Allen CF4 older model?

[Max the Icie Owner]

Hi!

I was looking on CL today, and a listing came up for an Allen Chancel CF4 organ. However, the organ in the listing appears to be much older than the current CF4, and I have been unable to find any information on an older CF4 model. Ideas on what the organ is?

Thanks!

P.S. The current CF4 doesn't have AGO pedals. Does this one (if we figure out what it is)?

https://mankato.craigslist.org/msg/d...515375649.html

[Larrytow]

Max,

It's really hard to tell from the "Wonderful" photo in the ad if it has AGO or Princess pedals. The sharps do not look like the princess style - IE really short with weird tails. However the spread of the pedalboard sides looks narrower than usual AGO. That might just be the funny angle of the photo though. Princess sharps are 3 & 1/4" long. Normal AGO sharps are 5" long.

It looks like an organ that may well be worth grabbing up, if it is AGO pedals. I know that is a drive from where you are, but perhaps worthwhile.

Photos of both pedalboards with dimensions attached. You can contact them and ask them to measure so you can decide ( and take some better photos ! ).

Let us know how it works out please.

[Moller Artiste]

Hi!

I was looking on CL today, and a listing came up for an Allen Chancel CF4 organ. However, the organ in the listing appears to be much older than the current CF4, and I have been unable to find any information on an older CF4 model. Ideas on what the organ is?

Thanks!

P.S. The current CF4 doesn't have AGO pedals. Does this one (if we figure out what it is)?

https://mankato.craigslist.org/msg/d...515375649.html

This is not a newer Allen CF-4. It's an old MOS organ -- note the card reader slot and drawer on the right side of the console. MOS instruments were before my 10 years of Allen Organ sales so I don't know the exact model. Someone else from the forum will probably identify it. Allen

[Horseshoe_or]

The picture looks like a MOS instrument. Maybe a 300 series instrument since it has a crescendo pedal.

[jbird604]

Very strange ad. That is most certainly NOT a CF-4, it's an old MOS organ. Note the card reader with selector knob. The CF-4 was a 2005-ish princess model with Lumitech tabs, not with the tongue tabs in that pic. Either they just stuck up some old pic they found or else they are assuming it's a CF-4 because the stop list, which they found online somewhere, is vaguely similar. Or someone had gotten a CF-4 owner's manual and put it in the bench some time. But that one in the pic is 35 or 40 years old. Could be a decent starter organ, of course, but it's not what they say it is, which makes you wonder what is going on.

[samibe]

I wonder if they just looked at the current Allen website and tried to match it to a current model. I'm not sure if the dimensions listed are actual measured dimensions or just taken from the Allen website.

It looks like a reasonably full featured 2-manual MOS organ. It might be worth looking at for free. If it works, great. If it doesn't, it might make a good VPO candidate.

[MarkS]

There are fourteen tabs in the pedal division, therefore it is a system 300.

[toodles]

I think a lot of uneducated sellers (uneducated in the ways of Allen organs, that is) go to the Allen site and try to find their model, and pick something they think looks close. Since the organ is free, I can forgive their not putting in any effort.

[MarkS]

And two 32' stops for free!!

How much would Casavant charge?

[jbird604]

I think we've sorted it out. It's a 300 series MOS for sure. And the dimensions given in the ad are for a CF4 in the "KT" console. The MOS 300 is more like 57 inches wide, and the console is about 31" deep without pedals. But since it's free we won't fault the poster for miffing the details!

Not the first time that someone has listed an older organ for sale and called it by the name of a current model. That's why it pays to beware of all offers on craigslist and even on ebay.

[Max the Icie Owner]

Well, since it is a MOS organ, I think I will pass this time. Only because of the distance and that it wouldn't have midi were I to want to use VPO software with it. I'm not enough of a tech geek to re-wire the keyboards etc.


Thank you for the info.

Have at it. :-)

[Larrytow]

Max, yes it would be a job to convert it to MIDI, but it is doable. I think it is a 300 series as well. They can sound nice though, and are a pretty complete spec for a 2 manual.

It's 270 miles away from me, so I'm probably not going to go after it. But then, road trips are fun ....

[Larrytow]

Not the first time that someone has listed an older organ for sale and called it by the name of a current model. That's why it pays to beware of all offers on craigslist and even on ebay.

Here is part of the text from the ad :

" Can be played or used for parts. Free. You haul away. Contact through Craigslist for more info."

Ok, I agree that no one can fault them for not knowing the details, since they probably have done away with organ music entirely, and no one there currently knows anything about organs.

However, I can fault them for not replying ( at all, even to say it is not available or whatever ) to the CL e-mail I sent them on Thursday ! The ad is still up as I write this, so I figure no one has taken it as yet. I wrote a coherent e-mail too, not just a one liner like other people do to me when I've posted stuff on CL.

They wont take more than one ( lousy at that ) photo for the ad, they don't reply to their preferred method of contacting them as stated in the ad, and they don't even know what they are trying to give away.

I guess it can just sit there then. Oh well.

[Piperdane]

. . .

However, I can fault them for not replying ( at all, even to say it is not available or whatever ) to the CL e-mail I sent them on Thursday ! The ad is still up as I write this, so I figure no one has taken it as yet. I wrote a coherent e-mail too, not just a one liner like other people do to me when I've posted stuff on CL.

They wont take more than one ( lousy at that ) photo for the ad, they don't reply to their preferred method of contacting them as stated in the ad, and they don't even know what they are trying to give away.

I guess it can just sit there then. Oh well.

You were not the only one who emailed them with the correct information about their ad. I too did not receive any reply. :-\

[Larrytow]

Well, I guess I feel some better now - it's not just me ! I figured others were interested too, and at least an e-mail saying it was gone would be nice. People really annoy me when they do business like this; common courtesy should not go out the window just because an item is free.