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Service for Johannus in NC

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  • timnc
    pp Pianissimo
    • Sep 2018
    • 65

    #1

    Service for Johannus in NC

    My church has a Johannus Sweelink 30 3-manual digital (about 10+ years old) that could use some service. Talking to a gracious local Allen guy, it sounds like it's just the rubber bumpers on some of the keys. Many of the middle keys on the great have a loud click when they return, hitting the rail. Also a couple keys will speak when you start to push them, but then cut back out again if you hold it all the way down. I am just outside of Raleigh, NC. I have been trying some Rodgers dealers and even submitted a request via the Rodgers website so far with no results. A guy in Knoxville didn't seem to flinch when I told him where I was, but flat out said "I don't work on those" when I used the "J" word. I understand this may be futile, but the church committee is going to want to exhaust every option for repair before considering other alternatives. It still works and sounds great, just sounds like a noisy tracker organ when you hit those keys :). I've gotten used to it and don't mind keeping it until it breaths it's last. I also don't care if we have to order parts and wait for them to come all the way from Holland. Finding someone to service the organ, however, seems to be the issue. The previous Johannus technicians and salesmen don't seem to want to hear that name (and I don't blame them) as they lost their job with the Rodgers acquisition. I used to recommend Allen or Rodgers for churches, but now I don't trust the latter and just say "Allen."
  • Dutchy
    pp Pianissimo
    • Feb 2018
    • 132

    #2
    This is a bad situation.
    May be the best you can do is mailing or phoning directly to Johannus in Holland with this story. Contact information is on their website. Maybe they can advise you for a technician.
    Good luck, D.

    Comment

    • voet
      f Forte
      • Jan 2017
      • 833
      • West Michigan

      #3
      Have you checked the website for the Musical Instrument Technician's Association (MITA)? They have a "service locator" that will show you were their members are located. I found someone for my Content instrument using this feature. He lives 60 miles from me and I did have to pay for his travel time in addition to the time he spent working on my instrument.

      I also asked other techs if they could recommend someone, since they all seem to know each other.

      Best of luck to you.
      Bill

      My home organ: Content M5800 as a midi controller for Hauptwerk

      Comment

      • timnc
        pp Pianissimo
        • Sep 2018
        • 65

        #4
        Thanks for the ideas. I got a couple leads. My post here got the attention of the original owner of the Johannus dealer that sold us the organ (~17 years ago) who obviously has gone on to other brands—he has a tech in my area that may be able to help, just not sure if he can order parts as we still have to make contact with the tech. Also, my Support request on the Rodgers website got me to a Rodgers dealer in MD who has a tech within an hour from me. I spoke to him on the phone yesterday and he gave me a ballpark of what it may take to fix it. Sounds like it's a combination of their tracker modules for the clicking and contact modules for the cut-outs. Labor is the biggest charge (no surprise) so it sounds like we should replace both modules for all keys/all manuals—still parts are less than the labor.

        Comment

        • don60
          ff Fortissimo
          • Sep 2009
          • 1037

          #5
          I agree on the diagnosis--I thought the same as soon as I heard "loud click." The tracker touch strips use collapsing bubbles to give a snap action to the keys. Sometimes the bubbles split and do not collapse evenly. When they return, they make a loud clicking sound that one would swear has to be coming from the upstop bumper or the plastic pivots. I learned this fact after puzzling over a noisy keyboard for over an hour.

          Erratic keying is either worn contact strips or simply dirt inside the contact bubbles. Not much dirt is needed to cause trouble--just a tiny speck of debris or a strand of hair is sufficient. Absolute cleanliness while reassembling the contacts is essential.

          Both tracker touch and contact strips are readily available from Johannus and possibly some of the more active service techs. GOG is slowly trying to move their US parts inventory to the old Rodgers facility from which they will be available to all dealers. Your prospective technician should have the parts or be able to order them through a GOG (formerly Rodgers) dealer.

          Comment

          • arie v
            ff Fortissimo
            • Dec 2005
            • 2330
            • Toronto, Canada

            #6
            Hi,

            one thing that has not been mentioned, is whether the contact strips are single or dual contact. Older organs had single contact strips in them, and these are no longer available, from anyone. Dual contact strips are available, and are found in any organ that had Fatar keyboards in them.

            I don 't know when Johannus went from single to dual contact system, but one must get the correct ones, or they won't work.

            AV

            Comment

            • tucsondave
              fff Fortississimo
              • Mar 2011
              • 4008
              • Tucson, Arizona
              • United States [US]

              #7
              A few years ago I helped a dealer exchange the keyboards in a Johannus. The new keyboards were dual contact type and had to be modified by cutting out certain diodes.
              Recently I needed help with a Johannus and contacted Rodgers. I was told that the story about them getting Johannus parts was not true even though it had been discussed at the Atlanta dealer's meeting earlier this year. I was told to email aftersales@johannus.com for any assistance.

              td
              Servicing electronic organs since 1969.

              Comment

              • Dutchy
                pp Pianissimo
                • Feb 2018
                • 132

                #8
                I think that's a great idea from tucsondave.

                If it unexpectedly doesn't work, maybe filling in the Service Form on the US part of the Johannus website will do the job. Here's the link: https://www.johannus.com/en-us/service/service-form

                Good luck again.

                Comment

                • myorgan
                  Super Moderator
                  • Nov 2005
                  • 10738
                  • New England
                  • United States [US]

                  #9
                  I'm not sure if it's possible or not, but a temporary fix may be to move some of the contacts from the center to the ends of each keyboard. Since the keys on the ends don't get used as much, in theory, they're still good and have useful life.

                  Not sure if it'll work, but worth a suggestion, if it's possible to do.

                  Michael
                  Way too many organs to list, but I do have 5 Allens:
                  • MOS-2 Model 505-B / ADC-4300-DK / ADC-5400 / ADC-6000 (Symphony) / ADC-8000DKC
                  • Lowrey Heritage (DSO-1)
                  • 11 Pump Organs, 1 Pipe Organ & 7 Pianos

                  Comment

                  • Dwayne426
                    ppp Pianississmo
                    • Dec 2020
                    • 1
                    • Chapel Hill, North Carolina

                    #10
                    I am Dwayne Linich an Johannus certified service tech relocated to Chapel Hill 2 months ago. Call me at 630-972-0075 or for service. ThankYou
                    Last edited by Admin; 11-03-2021, 10:37 AM. Reason: removed email per forum policy

                    Comment

                    • toodles
                      Deceased
                      • Sep 2003
                      • 4349
                      • Logan UT

                      #11
                      Dwayne,

                      Thank you for joining the forum and for posting here--it's very useful when techs let us know of their availability.

                      Toodles.

                      Comment

                      • timnc
                        pp Pianissimo
                        • Sep 2018
                        • 65

                        #12
                        Dwayne426 Thanks for your response. I no longer attend that church, but I forwarded your contact info to the music director.

                        Comment

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