Chord organ is a kind of home organ that has a single short keyboard and a set of chord. And one 12' speaker, the 'S-1' used miniature tubes and one 12' speaker. In addition to Hammond, also Wurlitzer, Farfisa and Estey Organ made.
Since this Estey cottage organ had serious moisture damage, much of the cabinet needs a more serious restoration. Someone had also sanded the finish off of some of the cabinet pieces, especially the top and the keyboard/music rack lid. I don’t have any original finish to salvage here, so I decided to sand, re-stain, and finish the cabinet completely. I selected an English Walnut stain and I’m glad I did. The back of the organ, which had moisture damage, severe gouges, and a haphazard original finish, now looks like it was originally a finished back. This instrument never had a finished back and the wood used for the back is of inferior quality to the rest of the cabinet. I am pleased with the way it looks.This is the way the back originally looked:And here is the same back, sanded, new stain applied, and finish coats applied:You can see the reflection of the garden pergola in the finish.
I have a final sanding and finish coat to apply and then it’s done!Now, on to reassembling the reed pan. Working on the reed pan, I removed the reeds. Someone had placed wooden shims under at least four of them:Having carefully removed the reeds, I then removed the supports for the keyboard. Now I am down to the one old rusty screw that just would not budge:After carefully working on it for a while, I finally got it.
Now only the non-removable portion of the reedpan remains:There are several cracks in the reedpan that require repair:At this point I start the cleaning and light sanding. However, I guess it wasn’t my day for sanding. Shortly into the process, I got a nasty splinter off the side of the reedpan.
It went deep enough to where I couldn’t remove it myself (my doctor couldn’t remove it either the next day). It hurt like @#$%! So much for sanding and cleaning that day. Continuing on with the disassembly, I documented everything about each piece that I removed: the order of removal, labeling, etc. Eventually all of the labeled components were stored in tidy storage boxes. I started with removing the drawknob linkages:There’s a lot more corrosion than I anticipated.
Moving on after removing the drawknobs, their linkages, and nameboard, I get to the keyboardand then remove it:Now, I label all of the individual pitmans.Next, I remove the reed pan itself:There are a lot of moisture problems here. Every screw was rusted and many were seized. There was evidence of mouse pee.
I see a few cracks in the reed pan itself. I kept going and removed the outer and inner mutes:The mute hinges are brittle:and there is hardly any felt left:and look at the difference in color between a pallet valve and the reed pan:I’ve never seen shims under reeds before. There is one reed missing: the lowest C on the 4′ Flute.Uhoh, the reed pan is separating at the front:I don’t see cracks here, however:So I hope it won’t be difficult to square it back up:It’s amazing to compare the protected copper-covered linkage with the exposed corroded parts.Someone had a creative “repair” for this linkage:and here, is a “B”Now I am down to the lower action. After reviewing my ever-increasing queue of reed organs to be restored, I asked the Reed Organ Restoration forum for advice on what to restore first. The answer was: “none of your current instruments!” The rationale was that the reed organs I have are unique, large, or have special actions that would be difficult for someone just learning how to complete a restoration.
They suggested getting a small, simple instrument to start building the skills required later for the more challenging and complex instruments.I took their advice and as fate would have it, found a nice little Estey Cottage organ. It has two ranks of reeds: an 8′ Diapason and a 4′ Flute. It has two Forte controls for each rank and no sub-bass or couplers. Perfect for a first-timer! It’s small, about 34 inches wide by 36 inches tall and 16 inches deep. Here it is (click on any of the pictures for a larger view):The case is solid mahogany. It has a 49 note, C-C compass keyboard.
Taking the two top pieces off reveals the action:Simple, but uh oh! Looks like moisture damage here. The metal linkages and screws are all corroded. The wood is too dark and portions have significant staining. Fortunately the serial number label is in relatively good condition. Serial number 124832, completed September 9, 1882! Earlier than I thought.
Here is a close-up of the label:The stop faces and manufacturer decals are good, as is the back. The keyboard will require leveling. The top three or four keys are sticking – I think it is likely due to the pitmans, but we’ll see.I love the handles on the sides of the organ.
They appear to be brass. This instrument is small enough that I can pick it up and carry it myself, with some effort.Here is a video that provides an example of the sound before restoration. The bellows are in great need of rebuilding, as it takes a lot of fast pumping to get the organ to play.
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