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**jbird604** · 10-02-2008, 02:18 PM

Re: Connsonata

Tom,

Congratulations on adding this nice little organ to your collection. I have some fond memories of playing on this type of organ inmy earliest years in church music.

I've owned a couple of Connsonata organs. The first was bought usedin about 1975 from a dealer who'd sold a big new Conn to a church and taken this one in. Not sure of the model, it had 2 - 61 note manuals and 25 note pedalboard. There was justa single rank of oscillators, so you couldn't have different stops on the two manuals. You could however couple whatever stop you had drawn to each manual at a variety of pitches, so it could sound sort of like you had different tone colors.

As I recall, the sounds were quite nice, certainlymore pleasing to me than most of the old Hammonds and Baldwins and Lowreysthat I'd played on before then. I'm not even sure that the "stops" had normal names. May have been general names like "flute p" "flute mf" "flute f" and then "string p " " string mf" . . . etc.

I seem to remember that there were coupler keys at the left end of each manual, and the lower manual had only 8' and 4', while the upper had everything from 16' up to 2' including mutations. 

The second one that I owned was built right about the time that Conn quit using the "Connsonata" nameplate and simply put "Conn" on them, but the generators and general characteristics were the same. This second one -- which I think was a model 710 --had two separate manual generators, so you could actually register different stops on each manual. And the stop tabs for each division carried real stop names such as diapason, flute, gamba, oboe, trumpet, etc. Each manual's stops were at 8' pitch only, but each manual had a full set of couplers from 16' to 2' including mutations. You could also couple the swell to the great at 8' and 4'.

Perhaps the neatest thing was that a "celeste" kit had been installed on it, and there was a switch to slightly detune one of the manual generators from the other. Then, with the swell coupled to the great and similar stops drawn I could have a glorious real celeste in any tone color I wanted. Even more exciting with the 4' couplers on.

Both these instruments were in excellent condition and never needed any particular repairs or maintenance beyond tuning. The early one, best I remember, had been through something of a rebuild before I got it. The dealer told me that its original tuning capacitors had been of a type that went bad prematurely, but the church had had them all replaced.

Hope you enjoy the organ.

John

**tom-total** · 10-09-2008, 05:42 AM

Re: Connsonata

Hi John,


many thanks for your detailed report which I read with great interest.

But there's one point I have to disagree... you wrote:

"Congratulations on adding this nice little organ to your collection"

Yes, it is a nice organ [:)] but not a little organ !!! Believe me, I have moved lots of organs - but the Connsonata 2C2 was the heaviest ever !!! [:$]

At the moment I'm restoring the organ. It seems as if there's nothing seriously wrong with it. Yesterday, I removed all the keys in order to clean them as well as the key contacts. Furthermore, I hoovered all the dust and gnatsof the past 62 years underneath the keyboards.

Last weekend, I checked all the 95 oscillator tubes (12AH7). The nominal anode current should be 12 mA (250 V anode voltage, -9 V grid voltage), most of the tubes were between 8 and 11 mA, two had only 3 mA and one had a short between filament and kathode.

The next thing will be to adjust (or maybe to replace ?) the pedal contacts, some of which are extremely bent [:(]

The overall cosmetic condition of the "old lady" is quite fair - the usual dings & scratches, of course. And: some pieces of verneer are missing or broken.

I'll keep you informed of the further progress.

Tom.

**Menschenstimme** · 10-09-2008, 08:37 AM

Re: Connsonata

Furthermore, I hoovered all the dust and gnatsof the past 62 years underneath the keyboards.

That is priceless! I had to read it twice to realize that you were using Hoover as a verb. I think that I have heard this once or twice before; but it is rare. Delightful . . .

**tom-total** · 10-09-2008, 11:13 AM

Re: Connsonata

Hi "MenchenStimme",

I do have to apologize for my strange English.... but I'm from Germany.

On school we were taught, that "Hoover" is THE English (or American ?) company that manufactures vacuum cleaners. And our teacher told us that "Hoover" is used as a synonym for "vacuum cleaner", irrespective of the fact if it is indeed manufactured by Hoover or any other firm.

And the action of cleaning a carpet is simply called "hoovering" [:)] Please do forgive me if I'm writing non-sense sometimes ....

Best regards,

Tom.

**jbird604** · 10-09-2008, 06:15 PM

Re: Connsonata

Tom,

I've heard "hoover" used as a verb frequently on programs from the BBC, especially the comedies we get here in the USA on our Public Broadcasting System. Also have heard this verb used by people who grew up in the UK and moved to the US. However, few American speakers use "hoover" as a verb meaning "use a vacuum cleaner." We simply say "vacuum" -- which is itself a bit odd, I suppose, as a verb.

Yes, the Connsonataorgans were quite heavy. I know that the larger of the two I owned, having two complete sets of generators, was extremely heavy and quite a chore to move.

I eventuallysold that second one, the model 710, to a small church. They used it for several years, then the main power transformer burned up and it would have cost several hundred dollars to have it re-wound. So, sadly, the organ was pushed into a back room and is sitting there mute.

You mentioned the 12AH7 tubes. I believe the organs I had used 12AU7 tubes. Do you know if that is the same tube?

Did it come with a big speaker cabinet, a tall box with speakers facing up toward the ceiling?

John

**Menschenstimme** · 10-09-2008, 07:40 PM

Re: Connsonata

[quote user="tom-total"]

Hi "MenchenStimme",

I do have to apologize for my strange English.... but I'm from Germany.

On school we were taught, that "Hoover" is THE English (or American ?) company that manufactures vacuum cleaners. And our teacher told us that "Hoover" is used as a synonym for "vacuum cleaner", irrespective of the fact if it is indeed manufactured by Hoover or any other firm.

And the action of cleaning a carpet is simply called "hoovering" [:)] Please do forgive me if I'm writing non-sense sometimes ....

Best regards,

Tom.

[/quote]

Tom: I really did find it delightful. Your English is fine; please do not apologize for it. I just learned from an American sit-com how to say darmausspülung.

[:$][;)]

**tom-total** · 10-10-2008, 12:15 AM

Re: Connsonata

Good morning !

@ John: Yes, the 12AH7 and the 12AU7 are similar tubes, i.e. double triodes. The 12AU7 which was used in later Connsonatas is the modernized version of the old 12AH7. The 12AU7is a 9-pin (Noval-) tube whereas the 12AH7 is a 8-pin (Octal-) tube, but both have similar characteristics. Furthermore, the heater filament of the 12AU7 can be run at 6,3 volts or at 12,6 volts. But, they are not interchangeable due to the different sockets.

@ MenchenStimme: "Darmausspülung" -- LOL -- what a funny word !!! Do you know what it means ?

Best regards,

Tom.

**Menschenstimme** · 10-10-2008, 09:26 AM

Re: Connsonata

@ MenchenStimme: "Darmausspülung" -- LOL -- what a funny word !!! Do you know what it means ?

Best regards,

Tom.

Yes, Tom; I do know what it means and it is indeed very funny - at least as a word. Klistierspritze sounds even funnier, perhaps. LOL!

[st][li][:|]

EDIT: http://enema.ytmnd.com/

**tom-total** · 10-11-2008, 05:40 AM

Re: Connsonata

Klistierspritze ? OH CRIKEY !!! What sort of German words do you know ???

[:D][:D][:D][:D]

By the way, may I ask you why you chose "MenchenStimme" as you nickname ?

Best regards,

Tom.

**Menschenstimme** · 10-11-2008, 08:57 AM

Re: Connsonata

Hi Tom,

Actually, my name is supposed to be Menschenstimme rather than Menchenstimme; but when I signed up on the Forum I spelled it wrong and the Admin is unable to correct it for me.

Several years ago I had the privilege of playing a large Casavantfor a few hours. Every single stop name was in German;thus, whatwould have normally been a Vox Humana or Voix Humainewas labelled Menschenstimme. I was fascinated by the concept of taking the all-German stop names to this extreme.When we installed our new organ in our church, we purposely did the same thing and have almost all of the stop names in German, including the Menschenstimme.

The few that are not in German are Grand Cornet V, Basson, and Festival Trumpet. And thisis a 72-rank organ.

By the way, I do know some decent Germans words; but as with learning any new language, the naughty words are more fun.

[:$][;)]

**tom-total** · 10-14-2008, 11:12 AM

Re: Connsonata

Hi MenchenStimme -

by the way, what's your name in real life ? - yes, MENSCHENSTIMME, that makes sense !

I find it quite remarkable, that you give an American organ German stop names !

Best regards,

Tom.

**Menschenstimme** · 10-14-2008, 11:46 AM

Re: Connsonata

Hi Tom --

I do not reveal my real name on the Forum because I have posted many stories about inane, insane, ignorant and thoughtless behavior at my church and thus I do not want anyone to guess my true identity. Although, some of my church stories are so specific, that if anyone who knew me locally read my posts, the could likely figure out who I am.

American organs rarely have "American English" stop names. Most American organs have stops that are in French, German, English, Dutch, and sometimes Italian and Spanish. And this is all on one organ.

It is part of the tradition.

**tom-total** · 10-14-2008, 12:24 PM

Re: Connsonata

Hi MenchenStimme,

thanks for your explanations -- I can understand your motives !

Best regards,

Tom.

**tom-total** · 10-14-2008, 12:35 PM

Re: Connsonata

Hello all together,

here are some photos of my Connsonata 2A2.

Please don't mind the unusual environment: my 2nd hobby is my old English car (P6 Rover 3500 from 1972). Due to lack of space, the organ is "sitting" underneath my P6 which isonmy hydraulic ramp... so my work area where I restore the organ is underneath a car [:)]













Best regards,

Tom.

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