Gulbransen melodeon thoughts?

[nutmegct]

What are your thoughts pro and con about this small Gulbransen melodeon?



It's available and only two hours from me. I'm particularly interested, as it's a "melodeon" but with four stops: Diapason 8, Viola 4, Melodia 8, Celeste 8, and has a swell (?) knee lever as well as two foot pedals (both for bellows?).

Here's the ROS database entry:

http://www.reedsoc.org/Database/scro...&fs=GULBRANSEN

New to the reed organ world, I want choice of sound (more than one reed set), but I don't have room for a full size chapel organ (altho' that's what I'd prefer). For most of the chapel organs I've scouted, they won't fit through my front door, and would require hiring a truck and helper to move. Melodeons seems to be something I could put in my car's back seat.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the Gulbransen I've found for sale, before I leap into the Valley of No Return and Eternal Regret!

Thanks.
Tom M.
Connecticut

[SubBase]

I'm not sure if the legs come off, so it would fit in a suv, but maybe not a car's back seat.

[nutmegct]

I'm not sure if the legs come off, so it would fit in a suv, but maybe not a car's back seat.

Thanks for the info. I'd probably figure out a way to get it in my car (trunk with folding rear seat backs).

I'm also trying to get some information on the quality of the Gulbransen reed organs, and hopefully some thoughts from someone who's owned one.

Thanks
Tom M.

[Rodney]

I'm pretty sure the legs are not removable. The instrument is fairly deep too, so I hope you have enough space to transport it.

I played one a few weeks ago, the sound is that of a mix of a standard parlour reed organ and portable. I'd classify it as a parlour organ over a melodeon, since it doesn't sound anything like a melodeon, plus these are from the mid-late 1920s. I thought it was a pleasing sound, I wish I had recorded it...

All the best in getting it!

Rodney

[nutmegct]

Rodney - thanks for the personal experience. Are you talking about recently playing a Gulbransen melodeon like the one in my photo?

Funny, but I *too* wish there was a good audio or video showing the difference in sound between the Gulbransen melodeon and parlor organ, especially with your comment "It doesn't sound like a melodeon".

If you know any online audio or video where a Gulbransen melodeon is actually played (not just poked at with random fingers), I'd appreciate knowing where to find it.

Onward!
Tom M.
PS - Rodney, it's your Bach d minor Toccata and Fugue video that got me into this. And I am really thankful for it!

[Rodney]

Hi Tom,

Yes, I have played an exact model of Gulbranson, I will have access to it again in the next month or two - I'll remember to take a video next time. There are no videos or sounds recorded that I know of, and the same questions have been asked before about Gulbransons because they are so different in styling.

Sorry about passing the reed organ bug through the Bach T&F video, reed organ infections are very dangerous as they can be passed though the internet lol :)

Rodney