Updated September, 2011
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Mechantiques - Mechanical musical instruments bougth, sold & traded

LARGE PIPE ORGANS

 

 

CT-18C (102) Gorgeous Wurltizer Style 150 Military Band Organ. This is probably the prettiest of all the military band organs for all around good looks. We owned this organ once before and have just repurchased it from the family of the fellow who had bought it from us and we are really delighted to have it back in stock. It is without doubt about the prettiest of all the military band organs. Lots of decorative woodwork, and really dressed up by red and gold paint. Significantly larger than the Wurlitzer style 125, these are also quite a bit scarcer. Older restoration. A real eye catcher and it can blast you out of the room! $30,000



 

 

(100) Wurlitzer Called It “THE MONSTER”, We Call It One of The Greatest Military Brass Band Organs Ever Built! This huge military band organ with 31 brass trumpets and trombones once entertained skaters in Massillon, Ohio (we believe). Now it can blow you out of your house or be the focal point of the biggest museum. With 249 pipes (compare that to only 100 generally smaller pipes in the popular W-125 style military band organ) and back to its original configuration of 100 note rolls (for comparison the W-125 model has only 44 notes) it is a truly spectacular example of the American band organ builder’s expertise. Wurlitzer said “In musical results it is equal to a band of from 12 to 15 pieces…” Only three of these Monsters are known to still exist, with one being in a private collection and the other being at the Kit Carson Carousel in Burlington, Colorado (see and hear it at www.kitcarsoncountycarousel.com and check out a YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34OXeV_ZrqQ). This organ, when we bought it, had had some mechanical restoration but still needed some additional work and was playing on BAB rolls. We have just completed converting it back to its original 100-note rolls so that its full capability can be enjoyed. It was largely very original in terms of pipes and mechanisms when we bought it, and was never a barrel operated organ. We have had some pipes made that needed replacing. We have replaced all the valves. And the conversion back to the original style 100-key roll frame has now been completed! We have purchased 12 recut 100-note rolls and more are available. The organ was missing its original gorgeous oak cabinet with leaded glass windows (see Bowers Encyclopedia page 935) – yes this and the Wurlitzer Mammoth had actual cabinets rather than just facades, really impressive. One of the other three known Monsters was also missing its cabinet and a new one was made for it. We have just ordered an exact white quarter sawn oak reproduction of the original cabinet and very considerable expense (there will be some more modern approaches to the internal construction but the outside will be a gorgeous exact reproduction). The new case is included in this price. The case has been completed and looks wonderful!  Incidentally, while this is a very large organ, it is not quite as daunting as the catalog illustration indicates – rather than a depth as quoted in the advertisement of 8’ 3 ½”, it is more like 4’ deep. The only known original cabinet, at the Kit Carson County carousel in Tratton, Colorado, is 96 ½” wide, 82 ¾” high, and 37” deep (not counting the motor or drive wheel) and that is what we expect our new cabinet to come out to. This exceptionally rare and desirable example of the height of American military band production is only $135,000 with extensive mechanical restoration, playing very well, returned to the original 100-note roll operation, and with the replacement cabinet.
 

Click here to read an article from Ron Bopp's American Carousel Organ book
(available to purchase on our "books" page)  on the Wurlitzer Monster

Click here to see an original catalog illustration of the Wurlitzer Monster

NOTE: Photos are near completion of current mechanical restoration.
 




 

  (98) Wonderful Carl Frei (Gavioli) “De Troubador” Street Organ From Our Own Collection! We have had this Carl Frei organ for some 20+ years. It was purchased from Carl Tucker who had taken it to many many band organ rallies. Originally manufactured by Gavioli, it was modified by Carl Frei many many years ago to give it that classical Street Organ sound. Please see the photos of the old “Gavioli Paris” lettering that was under another coat of paint. We had it fully restored mechanically back to its original condition (including such things as having the keyframe moved back inside the organ where it was originally), and the highly decorative carved façade repaired (a number of minor cracks have opened up again) and primed (the new owner will have to have it painted), and had it displayed in our music room in East Hampton, CT for many years. Includes the original carved automated figure that goes on the front of the organ – Carl Tucker didn’t get this with the organ but we were serendipitously able to reconnect it with the organ by purchasing it from a prior owner of the organ. We have had it stored ever since we moved to Eureka Springs and only had it out to play twice. Now that we have the large Gavioli organ on permanent display in our Gavioli Chapel, and have plans to build a gazebo on the Crescent Hotel grounds to display our Richter organ, the Carl Frei is regrettably “surplus”. It is time for it to go on to provide joy to someone else, rather than sit silent. Sixty-three keys (five slots not used in tracker). According to Carl Tucker’s old brochure it has 178 pipes consisting of eight bass, eight trombones, eight cellos, fourteen bourdons, fifty-five stopped flutes, and eight-five violin pipes. He also indicates a bass drum, snare drum, Indian blocks and cymbal, further indicating it has four register and an automatic tremolo. It has quite a few books with it (Carl’s old brochure indicated 100 books, I measure the stack to be 153” high). Also includes the trailer that Carl Tucker used to haul this organ – old but still serviceable. Main body of organ is 59” wide X 75 ½” high (plus 14 ½” for the motor which sits on top) X 34” deep. Side cabinets with drums etc measure 30 ½” wide X 79” high X 16” D. Façade adds about 4” to the depth of the organ. Drive wheel adds more depth. The top piece of the façade, which doesn’t fit inside the trailer, adds 34” to the overall height. Surely one of the finest sounding Dutch street organs extant. $42,500.
 

 
 

 


 

 

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Updated September, 2011
Vienna Clocks  |  Disc Music Boxes  |  Cylinder Music Boxes  |  Large Pipe Organs
Automatic Pianos & Orchestrions  |  Phonographs  |  Reed Organettes 
  Books  |  Other Mechanical Music  |  Other Non-Musical Coin Operated Games
Buy an Item  |  
Home


 Contact us at info@mechantiques.com.

Click on Any Photo to Make it Larger