No Allen dealer in Indianapolis

[radagast]

After decades of having an Allen dealer in Indianapolis, now the closest one is in Chicago. When doing a search on Google, Meridian Music still comes up with a page saying they are the dealer. The guy who is mentioned as the Allen rep isn't working for the store anymore, or so I'm told.

[jbird604]

Interesting, but not surprising. We haven't had a dealer for either Allen or Rodgers within the state of Arkansas for a number of years now. I understand the reason -- not enough sales in this state to keep a dealer in business. But it's sad that a customer seeking a new Allen or Rodgers has to call a dealer who is several hours away. Worse still for those who need service, if they don't already have a relationship with a local company such as mine.

Another sign of the times, I suppose. Who knows where this will lead?

[mrdc2000]

It will probably lead to the companies who still have dealers in that state.

[Silken Path]

And without Allen and Rodgers, who would that be? :)

[mrdc2000]

I am told that there is still the Rodgers dealer and also a Johannus dealer.
Not sure about others but at one time there were also reps for Viscount and Alborn-Galanti.

[radagast]

There is definitely a Rodgers dealer here in Indy. I think there is a Johannus dealer as well. I don't think sales was a issue. Meridian Music is still around. Several years ago, the Allen rep, who was doing it on his own, merged his business with Meridian Music. This arrangement lasted for many years. Apparently he now has a piano moving business.

[jbird604]

Here in Arkansas, there actually are no stores any more that stock and sell new classical church organs. Our last Allen dealership closed up several years ago and now the nearest dealer is in Memphis. Rodgers organs were represented in Arkansas by some major music stores until 15 years ago. Then for a while they were being sold by a one-man operation, a sound-system installer turned organ tech, until he went out of business 8 years ago. Most of the state is now in the territory of the Tulsa dealer, though there is a Memphis dealer as well who probably reaches into eastern Arkansas to some extent.

A local piano store tried selling Johannus for a while, and did manage to sell about a dozen of them over a period of 10 years or so. But they finally decided it wasn't worth the trouble to stock an organ or deal with customers, so now they refer all inquiries to a Louisiana dealer. One little piano store in the state still claims to sell Viscount organs. But they don't stock any organs, have no organ salesman on staff, have no tech of their own, no parts. Once or twice in the past five years they've sold an organ to a church that simply didn't want to shop out of town. Not sure of the results when the installation of a 12-channel 3m organ is done by the delivery crew.

Unless they've closed recently, there is still a store that sells Hammond organs, including new ones. However, I just recently got a call to do a warranty repair on a brand new Hammond A-405 that a church had bought from a dealer in Georgia, of all places! So I'm not sure what the status of Hammond sales would be locally. Of course, Hammond doesn't meet the definition of a mainline classical church organ, though they may still offer an AGO model or two.

If anybody sells Ahlborn or any other brand in this state, I don't know who it is. So the situation here will probably just add to the continuing decline in the presence of organs in our churches. I'm doing my best to keep the organs that are out there in working order, and we occasionally sell a little used organ out of the shop. But the situation is not looking very good at the moment.

The good news is that Arkansas has a prestigious pipe organ builder (Nichols & Simpson), and also has another good pipe shop (Coleman). So we still have a lot of churches with fine pipe organs that are played every Sunday and getting some good exposure, and a brand new pipe organ going in now and then.

As I've opined for a long time, the "Dealer Model" that was adopted by the big-name church organ companies (Rodgers, Allen, Baldwin) back in the 50's never was a very good idea. This sales structure left all the local legwork up to dealers who might or might not know much of anything about organs, who might not even play the organ, who might not have the foggiest notion about how to properly install and voice an organ. Folks who really don't know why an organ has 5 or 6 channels, unless that's so you can put some of the speakers out in the narthex or in the nursery.

So a great many of the fine organs built by these good companies got very bad installations, which did nothing for their reputations or to encourage the enjoyment of good organ sound. I know of what I speak -- I have seen and heard things that would curl your hair.

I think what we are seeing is the demise of the Dealer Model in our times. The shake-out that is occurring will hopefully weed out the poorest dealers and leave some who are serious about the business. But I suspect that the market for Hauptwerk and other virtual organs will grow and will absorb a lot of the business that used to go to the big builders.

[Silken Path]

Here around Atlanta, I found to my great pleasure that my local Rodgers dealer is only about 35 miles away. I plan to go spy on them and see their showroom next week. They are a subsidiary of a pipe organ installer/repairer.

[indianajo]

The Indiana Johannus dealer is near Bloomington, (duh, Jacob organ school).
I saw his closeout ad 2 years ago on Craigslist for a 10 year old demonstrator, one which obviously had dual 10" speakers in the woofer, just going by the picture online.
A member of SIAGO told me this year her church in Corydon IN bought it. She says the bass is a little weak. Surprise, surprise. I'm glad there is nothing worse wrong with it, with 10 year old parts (professional grade or consumer grade?)

[beel m]

Here in SE PA, there's almost an "embarrassment of riches" with strong dealers for Allen, Johannus and Rodgers (perhaps others too) and some excellent pipe organ builders and servicefolk.
Unfortunately, we're not immune to the shift in musical taste... the closest church to my home is a Lutheran church I once worked at, with a nice 1968 2 manual 6 generator Allen. Sometime in the past they added a second, "praise band" contemporary, Service, and recently they ditched the traditional service and thus any use of the organ. So sad.
R, Bill Miller, Phila PA

[mrdc2000]

Hmmmm, that is odd but indianajo is entitled to his opinions as all of us are.
A little bit of research tells me that the Jacobs School of Music is one of the largest and most famous schools to learn about music.
They also bought a Johannus digital organ for one of their campuses and is used daily by students.
If Indiana University officials think highly of Johannus product, why would some of us dispute this.
We have heard many installations over the years from virtually all manufacturers and in my opinion,
the Johannus sound ranks among the very best that you can buy today, digitally speaking.

[beel m]

They (J) without a doubt sound very good indeed. But their website used to say, and may still, quote "25 year parts availability" unquote.
I own 3 Allens (including a T-44 spinet in a church) one of which is digital, all over 40 years old, and play a MOS-1 that'll be 40 years old next year. Sorry, 25 years doesn't impress me...
Bill Miller, Phila PA

Hmmmm, that is odd but indianajo is entitled to his opinions as all of us are.
A little bit of research tells me that the Jacobs School of Music is one of the largest and most famous schools to learn about music.
They also bought a Johannus digital organ for one of their campuses and is used daily by students.
If Indiana University officials think highly of Johannus product, why would some of us dispute this.
We have heard many installations over the years from virtually all manufacturers and in my opinion,
the Johannus sound ranks among the very best that you can buy today, digitally speaking.

[MarkS]

A little bit of research tells me that the Jacobs School of Music is one of the largest and most famous schools to learn about music.
They also bought a Johannus digital organ for one of their campuses and is used daily by students.
If Indiana University officials think highly of Johannus product, why would some of us dispute this.

Years ago I heard someone at an AGO meeting grousing about the purchase of a Rodgers by the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. According to their website, Classic Organs of Indiana sold Indiana University at Bloomington a Rodgers. They also claim that (former) Dean Webb personally owns a Rodgers. (He used to have an old Hammond.)

Indiana University Southeast bought a Johannus.

The former is the famous school, not the latter. I haven't heard of anyone from the Jacobs School endorsing a make of electronic organ, although Organ Chair Janette Fishell does seem to like Fisk.

Disclaimer: I have degrees from Indiana University at Bloomington.