Biting the bullet and getting the Conn 721

[JoelHof]

Hello Folks,

I've decided to bite the bullet and pick up the Conn. It's a Deluxe Artist 721. It is being given to me.



Everything is in working order, and it just needs a tuning. Because this forum is so awesome, there's plenty of information on how to do that so it shouldn't be too much of a big deal. I'm sure I'll go through it and clean all the contacts and what not. There's plenty of info here on the forum regarding the dreaded nylon bars in the keys as well.

I've listened to a few videos on YouTube and I believe this will be a quite satisfactory instrument for learning and practicing liturgical and classical music with. AGO pedals too. I'm really excited! I'll be picking it up either this Tuesday or the following Tuesday. WooHoo!

The "Deluxe" model has the added Crescendo pedal and 4 more buttons on the lower left that the regular model doesn't have. These button are Chiff I and II, and Flute something or other I and II. Can't read those last two. It has a nice selection of voices, but I think there's some unification and/or duplexing involved. Don't know on this brand/model. No 32' stops, mixtures, and lacking in couplers. Blind presets with no memory. That's OK. Not too shabby for my first organ of this type. Here's the basic specs ...



The cabinet is in beautiful shape and the pedals are clean. Don't see a scratch on it. (Tiny bit of wear). They really took care of it. I'll have to find out it's provenance. I think it'll work ... :)

Joel

[jbird604]

That is a nice model. Lacks some features they added later when they adopted digital keying, but it doesn't have the problems that came with the digital control system. Nice choice.

[toodles]

The extra 2 tabs next to the chiff are Flute Harmonic I and II--I expect they modify the flute voicing somewhat. The effect may not be staggering but still useful.

[JoelHof]

Thanks for the encouragement and info. Road trip! Going to pick it up tomorrow. I look forward to it and I'll find out what I have when I get it home. The previous owners had it for the last 28 years. That could explain why it's in such beautiful shape. I'll find out where it originally came from. Should be interesting ...

[Hamman]

I had one of these organs about 6 or 7 years ago....if memory serves me, I thought the celeste was beautiful. I also customized a hook up to 2 Leslie 720's which was pretty impressive for the sound. Great practice instrument!

[JoelHof]

Well ... the guy cancelled out on me yesterday do to lack of muscle on his end. He's closing on his house next Friday and it's got to go. If I can't go get it, it will be destroyed. Sad. Such a beautiful organ in excellent condition. Hopefully I'll be able to coordinate something early next week to go pick it up.

[myorgan]

JoelHof,

Is the organ not available on the weekend for some reason? I will be in Portland in a couple of weeks, but I guess that'll be too late to help. Good luck with the move.

Michael

[JoelHof]

Thanks for the offer Michael. I'm down in PA right now and that's where the organ is. Can't go on the weekend because the guy who has the truck won't be around. He'll be back for a Monday or Tuesday pick-up! WooHoo! Waiting to hear back from the owner concerning his schedule. Hopefully he won't get skittish again. If he does, the organ would be destroyed so I think he'll come through. Can't wait to get this home, tuned up, and singing ...

Joel

[OneWatt]

Thanks for the offer Michael. I'm down in PA right now and that's where the organ is. Can't go on the weekend because the guy who has the truck won't be around. He'll be back for a Monday or Tuesday pick-up! WooHoo! Waiting to hear back from the owner concerning his schedule. Hopefully he won't get skittish again. If he does, the organ would be destroyed so I think he'll come through. Can't wait to get this home, tuned up, and singing ...

Joel

Free organ? Rent a truck... Rent a storage locker... Bring the organ to a do-not-kill shelter...

[Guest]

Because this forum is so awesome, there's plenty of information on how to do that so it shouldn't be too much of a big deal. I'm sure I'll go through it and clean all the contacts and what not. There's plenty of info here on the forum regarding the dreaded nylon bars in the keys as well.

I totally agree this forum is awesome! I just don't know how to use it yet. I also just picked up a very cheap Conn Artist 721 and it's a blast to play so far but it does definitely need a tune up. Could you point me in the direction you have found the info on cleaning the contacts and such? I have a few keys on my upper rank that only play out at about half the volume of the other ones and (I think) I need to replace some felt on the pedals as they are very clicky. If anybody could help me find the info that would be awesome!

[Larrytow]

Free organ? Bring the organ to a do-not-kill shelter...

OneWatt, That is a great description of how I feel about organs a lot of times. I think I am actually running a shelter like that here ! But what does one do when the shelter just has no more room ?

[OneWatt]

OneWatt, That is a great description of how I feel about organs a lot of times. I think I am actually running a shelter like that here ! But what does one do when the shelter just has no more room ?

Larry,

That's a tough question. Perhaps it's time to start a nonprofit adoption service? Or an organ transplant foundation?

In any event, it's clear from your signature tag you've got a giant heart (which likely counts as yet another organ)!

Best wishes - OneWatt

[jbird604]

Somebody with experience cleaning Conn key contacts might be able to help Nicholas Phelps (new member who posted above).

[JoelHof]

Hi Nicholas,

Welcome to the forum. It is very good indeed! And as for the 721, I'll find out next week! WooHoo! If you look below there are links to other threads regarding the Conn 721. Also if you do a search above on "Conn nylon" in the search box, you'll get a plethora of links to all the threads that mention it, as this is an "issue" with many Conn organs from that era. As you follow each thread, there will be more links at the bottom with relevant information. My suggestion is to follow and read them all. You will find a wealth of information and knowledgeable, talented people here. In one of the threads I recall reading there are balance adjustments somewhere inside. After you're finished cleaning all the contacts, and if it's not to your satisfaction, a balance adjustment may be in order to get what you want. I'd pursue it further here on the forum with tech people before I did that though. Felts in the pedals? I'll have to get mine before I can comment. One of the Conns I heard on Youtube had the same issue. We'll see what mine is like when I get it. I'll be dissecting it to get it back to "original" sound and quality as close as possible, so I'll find out. I may start another thread when I embark on this challenge so it would be documented for others. We'll see ...

Joel

[edkennedy]

Conn Contact Cleaning;
Here is the method I used to clean my Conn key contacts and rods. First you need DeOxit Fader F5 spray. This is a plastic safe spray designed for controls and contacts. I do not spray the cleaner on the contacts. Instead I spray it on a strip of business card or stiff paper, slide the card between the rod and contacts, press the key or keys down where the card is, and gently slide the card in and out to clean both the rod and the wires. The goal is to wipe the dirt off the rod and the tarnish off the wires. This should fix most of the issues. I had a few spots where I had to gently bend the wire to a slightly different spot on the rod.
I cleaned my organ's contacts that way about a year ago, and it has been trouble free since.