Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

[NYCFarmboy]

I have acquired this console:
































Plans are to rebuild it from the ground up to control the 23 ranks on the Reuter opus 822 pipe organ.


some plans at:


http://www.reuter822.com/whatsnew.html

Anyone here have some wisdom on restoring/rebuilding old consoles? :)

[soubasse32]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

I've sent you a PM. [:)]

[Philip the organist]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

OOOH! That's going in your house? Wow.

[PSUorganguy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

Wow... what a find!! Does anyone have any tips for moving an organ console? I'm working out the logistics for getting a 1957 3 manual drawknob Kilgen console to convert to Hauptwerk. I have never moved a console like this before. I would also be interested in any tips for the conversion of the organ from its current state to solid state midi.

[Guest]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

That is a fabulous acquisition. It has historic interest as well as practical value. Good luck in fitting it into your house!

[Guest]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

GeezeJohn, got someone to build you a step stool for the upper draw knobs? Or will you have an assistant to stand on the balcony to pull them? LOL. Sure are toe studs and spoons to go around too. Is the pipe work still in place? [:)]

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

hi folks sorry for the delay I'll respond when I'm back in Indiana ...in New Mexico tonight making my way back across the country with the 500 console. it is the console only. The city of San Fran has the 500 pipes and replacement console.

quickly regarding moving these beasts...we did it with 3 people from a flat garage floor up to a 16' Penske rental truck up a pull out ramp..worked fine other than it did require some "hercules" moves to get it over the top of the ramp where the ramp slides into the truck, but it made it actually pretty easy!

Moving old consoles is pretty easy just put appliance dollies underneath them on both sides and scoot!

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console




Getting it into the garage....one of the pleasant surprises was how easy it was to move around...note the furniture dollies underneath..just requires 3 strong people to get it around.






Me with the console....note the console is not that big...I was VERY relieved that it was not monsterous..actually it is very compact for the amount of drawknobs etc. Will make an ideal console for the 822 someday.






It looks good from 10 feet away...getting up close well..thats another story..I'll post some detail photographs over the next few days but the good news is the console made the move just fine and appears to be all in order for a thorough restoration.

[Admin]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

Really impressive. Any idea of its weight? Also, what is the square cutout area to the right of expression pedals?

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

actually it does not weigh that much...the construction of the console is quite "economical" compared to other consoles I have seen. Two people can lift an end of the console quite easily to slide dollies underneath it for instance.



I have a Rodgers 550 analog organ console (3 manual) that easily weights TWICE what this one weighs! I'd guess this one weighs 500 lbs or so. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL suprise..you don't know my DREAD going out to California to pick up this console and wondering whether I'd be able to get it into the truck without having to rent a forklist etc.... fortunately it handles very well for its size.




The square cutout area to the right of the expression pedals is the location of the original Crescendo pedal as specified by Edwin Lemare when the console was constructed in 1914.



The Cresendo pedal is now missing but I'll locate a replacement and once again have it in the "Lemare" location....he wanted it there so it would only seldom be used (if at all). Because I have so many expression shoes and just one expression chamber I plan on probably using 2 expression shoes to control the shades (each one programmed to operate the shades differently..i.e. a slow to open shoe, and a "quick" to open shoe that opens up the chamber almost immediately. The other 3 expresission pedals could be differently programmed Crescendo pedals. For instance I'm thinking of having a "Orchestral" shoe that brings on the strings in a appropriate fashion.... a "Theatre" shoe that brings on my Tibia and Vox one pitch at a time etc...and a standard "soft to loud" crescendo pedal.


I want the console to remain as built originally but will be "repurposing" some of the shoes and doo-dads on the console itself for other functions.

[Eppy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

That is one mother of a console! And you're only going to attach 23 ranks to it? What are you going to do with the rest of the drawknobs? It seems like such a shame to just relable them all Vox Inaudita or something.

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

actually I'd prefer it had more drawknobs..there is space for about maybe 8 more drawknobs but i won't be adding them to keep the console as built....however there is additional unfication I'd like to do, but I'lll make do with just 129 stops or whatever it is. ;) A truely unified organ would be every rank at every pitch on every keyboard...and would require probably 1000 stops to do things to the limit of unification:

For instance..just one rank: over 4 manuals: Manual I: 8' Gedeckt. Manual II: 8' Gedeckt & 16' Gedeckt , Manual III: Gedeckt 8' and 4'....manual IV: Gedeckt 8', and 2 2/3'....manual 5: Gedeckt 8' and 2'..etc..etc...i.e. not even touching the other 22 ranks...you may ask why that matters?
It does not really matter too much to a real organist..but to a computer playing multiple ranks invididually the possibilities of unification make VERY AMPLE use of however many drawknobs you could find. :)

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console


















a whole bunch more photos at:

http://www.reuter822.com/austin500first/index.htm


and larger ones at:

http://www.reuter822.com/austin500june17/index.htm

[Manum de Tabula]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console

Image 5829 shows the key shafts and mouse droppings. The shafts look like particle board, please tell me that's not true, please . . .

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Austin opus 500 original 1914 console



[quote user="Manum de Tabula"] Image 5829 shows the key shafts and mouse droppings. The shafts look like particle board, please tell me that's not true, please . . .
[/quote]

Let's hope that they are at least Dijon mouse-turds. LOL!

[:$]