Info needed on a roders organ

[Wicks1166]

I am looking at a Rodgers Organ 750BE and was wanting some general info on it as to weather or not this is a good organ.

[jbird604]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



Pretty basic 2 manual analog from the mid-70's. If the capture action is still working that is a plus. Full AGO manuals and pedals, which is essential for proper practice.</P>


Some tuning, voicing, repairs, maintenance, etc. may be needed, but Rodgers organs are generally well made and sturdy. Should do you for a long time.</P>


This is analog, and not particularly advanced analog, just basic. And unified and duplexed to the max. But pleasant enough to play if these drawbacks do not bother you.</P>


What is the asking price, and what does the price include? What is the condition? What do you plan to do with it?</P>


John</P>
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[Guest]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



I owned and played one of these since the late 90's. Early this year I rent it assunder and converted it to a midi console for Hauptwerk.</P>


For a single generator rank (plus celeste rank) instrument, it is relatively versatile, with a good complement of inter and intra manual couplers, etc., and capture action. It has voicing controls for each rank, and the trompet has note by note voicing. Trompet voicing allows you to give the stop a more brilliant baroque character, or tame it down a bit for a smoother reed ensemble.</P>


On the capture action, there is a small (about D cell sized) lead acid battery that holds the capture memory when the organ is powered off. Make sure this hasn't leaked battery acid all over the circuit board. I had to replace mine when I got the organ, and clean up a mess on the circuit board at the same time.</P>


I used a Lexicon reverb, connected internally in place of the spring reverb, and that helped the instrument considerably.</P>


The usual speaker complement is 3 M10 or M10C speaker arrays plus one of the Rodgers pedal cabinets. The Rodgers pedal cabinets are too big for my space, so I replaced it with a more compact sub-woofer and monitor speaker for the upper partials.</P>


It is relatively simple to work on and service, and depending on where you are there's probably a Rodgers technician who can fix any niggles, voice the instrument to your space, etc. It's even possible to add a bit more fundamental to the way principals are factory voiced if you like (factory voicing is a bit "stringy" for my taste).</P>


I consider it a decent practice insturment, since it does have a good complement of performance resources.</P>


I wouldn't pay more than $1500 for one. Maybe a bit more if the seller had gone over it completely and everything was known to be in absolutely perfect working order. I paid $3000 for mine, but that was then and this is now :) Dealers seem to want to price these a good bit higher.</P>

[Guest]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



Hello!</p>

</p>

I own a Rodgers 100, it is even more basic than the one you are referring to, but it was made around the same time, has the same technology, and similar sound, so I can help you a little.</p>

Some good information:</p>

I think the stops sound very realistic for an analog organ. The diapasons are slightly weak, but the flute stops sound basically just like those on a pipe organ. </p>

Although it is true that multiple stops are taken from the same basic sounds, the voltage level applied it different, so even though the string and diapason sounds originally come from the same place, the voltage on them is different so they sound different. </p>

</p>

I wouldn't have bought the organ however if it hadn't come with an internal Leslie. I am not sure whether the model you mentioned does, but if you can connect it to a Leslie, do so. Connecting it to the Leslie (with slow rotation speed) greatly fleshes out the sound and makes it much richer, and you can make the speed faster so you can use it as a jazzy organ too! </p>

Reverb helps a lot as well. I use Alesis NanoVerb, it gives lots of different reverb options and fits comfortably under the lower manual (the Great). </p>

Good luck finding such an organ for under 1500. Once you figure in transportation, that will be at least an extra 150 dollars (unless you move it yourself). I suggest having an organ tech. move it in case it gets out of tune in transit.</p>

</p>

</p>

Hope this helps!

</p>

[arie v]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



Hi,</p>

I think there is some misinformation posted regarding this organ.</p>

The model 750 appeared twice. The original 750 came out in about 1977. It was discontinued in 1980. It re-appeared in 1981 as 750B. You may wonder why? Well the story goes, Rodgers first introduced the MIKASCO series in 1980. They were a fiasco. They really hurt Rodgers' fortunes. Basically the MIKASCO organs was Rodgers' attempt to put console functions under CPU control. Besides some silly ideas that they tried, the system was prone to failure, and the company had a hard time sorting out what the problem was.</p>

So Rodgers back tracked, and slightly re-did the 750 and came out with the 750B. The "E" version stands for external speakers. If they sounded better than the earlier 750 it was but slight. This was not an outstanding model, but decent, and reliability is fairly good. One common problem with them is the level controls of the stops. The cheap potentiometers used corrode, changing the value. Just moving them fixes the problem (for another 10 years). </p>

In 1983 Rodgers replaced this "B" with new models, using a better MIKASCO setup.</p>

This ends this chapter..........................</p>

AV</p>

[Guest]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ

[quote user="Organmaster007x"]


The diapasons are slightly weak, but the flute stops sound basically just like those on a pipe organ.[/quote]</P>


Justone opinion ....</P>


The principal stops are more like loud strings than good principals. Far too little fundamental, and just no 'character' whatsoever. The flutes have some chiff, puff, pallet noise and whatever. Depending on model, the parameters for these added effects can be varied per manual and even per rank on the largest instruments I think. But every flute stop is essentially identical to every other flute stop in virtually every meaningful characteristic except volume. Much like the analog Allens of the time, but not quite so bad.</P>


I don't really mean to rant. But the overall tonal quality is not so terribly good, compared to the options. Which is largely why my 750BE is now a shell .... If anyone wants my two swing out frames of keyers, generators, filters, the amps and power suppliesand the capture action shelves, they are available free for the asking if you come pick them up. </P>

[Guest]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



"Much like the analog Allens of the time, but not quite so bad."</p>

As John has noted, this instrument comes from the mid-70s. Allen discontinued analog organs completely about 1971, when they introduced digital instruments.</p>

DR</p>

[Guest]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ

[quote user="Dana Rabenberg"]


"Much like the analog Allens of the time, but not quite so bad."</P>


As John has noted, this instrument comes from the mid-70s. Allen discontinued analog organs completely about 1971, when they introduced digital instruments.</P>


DR</P>


[/quote]</P>


You're sort of right about the dates. Correct in that I misspoke regarding Allen organs "of the time", since the analogs were eliminated earlier than the 750B was available.I came close to buying one of those early single computer digitals. Sort ofglad I didn't. On the other hand, my 750BE was dated 1980-81 (I'd have to open it up to get the details), so this particularinstrument at least was quite late in the production cycle and well past the mid-70's. There's a good bit of difference between the Scarborough 750/A (early) and 750B (late).</P>


What's a few years here or there :)</P>

[MarkS]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ

The last Allen analog was built in August 1977. Surprise!

[arie v]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



Mark,</p>

I forget which model that was, it is was small one. It got replaced by the MDC-20. Actually tonally, that may have been a step backwards.</p>

AV</p>

[MarkS]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



T 12A</P>


One set of sine wave oscillators--not pretty!!</P>


Had one in the chapel at the church where I played. It even had asbestos in it!!!!!</P>

[jbird604]

Re: Info needed on a roders organ



As bad as the MDC-20 is, it was an improvement over the wretched T-12, which Allen should have retired years earlier! Better yet, they should never have made them in the first place.</P>


John</P>
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