New home for very large Allen organ?

[rjsilva]

I had visited an extremely large Allen organ installation in early April because the church is getting a new Walker. I was hoping to find a home for the Allen but have been unable to. The new Walker is coming in late June/early July, and Walker will bring the Allen down from the choir loft when they install the new one.

I believe it is a MOS1 and it is located north of Philadelphia, PA. Is anyone interested?

[fingerstoes316]

I had visited an extremely large Allen organ installation in early April because the church is getting a new Walker. I was hoping to find a home for the Allen but have been unable to. The new Walker is coming in late June/early July, and Walker will bring the Allen down from the choir loft when they install the new one.

I believe it is a MOS1 and it is located north of Philadelphia, PA. Is anyone interested?

Can you get us a larger picture? Perhaps with close up of the stops and their names?

[organman95]

I'm very curious of the stops also... Obviously custom, as Allen didn't make any four-manual MOS models, to my knowledge. Wonder how many boards are in it? if any are SDDS?

[Admin]

Please use the private message facility to contact the OP regarding acquisition details regarding this instrument.

The posting of items available or wanted is not permitted in the discussion area of the forum, and this thread can be seen as violation of that policy. Because of the custom nature of this instrument and the potential for discussion, I've allowed this thread to remain. But, public posts to this thread should be limited to a discussion of the organ's specification. Sales related posts will be deleted.

[myorgan]

Obviously custom, as Allen didn't make any four-manual MOS models, to my knowledge.

Organman95,

Your statement triggered something in the recesses of my memory, and I just now found the link. Allen actually DID make a stock (I think) MOS-1 organ that had 4 manuals. It is the 1800 (see link here: http://www.organforum.com/forums/showthread.php?39052). The organ console RJSilva pictures is certainly in better condition than the one referenced in that thread, however, the external links still work to the WordPress blog of the new owner of that organ. In that blog, the trials and tribulations of making an organ that large come back to life are discussed.

It's quite an interesting read for anyone who has such an instrument. That said, MOS-1 technology would need some improvements (or a nice, reverberant setting) in order to match the quality of today's digital organs. Either way, that organ will make a nice instrument for someone!

Michael

[rjsilva]

As I understand it, it is a SYS1203 from 1982. Here are closeup shots of the drawknobs.

[rjsilva]

The rest of the draw knobs.

[myorgan]

As I understand it, it is a SYS1203 from 1982. Here are closeup shots of the drawknobs.

RJ,

Thank you for sharing the photos. I wasn't aware the 1203 was a 4-manual organ. I was struck by the lack of Celeste Tuning on the almost all the manuals except for specific stops. I saw the Dulciana Celeste on the Great, but no Dulciana, so I guess it's one stop.

I wonder if the church knew they had a Serpent in their midst all along? Someone must've told.O:-)

Thanks again for taking the photos and sharing them.

Michael

[michaelhoddy]

I'm a self-confessed rank novice when it comes to the provenance of the MOS organs, but I don't think this is a 1203, unless Allen used a 1203 as the basis for a larger, custom, 4-manual organ. There's a discussion about the 1203 here:

http://www.organforum.com/forums/sho...1203-4D-Custom

The organ in the current thread above, besides being a 4-manual, also has enough additional resources other places that either there's at least another computer in play, or SDDS or similar customization.

[organman95]

In that blog, the trials and tribulations of making an organ that large come back to life are discussed.

It's quite an interesting read for anyone who has such an instrument. That said, MOS-1 technology would need some improvements (or a nice, reverberant setting) in order to match the quality of today's digital organs. Either way, that organ will make a nice instrument for someone!

Michael

That was interesting. And that stoplist...WOW

[Piperdane]

The Allen factory should be able to provide you with information as well. Certainly they keep records of all installations in the US?

[myorgan]

The Allen factory should be able to provide you with information as well. Certainly they keep records of all installations in the US?

Piperdane,

Unfortunately, there's a great gulf fixed between should be able to, and will provide. So far, Allen has given me exactly zero (yes, 0) information on any of my organs. They've always deflected me to someone or something else.

• Would I be able to purchase a pint of lacquer finish for Serial #xxxxx; You need to talk to xxxxx (dealer or service person).
• Could I obtain a cage chart and/or voicing guide; We don't provide those to non-service, untrained personnel.
• Would I be able to purchase a tuning wand tool from you; That needs to be ordered through xxxxx (dealer or service person).
• By any chance, would you happen to have a list of tone card descriptions available; We don't have any of those available. REALLY?!!! You threw those all away and don't have any of those order forms available? Hmmm.

And the list goes on and on. Little do they know I once worked for the local Allen dealer (when there was one) delivering and voicing ADC organs.:-P

I think it's fairly well-known on here (& from my signature) I am a strong advocate for Allen organs. Kinda frustrating when you think about it. I've given up asking, and for the above reasons, I'll certainly never purchase a new organ from Allen. They're too anal for my liking. Fortunately, the local dealer wasn't as uptight and did not insist on sending me to the Allen factory for "training" (endoctrination?).

Michael

[Horseshoe_or]

MOS1 instruments had limitations and voicing was one of them. As I recall, you could only increase/decrease bass and treble and volume on a per channel basis. You might consider contacting Rand Stephenson
Shillington, PA USA
Telephone: 610.463.4307

He buys organs like this one and converts them to VO using Artisan sound engines. Good luck.

[don60]

I'm a self-confessed rank novice when it comes to the provenance of the MOS organs, but I don't think this is a 1203, unless Allen used a 1203 as the basis for a larger, custom, 4-manual organ. There's a discussion about the 1203 here:

http://www.organforum.com/forums/sho...1203-4D-Custom

The organ in the current thread above, besides being a 4-manual, also has enough additional resources other places that either there's at least another computer in play, or SDDS or similar customization.

The first digit or two in MOS1 model designations is the number of computers multiplied by three. I can envision an instrument of this size being built on four last-generation MOS1 computer boards, especially if doubling was not used extensively. Each board can support three divisions including pedal.

In any event, Allen sales told me that this organ was a SYS1203, and they ought to know. Michael's woes notwithstanding, I ordinarily receive a very prompt and courteous reply when I contact headquarters.

[rjsilva]

I was struck by the lack of Celeste Tuning on the almost all the manuals except for specific stops. I saw the Dulciana Celeste on the Great, but no Dulciana, so I guess it's one stop.

Sorry for those photos. I tried to post the entire stop jamb but then the stop names couldn’t be read (server automatically reduced the image resolution). So then I split up the image so the names could be read and maybe I didn’t get everything.

There is in fact a Dulciana and a Dulciana Celeste on the Great. Sorry for the confusion :)