flexhaust used on organ pipes

[Mirabilis]

Is it true that the lower pipes of the 32' Gambe at Riverside Church have flexhaust at the top end
of the pipes?

I've read about this somewhere; possibly, in "The Dish". Does any reader have more to add on this?

[Westminster]

I've heard that this is true from multiple sources, including IIRC first from Virgil himself, though I haven't seen it. The story goes that the church insisted that the grilles not be out for Sunday, the pipes had not yet been installed and - oops! - couldn't be with the grilles in place. The church was unwilling to pay for a second removal of the grilles. The pipes were therefore shortened as needed and the length made up with Flexaust.

[michaelhoddy]

I originally heard this from John Rose, who studied with Virgil at Riverside, so I'm also inclined to believe it.

[davidecasteel]

Should make tuning easy--just stretch or compress as needed! ;)

Has anyone ever made an instrument that used a single such pipe to make all the notes of an octave, just by lengthening or shortening while playing?

David

[dave vincent]

Here's something close: Some of the European orchestrion builders in the 1920s made instruments with a slide whistle in the melody section. The pitch is fixed by a number of accordion pneumatics which collapse to give the various pitches. The available compass is fairly short. One interesting thing is that it automatically gives a "melody coupler" effect since the whistle follows the highest pitch within its compass. There's one on YouTube; search for Popper Roland.

Dave Vincent

[Guest]

Should make tuning easy--just stretch or compress as needed! ;)

Has anyone ever made an instrument that used a single such pipe to make all the notes of an octave, just by lengthening or shortening while playing?

David

At least one set of Wurlitzer 32' diaphones have only 6 pipes in the lowest octave. Each pipe is fitted with a flap at the top which changes the pitch when the pipe is played. Since playing of two adjacent notes is not done on the pedals, this works quite well.

[myorgan]

At least one set of Wurlitzer 32' diaphones have only 6 pipes in the lowest octave. Each pipe is fitted with a flap at the top which changes the pitch when the pipe is played. Since playing of two adjacent notes is not done on the pedals, this works quite well.

One of the most fascinating threads I've read in a while. It reminds me of seeing the Blue Man Group last summer in Las Vegas. I wonder what a rank of PVC pipes would be classified as--Flute, Diapason, or String?;-) Does a PVC pipe organ exist?

Michael