components any good at all.

James

[toodles]

A 640 is controlled by a microprocessor system. If that part of the organ is in good working condition, it should make a reasonable practice instrument. When it was new, the 640 was one model up from the lowest cost organ, so it doesn't have a lot--a unit flute, unit principal, a pulse keyer giving string, oboe, and trumpet on the swell, and a 3-octave celeste rank. As I say, not a lot, but what it does have is decent.

If the microprocessor system is bad, then it really isn't worth more than a MIDI console. The amp should be self contained, so you wouldn't ncessarily have to have the original external speaker system.

Disabling the internal speakers might occur if installing externals, or it might not. Depending upon the layout of the church, and locations of the console & speaker.

Good thing is that Rodgers is generous with their technical information, so as long as the microprocessor system is working right, everything else should be able to be fixed.

[searchinferu]

Hmmm, seems like if you were to remove it from their loft, you would be doing THEM a mighty big favor. Not like they will find anyone willing to dismantle and remove it based on the time table given.

On the other hand, their are more capable organs out there for not much buck and often free. So unless you are in love with this one.....