Need a little help! I've been offered a FREE Thomas 606 (three manual ) console and a FREE Conn 644 Martinique (two manual). They are both headed to the bin... If you had to choose one. Which one would you save? And why?
Thanks- John
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Are they working? There's probably nothing in a 606 Trianon that can't be fixed, but the build quality of Thomas from that era has been questioned many times, often by their owners! It does have a lovely sound - especially the Tibias - and the percussions on the third manual, though not realistic by today's standards, are very useful.
The 644 Martinique is more up to date and can produce a more theatre-ish sound than the Thomas, IMHO. Its percussion voices are more accurate. Being a late model Conn, it does contain ICs that are no longer available. Usually reliable - it was me that got the 'rogue' one that cost the dealer a fortune in service calls before effectively refunding the purchase cost against a 652 Theatre.
If both were problem free, I'd go for the 644 Martinique. Full length manuals and full length pedals rather than the 25 radiating spinet pedals that drive many players nuts as they're in the 'wrong' place compared to a standard spinet!
It's not what you play. It's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.
Are they working? There's probably nothing in a 606 Trianon that can't be fixed, but the build quality of Thomas from that era has been questioned many times, often by their owners! It does have a lovely sound - especially the Tibias - and the percussions on the third manual, though not realistic by today's standards, are very useful.
The 644 Martinique is more up to date and can produce a more theatre-ish sound than the Thomas, IMHO. Its percussion voices are more accurate. Being a late model Conn, it does contain ICs that are no longer available. Usually reliable - it was me that got the 'rogue' one that cost the dealer a fortune in service calls before effectively refunding the purchase cost against a 652 Theatre.
If both were problem free, I'd go for the 644 Martinique. Full length manuals and full length pedals rather than the 25 radiating spinet pedals that drive many players nuts as they're in the 'wrong' place compared to a standard spinet!
Thanks Andy! I knew you'd have an answer for this one. So, in layman's terms. The Thomas is easily repaired which, there are a few known issues. I might get frustrated with the keyboard positions. The Conn is a great instrument but might not be as easy to find parts for? Due to the IC's. Unless, I cannabinolize another Conn. Which, as we know in the world of vintage instruments. It's not a matter of if something goes bad but a matter of when. But we love them anyway! Lol... 😂
The Thomas is definitely not easy to repair--there is an immense amount of circuitry packed into the organ, and even though the electronics are mostly generic, the mechanical parts are custom to Thomas (as they are with the Conn). But I suspect Conn built the more reliable mechanical parts. There are "couplates" in the Thomas, which are packaged electronic circuits built on a ceramic substrate incorporating resistors, capacitor, and, I suspect, some transistors. All could be replaced with discrete parts, but it isn't all that easy to do. The Conn might use these, too--I've never been inside a Conn organ.
Note, too, that the Thomas Trianon was retired as a model about the time that the Conn was introduced, so it's probably 5 to 10 years newer.
If both are in good working order, I would go for the Conn, too.
Indeed. 'Fixable', as in the electronic components are available, and the couplates, or circuit packs as some of use call them over here, can be replicated if you know what's inside them. 'Easy to fix' as in shouldn't give you any problems, is a different matter. Mechanical connections from the tabs to the circuit boards can fail, and though I think there are options for repair (you'd have to look at other Trianon 606 threads), it may not be an easy task.
It's not what you play. It's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.
The tabs have a slip ring arrangement. My Thomas syymphony came back to me after loan to a church. Kids couldn't resist hitting the tabs which caused them to SEPERATE. That's the only repair I faced in twenty years, so I would say I would be glad to own a Thomas.
I own a Thomas 606 like in the picture and is what my profile picture is . It was bought new for my old church it came with a Leslie but our pastor thought it was a box and threw it away . Anyways it has a lovely sound . The only CONN I've played had a very bland sound nothing in it . It was one of their spinet models but I still don't care for videos I have found of other CONNs. I prefer Hammond sounds ( or theater ). So I would go with the Thomas . Once you play one it's an awesome organ .
If you read music, you'll find the Conn is more comfortable. The music rack on the Thomas is higher, and you'll find it causes neck muscle problems when having to hold your head upward for long periods of time, reading the music score. My personal favorite is the Conn, but that's just one person's likes or dislikes, and shouldn't influence your judging which one to accept. Either one of these instruments will need some TLC from a knowledgeable electronic organ technician sooner or later.
On the other hand, if you like the Hammond sound, even if you have to spend a bit of money to acquire one, why not go with the sound you really enjoy hearing. If you choose the Thomas or the Conn, you'll find yourself trying to create sounds that imitate a Hammond, and wish you had a Hammond instead.
Very true, and if you like theatre organ, the Conn will get closer than the Trianon. Though, as I said much earlier in the thread, the bigger Thomas models did have some very sweet sounding Tibias.
It's not what you play. It's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.
I agree The Thomas music rack is too high . I would rather have a Hammond but I where I live you can't find them I live In the middle of nowhere I don't know where I could find a Hammond that isn't preowned and hadn't sit for years unplayed. Where I live all the organ players have died out and only a few remain. So I feel lucky to have a Theater organ , it doesn't sound like a Hammond but the tibias are nice. The internal Leslie is nice too ! I also have a little Baldwin 56-R . It isn't a grand organ more like a practice organ .
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