Free Allen on Craigslist

[wo2012]

This organ is near my home, so I am interested. However, the boards have apparently been removed. Is there any hope for this organ or is it worthless?

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/m...948833920.html

[Piperdane]

You will need to disassemble for removal as it is too wide to fit through our door.

How did that huge console get into that room in the first place? Tearing the whole thing apart would be, IMHO, a total mistake and most likely would not go back together again.

[Organkeys Jones]

I moved an Allen with that same console through a narrow door on a modular home for a blind man! The movers had left it outside on the deck. I raised the lid, removed the roll-top, unscrewed the stoprail and keyboards. Stoprail & keyboards are hinged, so I folded them back and that gave me a very narrow yet long center. On a dolly I rolled the organ to the door keyboard side toward the door! Then I just rotated it and it was in the room in a few seconds! Very happy organist.

I once moved a 2-manual Rodgers 800 into an apartment bedroom. I made a template out of cardboard of the side of the console because I planned to turn it up on one end to get it down a hall and turned into the room. Practiced with the cardboard and it worked. The lady couldn't believe it. Actually surprised myself on both of those moves!

[Larrytow]

No, you don't want that organ, if you want an organ to play. With the boards removed it is just a console now - not an organ.

However, about the "must take it apart to get it out" thing, I would say first off that it obviously is IN there, and nobody took it apart and re-assembled it to get it in there. A D size console is BIG, but the others have got it right about tipping it up on it's end and walking it though the doors.

[jbird604]

If it's nearby, you might go check out the situation. When they say the "computer boards were removed" what exactly do they mean? A 705 is a triple-computer MOS2 system with around 20 boards inside. If it was used for Hauptwerk, as stated, it wouldn't have been necessary to literally remove ALL the boards. In fact, connecting to certain MIDI adapters requires that some of the Allen boards be left in place. (For example, Zuma Group sells a MOS2-to-MIDI converter that works beautifully on a 705, but it must be connected to the existing SDDS-MUX board, and there are other converters that adapt the pistons and expression pedals of a MOS2 organ to MIDI.)

Should it be that only a few boards are missing, and there hasn't been any damage to the wiring, you might keep your eyes and ears open for some used MOS2 boards and be able to restore it. OTOH, if it was actually converted to Hauptwerk and if that was done properly, you might find it ready to hook up to a computer and you'd be able to have an instant Hauptwerk system without all the fuss!

As already stated, the thing about taking it apart to get it out of the house must be mistaken, because they got it in there somehow! They might simply mean that you have to take the pedals and bench off (duh) -- a lot of non-organ people don't even know that pedals and benches simply lift away from the console.

Bottom line -- since it's close to you, why not take a closer look? People usually don't know what they're talking about when they put an organ up for sale on craigslist, and these folks obviously just want it gone, so what do you have to lose by looking at it?

[John Vanderlee]

Could also be the current owner forgot or was not involved in the moving it IN. A friend of mine not only took the door out, but the moldings and the doorframe assembly as well -down to just 2 x 4 framing. Gained almost 4 inches, After the organ was placed, everything was just re-assembled again.

[74corvette]

I am a very happy owner of a 705d. I do not believe that D console was ever taken apart to move it in the room. I remember a while ago looking at a Allen You Tube of the wood shop building consoles. They are seriously glued and in some areas even glue and dowels. Long before you could force the glued joints open, The glued seams would hold and wood would liberate and tear from each piece...what a mess. No getting it back together looking as nice as the 705d in the picture. Maybe Capt Kirk used a transporter to move it ha ha.
74corvette

[myorgan]

Also, don't forget about the window or a sliding glass door, which can be removed to create enough space.

However, with boards removed, I wouldn't bite. It's of no use to me. If it was truly used for Hauptwerk and I were familiar with Haputwerk and MIDI interfaces, then, and only then would I consider it.

Michael

[KC9UDX]

Don't assume they're wrong without further investigation. I was once called to remove a piano which had been installed through a door that now had a concrete wall in front of it.

[John Vanderlee]

Again, it's worth a look - in my opinion - Depends on what boards, etc. If just the computer boards, they're obtainable, as in time most others show up on Ebay. Besides.. We're ALL curious!! ;-)

[wo2012]

Thanks everybody for your advice! I agree that there's not much that can be done for disassembly besides removing the top lid. I'm sure there's some way to maneuver it out the door, it will probably just take some experimenting. As I read older posts it seems like the "d" console is quite massive and heavy! I've contacted the seller and it's still available. I asked more about which boards were removed, and it's status of being converted to midi. Still waiting for a reply. I'll update as I learn new info!

[Larrytow]

Ya the D consoles are heavy and massive. Of course that is because they are some of the best consoles ever produced by Allen. After the era that this one was built in the consoles started getting lighter and just a bit cheaper in construction quality. While Allen still builds the nicest consoles in the business, I can really tell the difference between the Q325 at church, and my ADC6000D at home.

[myorgan]

If you raise the keyboards, you may be able to raise the keyboards and pivot it horizontally around the door jamb if both the inside and outside doors are hinged on the opposite side. The doors may need to be removed as well.

Best of luck if you get it.

Michael

P.S. There are some MOS-2 boards available presently on *Bay. Of course, you need to find out exactly what is missing first.:-|

[Larrytow]

Michael, I'm sitting here thinking to myself : "how exactly would raising the keyboards make a D console easier to get though a door on its end ? " . I'm just not picturing how that would reduce the important dimension. With the top off, the dimension I always go by is the one from the top back corner, diagonal down to the bolster where the keydesk and front panel are joined. Been a long couple of weeks here, so perhaps my thinking is not correct ?

[74corvette]

Larrytow, I agree. I just looked at my 705D. The keyboards are recessed from the front and sides. I cant see, in this case, that raising the keyboards would buy anything.
74corvette

[Organkeys Jones]

Read my earlier comment. I don't have pictures, but by raising the stop-rail and keyboards I moved an Allen D console through a very narrow door without removing the door! My grade school age daughter & I did it.

[Larrytow]

OK, I'm not really looking to argue about this, but I have to say I'm not seeing the point of raising the keyboards. That does not reduce the outside dimension of the console in any way. The manuals are recessed from the front edge. If you could please explain the benefit of doing it that way, I would appreciate it. Could well be that I am discounting a method that I need to keep in mind ? I move a lot of consoles, and cant say that I have ever found a situation where that would have made any difference.

[myorgan]

By raising the stop rail and keyboards, you're left with 6"-8" less depth to the organ. Of course, it depends on whether it's a drawknob or stop tab organ how much space is gained there. Although I suggested it, I have to confess, I've never tried it. I always make sure the door (or window) is large enough for the organ going in or out.

Michael

[Larrytow]

Regarding moving an Allen D console through a door on end, and raising the keyboards being any help : I must be dense, because I still don't understand the benefit. However, that discussion could be treated in a thread all of its own. I'm going to cogitate on the method and do some measuring, and will make a new thread in a few days or so. Got a very busy few days coming up here, so it may be a while. Perhaps take some photos with a measuring tape in them too.

Like everyone else here, I really would like the OP to go check it out and let us know the situation. Hopefully he will take photos of the inside of it, and of the moving problem.

Edit !!! I think I got it now ! Organkeysjones must mean NOT on End, but standing upright as usual. Then raising the stoprail and manuals would indeed make the center section considerably thinner. I could see that working very nicely in different situations. Now I don't feel so dumb ! No need for a new thread. Thanks for pointing out a method I never had considered, or heard of. Obviously one will need to be Extra careful with that technique, and have helpers who can follow directions well.

[wo2012]

I would very much appreciate the thread you are going to start! Anyways, the seller is not responding very quickly. Still no time set up. I'm very curious too, hopefully I will have some news soon. I'll make sure to take pictures for everybody too.

[Larrytow]

When you do get to go inspect it, do you know how the back comes off of an Allen console ? The three wing nuts that you access by opening up the top ?

[wo2012]

Thank you I wasn't aware of that! Now I won't get confused when I try to open it up.

[wo2012]

The seller has finally gotten back to me. Here's what he said:
"
It was not disassembled when it was brought into the house. I purchased it in 2016 from a church in Glendale. I measured my door and the organ at that time, and thought it would fit through the door. When it was delivered to our house, we discovered that the door was about 1/8 inch too narrow. At that time, I opted to put it in the garage until I could figure put a way to get it in the house without tearing up the door frame.

Last year, we hired someone to loosen the door frame so we could get it in the house.

My wife and I (reluctantly) decided it was too large for our house.

There are 2 options to get it out.

1 - disassemble the organ, and remove it piece by piece. I have not done that, so that would have to be figured out.

2 - Hire someone to loosen the doorframe so the organ could be removed. If you would rather not disassemble the organ, and you would prefer to have the doorframe loosened, we would ask you to cover the expenses to do so. If I remember correctly, it cost us about 150.00 to loosen and reattach the door frame.

Keep in mind that a used pedalboard will cost you 300 to 400 dollars, new will cost 1700 from Midiworks. The manuals are also expensive as well as thumb pistons, toe studs, and expression pedals, and you will have all of those.

The console weighed over 400 pounds when it was delivered. It probably lost about 75 to 100 pounds when I gutted it. Fyi, it is top heavy."

"The capture action board is gone. That board cannot be used in the midi conversion. All of the boards are gone. The music rack lamp and the pedalboard lamp are functioning"

Any thoughts?

[Organkeys Jones]

My method of removing roll-top, unscrewing stop-rail & keyboards and raising them should easily get it through a door when you only need an extra 1/8". If the door is at the end of a hallway, there might not be enough room to roll the organ keyboard first toward the door, then rotate it through the door. But with capture board gone and other boards gone, I would skip getting that console!

[John Vanderlee]

Yup! loosen the door frame!