What kind of organ is this?

[HarmonyMusic]

Hello everyone! I'm posting here to see if anyone recognizes what kind (make/model) of organ is in this picture.
This organ was in our house for several years when I was a child back in the 90's. It was given to me by my grandparents. Somewhere around 95/96 it got lost in a move. My parents either gave it away or threw it away but my dad doesn't remember and my mom died in 2016 and did not remember what happened to it either. And my grandparents have also passed.
In 2013 I started trying to find out what kind of organ it was so I could get another one. And also just for nostalgia/memories. It was a special thing for the family and we all would like to play one again.
But I have searched thousands of pictures online of every brand of organ I could find in the last 5 years. This is the only picture of it in our house that I have (that's my cat Charlie in the picture). I've taken the picture to music stores to see if anyone there recognizes it. Including some veteran keyboard players who are in their late 60's and have played nearly every kind of keyboard there is. No one recognizes it at all. The logo in the picture is too blurry to see it clearly.
Some info about the organ to help identify it:
It only had one row of 49 keys.
It only had one pedal (strictly for volume).
Built in speaker(s), sheet music stand.
Made out of wood (very heavy).
Stood approximately 3-4 feet tall.

It would thrill me and my family to no end if someone can identify this organ and let me know what it is. Thank you all so much!
DJB

[andyg]

Hi.

No problem at all. It's a Kimball 'Swinger 90', from 1976.

One of a type of 'easy play' instruments sometimes called 'Fun Machines' that started with the Hammond 'Piper' six years earlier. After that instrument became a roaring success, almost all the manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon to produce something similar. Here's a (slightly) better photo.

If you're looking for one, the good news is that older organs are almost ten a penny these days. You might well be able to find one of these but make sure it's working before you get it! Time isn't always kind to older organs.

[Larrytow]

Hi DJB,

Welcome to the forum. You should put your general location in your profile. That would make it easier for us to help you in your search. As I don't know whereabouts you are, this may or may not be helpful to you.

There is currently on of these on the Milw WI CL. The person is asking 40.00 for it though. There is no way I would pay that for one of these. In fact I would charge more than that to remove it for someone ! However nostalgia value really knows no particular price I guess, so who am I to say what it might be worth to you ?

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/msg...665246458.html

[andyg]

Yes, $40 is way above true market value, which is realistically zero or negative (where the seller has to pay someone to take it away). It's a buyer's market these days so if you do find one that's 100% OK, then haggle hard. Offer to simply take it away.

Nostalgia and sentimental values are different to real values, as Larry says, but you should still be able to get a bargain.

[KC9UDX]

If I'm giving something away on Craigslist, I always list it for $50. When someone sane and normal shows up sober to look at it, that's when I tell them they can have it. Maybe that's what you're seeing here.

But either way, if it's in good condition and works properly, I wouldn't balk at $40 even though the market value really is $0 or less.

[HarmonyMusic]

Thank you!

Hi Andy! Thank you so much for your reply and the information! It's so great to finally know exactly what this organ is again!
I really appreciate your help.
DJB

[HarmonyMusic]

Hi Larry! Thanks for the reply. I'm down in Florida. But now that I know what kind of organ it is I'll keep an eye out for one!

[andyg]

If you're in FL, then you're in 'organ central', and you'll be able to haggle harder! With luck you'll find a Swinger 90 out there. Check Craigslist and ebay, and also any purely local advertising.

[HarmonyMusic]

Thanks Andy! Yes, this area is full of musicians. And I have had dozens of keyboards and organs over the years. But still, no one else I've talked to around here remembers the Kimball Swinger 90.
It's just something that I'd like to have so I can keep it in the studio for nostalgia purposes. And I know it's not all that great of an organ. But it would be nice to find a way to get it on a recording. Anyway... thanks again so much for the info!
Dropjaw Bertone
www.DropjawBertone.com

[stefanv]

It's surprising how little information about it is out there. I was able to find one other pair of pictures in addition to the one that Andy found, on this very forum, but they're not much better: https://www.organforum.com/forums/sh...l=1#post249796

[johnbeetem]

It's surprising how little information about it is out there. I was able to find one other pair of pictures in addition to the one that Andy found, on this very forum, but they're not much better: https://www.organforum.com/forums/sh...l=1#post249796

Here's a nice photo I found with a Google search for "Kimball Swinger 90": https://auctionimages.s3.amazonaws.c...4/33037667.jpg

Edit: And here's a free Swinger in Pennsylvania: https://allentown.craigslist.org/zip...680478682.html Not as nice as the above photo :-)

[andyg]

That's the model C3 'Caravan' that replaced the Swinger 90 a couple of years later in 1978 (I remember them well from a TV commercial over here with the tag line "Five minutes, two fingers, one Kimball") but I have to say that apart from the cabinet looking a little more fancy, I can't see any difference either, so well spotted. Clearly part of the Swinger series in reality, if not in name.

[RogerM]

I remember a lot of TV adverts but not one for an organ. I wasn’t interested in organs in the 70s but feel sure adverts for any musical instrument would have registered. Were they commonplace? Presumably not when compared with toothpaste!

[stefanv]

Presumably more people brush their teeth than play(ed) the organ. :-)

- - - Updated - - -

That's the model C3 'Caravan' that replaced the Swinger 90 a couple of years later in 1978 ...

Searching for "Kimball Caravan Organ" gets a LOT more hits than "Kimbal Swinger 90 Organ". I wonder if Caravans are also easier to come by than Swinger 90s? And if you do get a Caravan, you can tell people you have a C3. :-)

[KC9UDX]

I remember a lot of TV adverts but not one for an organ. I wasn’t interested in organs in the 70s but feel sure adverts for any musical instrument would have registered. Were they commonplace? Presumably not when compared with toothpaste!

Look for commercial blocks from your local TV station in the 70s on YouTube. You'll hardly recognise any of them. That's what I found. Tons of Shopko commercials, and I can't for the life of me remember a Shopko in the area. The nearest one was in a different TV market.