INFORMATION ON THE 3/15 WURLITZER INSTALLED IN HENDERSON, NEVADA
The organ left the Wurlitzer factory on June 30, 1926, destined for the First Christian Church in Lakewood, Florida with Opus number 1379. It was a 3 manual 8 rank church organ with a 16” string. Unfortunately, for some reason, the organ was repossessed by Wurlitzer and the parts reused for other instruments. On January 26, 1929 the same Opus number was resold but with all new components.to the Calvary Undenominational Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The original 8 ranks consisted of:
16-4 Diapason/Diaphone
16-2 Concert Flute/Bourdon
16-2 Salicional
8-4 Salicional Celeste
8-4 Aeoline
8′ Tuba Horn 10″ wind pressure
8′ Clarinet (small scale)
8-4’ Tibia Clausa
Chimes (25 notes)
Additions to the organ: 7 ranks, a toy counter, 6 tuned percussions, Tuba extended to 16’ and the Tibia Clausa through 2’
8′ Brass Trumpet
8′ Brass Saxophone
8′ Krumet (Trivo)
8′ Vox Humana
8-4 Flute Celeste
8-4 Aeoline Celeste
4′ Trumpet en Chanade (Johnson organ Co and Getzing Brass Company)
Percussions include:
Chrysoglott
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Harp (digital)
Saucer Bells
Sleigh Bells
The organ also accesses a 8′ Steinway with a Live Performance (LX) player
Notes on the Rockin’ Pipes recording
Rockin’ Pipes is my answer to COVID 19 boredom. With very little open to do anything I decided to record some of the musical selections I have been using for concerts and playing just for my own enjoyment. Where most organists are recording on large mega organs I decided to use my medium sized 3 manual 15 rank Wurlitzer that is installed in my Henderson, Nevada home. While not having the tonal 3/8 resources of larger instruments, I hope you enjoy my efforts to get unique and possible unusual tonal qualities out of the organ. The recording is a completely “home grown” enterprise. I recorded the selections on my personal instrument…there is no multiple recording and the only digital voices are the wood bar harp and the 32′ Tibia Clausa. A close friend recorded the tracks. He edited the digital recording and also mastered the final product. Another friend in Kansas City did the album artwork. A professional medea company printed the artwork and pressed the CDs.
Some information about this Wurlitzer…It started out as a 3 manual 8 rank church organ Initially installed in a church in Florida, Wurlitzer repossessed it and sold it in 1929 to a church in Grand Rapids. It was later installed in a 100 year old farm house north of Detroit. I purchased it, and, with the help of some wonderful people in that area we removed and crated the organ in 2 days and it was on its way to Nevada. Once it arrived in Henderson it was stored in an air-conditioned storage building on my property until I had completely remodeled and landscaped the home. The original 3/8 organ was installed intact minus the pneumatic relay and small blower. I added 7 ranks, a 16’ Tuba and the traps, sound effects and tuned percussions. (See the stop list for an analysis of the ranks and the organ specification.) Due to the extreme temperatures in Henderson it was decided to locate the organ blower 7 feet below the great room floor in a concrete vault directly in front of the swell shades. This allowed for a completely closed air system for better temperature and humidity control. With the blower in a concrete vault there is absolutely no blower noise emulating from the blower.
The seven additional ranks that were added were a Brass Trumpet, a second unenclosed Brass Trumpet en chamade, a Brass Saxophone, Trivo Krumet and a Vox Humana. On the accompaniment side an additional Wurlitzer Aeoline was added as a celeste as was a Flute Celeste. Since the Steinway C piano is equipped with a Live Performance LX player the piano was also incorporated into the specification and is quite prominent in the great room and can be heard in some of the selections on the recording. Since it was a church organ it was devoid of all the theatre organ percussions, traps, and effects so I bought back from my Agoura organ most of the traps and percussions.
Just after this recording was made, the Kinura was replaced with a Brass Sax to create a better ensemble. The organ operates on a Uniflex 4000 digital relay which has been administered from day one by my good friend Mile Bryant. The original eight ranks are still in the organ and include a Open Diapason, Concert Flute, Salicional, Salicional Cel;este, Aeoline, 10” Tuba Horn, Clarinet and Tibia Clausa.
A few interesting facts about the installation
The organ is solar powered during daylight hours…I have an 8.1 KWH solar generation capacity which is far more capacity than the 5 HP blower that operates the organ needs. It is certainly unusual to have an almost 100-year-old musical instrument being powered by solar energy.
The manual chests are supported by a welded steel frame that is bolted to the concrete chamber walls and floor.
All structural lumber is either original Wurlitzer or poplar milled to the correct dimensions.
All percussions and traps are hung from the chamber ceiling.
The Trumpet en Chamade chest, with an 8 degree canted toeboard, was built in Boise, Idaho by my good friend Todd
The Plexiglas swell shades were made on site by me, Wes and Rolando, two extremely talented helpers.
The organ is controlled by a Uniflex 4000 system
Chamber analysis for the Wurlitzer
Brass Trumpet 8’ Wurlitzer
Brass Trumpet En Chamade 8’ Johnson
Ophicleide/Tuba Horn 16’ Wurlitzer
Krumet 8’ Trivo
Saxophone 8’ Wurlitzer
Clarinet 8’ Wurlitzer
Vox Humana 8’ Wurlitzer
Tibia Clausa 8” Wurlitzer
Diaphone/Diapason 16’ Wurlitzer
Bourdon/Concert Flute 16’ Wurlitzer
Flute Celeste 4’ Wurlitzer
Salicional 16’ Wurlitzer
Salicional Celeste 4’ Wurlitzer
Aeoline 8’ Wurlitzer
Aeoline Celeste 4’ Wurlitzer
Xylophone 37 notes Wurlitzer
Glockenspiel 37 notes Wurlitzer
Chrysoglott 49 notes Wurlitzer
Sleigh Bells (Tuned) 25 notes Wurlitzer
Chimes 25 notes Wurlitzer
Saucer Bells 21 notes Deagan (Unenclosed)
Harp Digital
Traps/Sound Effects Wurlitzer
Steinway C grand piano/Live Performance player
Origin of Ledwon Wurlitzer theatre organ
Organ: originally 3 manual 8 ranks
Opus 1379 6/30/26 First Christian Church, Lakewood, FL repossessed, resold to:
2/17/29 Calvary Undenominational Church Grand Rapids, MI
Console: originally from:
Opus 2018 01/26/29 School for the Blind Jacksonville, FL
John Ledwon 3/15 Wurlitzer Stop List
Pedal
Tibia Clausa 32’
Ophicleide 16’
Diaphone 16’
Contra Viol 16’
Bourdon 16’
Trumpet 8’
Tuba Horn 8’
Diapason 8’
Tibia Clausa 8’
Clarinet 8’
String Celeste 8’
Concert Flute 8’
Flute 4’
Pedal Octave
Accomp to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Accompaniment
Trumpet 8’
Tuba Horn 8’
Diapason 8’
Tibia Clausa 8’
Clarinet 8’
String Celeste 8’
Concert Flute 8’
Vox Humana 8’
Aeoline 8’
Piccolo (Tibia) 4’
String Celeste 4’
Flute 4’
Vox Humana 4’
Aeoline Celeste 4’
Twelfth 2 2/3’
Piccolo 2’
Great
Trumpet tc 16’
Tuba Profunda 16’
Diapason 16’
Tibia Clausa tc 16’
Saxophone tc 16’
Clarinet tc 16’
String Celeste 16’
Vox Humana tc 16’
Trumpet 8’
Tuba Horn 8’
Diapason 8’
Tibia Clausa 8’
Saxophone 8’
Clarinet 8’
Krumet 8’
String Celeste 8’
Concert Flute 8’
Vox Humana 8’
Fifth (Tibia) 5 1/3’
Piccolo (Tibia) 4’
String Celeste 4’
Concert Flute 4’
Vox Humana 4’
Tibia 10th 3 1/5’
Twelfth (Tibia) 2 2/3’
Piccolo (Tibia) 2’
Fifteenth 2’
Piccolo 2’
Tierce (Tibia) 1 3/5’
Fife 1’
Solo
Tuba Profunda 16’
Tibia Clausa tc16’
Krumet tc 16’
Trumpet 8’
Tuba Horn 8’
Diapason 8’
Tibia Clausa 8’
Saxophone 8’
Clarinet 8’
Krumet 8’
String Celeste (4rks) 8’
Vox Humana 8’
Fifth (Tibia) 5 1/3
Piccolo (Tibia) 4
Twelfth (Tibia) 2 2/3’
Piccolo (Tibia) 2’
Imperial Trumpet 8’
Back Rail Upper Stops
Generals
Glock Re-it
Xylo Re-it
Harp Re-it
Great
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Harp
Chrysoglott
Piano 16’
Piano 8’
Piano 4’
Solo
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Saucer bells
Sleigh Bells
HarpChrysoglott
Chimes
Piano 8’
Piano 4’
Tremulants
Tremulants
Main
Orchestral Reeds
Trumpet/Tuba
Tibia
Vox
Vibraharp
Back Rail Lower Stops
Pedal
Bass Drum
Tympani
Roll Cymbal
Tap Cymbal
Piano 16’
Tibia Pizz 8’
Accomp
Snare Drum
Tom Tom
Wood Block
Tambourine
Castinets
Sand Block
Harp
Chrysoglott
Piano 8’
Accomp 2nd Touch
Trumpet 8’
Tuba Horn 8’
Diapason 8’
Tibia Clausa 8’
Clarinet 8’
Glockenspiel
Harp
Chimes
Piano 8’
Triangle
Great
Solo to Great
Solo to Great Pizz
Great 2nd Touch
Trumpet 16’
Tuba Profunda 16’
Trumpet 8’
Tuba Horn 8’
Solo
Solo 16’
Solo Unison Off
Solo 5 1/3
Solo 4’
Solo 3 1/5
Solo 2 2/3’
Solo 1 3/5’
Solo and Great left key cheeks have String select buttons. Accomp left key cheek has transposer buttons.
MIDI select buttons on right side of piston rail (on left side of accomp for pedal MIDI)