ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

From: Steven Levin, Dec. 1999


I helped remove Op. 99 from the UA, Berkeley, in 1974, and purchased it from Jack Bethards in 1977. It remained in storage in San Francisco from then until 1990, when I moved to Port Townsend, Washington. I moved the organ to storage there in March, three months before I moved myself. It is still in storage, with the exception of the console, which is in Ed Stout's shop in California, being slowly restored.
    I have never understood the specification Judd Walton published in his volume. At the time, his office was a ten minute walk from the UA, and the console was easy to get to, being still in the pit. His spec reflects no Style 35 I know of, and I have spent some time investigating them. The spec below is of Op.99, the third style 35, and, I believe, the last built to the original spec. Later 35s had additions, as the style began to evolve into the Style 260.
Op. 178 Rialto, Tacoma, WA, had a piano. It retained the single stop rail, so the piano tabs were in short second rows above the main stop rail. This was possible, as the 35 console had a great deal of space above the stop rail to accommodate the swell indicators.
Op. 186, Million Dollar, Los Angeles, CA, had a unit Tibia. It's space on the straight solo chest was then taken by a Krumet. (This I know for sure, as I have that chest.) The extra stop keys for the Tibia and the piano required going to a two-rail console, although the short solo manual remained. When the console was replaced a few years later, the new one had a full solo.
    In case you have never seen a short-solo Wurlitzer console, attached is a shot of Op. 99. This was taken while still in SF. The finish reflects the stippled plaster applied when it was moved in 1932 and the attempts of amateurs to remove it while the organ was in the UA. It has since been extensively reveneered. The shot was taken after the keys had been recovered.

Wurlitzer Opus 99, Style 35
T & D Theatre, Oakland, California (1916)

PEDAL

32 Diaphone
16 Ophicleide
16 Diaphone
16 Bass (Bourdon)
 8 Tuba Horn
 8 Octave
 8 Clarinet
 8 Saxophone
 8 Cello
 8 Flute
 4 Flute
  Bass Drum 2T
  Kettle Drum 2T
  Snare Drum 2T
  Crash Cymbal 2T
  Cymbals 2T
  Great to Pedal
  Solo Octave to Pedal
32 Diaphone 2T
16 Ophicleide Pizz.

3 Combinations

ACCOMPANIMENT

16 Contra Viol TC
 8 Tuba Horn
 8 Diaphonic Diapason
 8 Clarinet
 8 Saxophone
 8 String
 8 Viol d¹Orchestre
 8 VDO Celeste
 8 Flute
 8 Vox Humana
 4 Viol
 4 Viol Celeste
 4 Flute
 2 2/3 Twelfth
 2 Piccolo
  Harp
  Chysoglott
  Snare Drum
  Tambourine
  Castanets
  Chinese Block
  Tom Tom
  Solo to Accomp
 8 Tuba 2T
  Cathedral Chimes 2T
  Sleigh Bells 2T
  Xylophone 2T
  Triangle 2T
  Solo to Accomp 2T
  Solo to Accomp Pizz

10 Combinations
.
SOLO (37n) (49n TC chest)

 8 Tibia Clausa
 8 Trumpet
 8 Orchestral Oboe
 8 Kinura
 8 Oboe Horn
 8 Quintadena
  Cathedral Chimes
  Bells (Electric)
  Sleigh Bells
  Xylophone
  Glockenspiel
  Solo Octave

6 Combinations

GREAT

16 Ophicleide
16 Diaphonic Diapason
16 Bass
16 Clarinet TC
16 Contra Viol TC
 8 Tuba Horn
 8 Diaphonic Diapason
 8 Clarinet
 8 Saxophone
 8 String
 8 Viol d¹Orchestre
 8 VDO Celeste
 8 Flute
 8 Vox Humana
 4 Clarion
 4 Viol
 4 Viol Celeste
 4 Flute
 22/3 Twelfth
 2 Fifteenth
 2 Piccolo
 13/5 Tierce
  Harp
  Chysoglott
  Bells (Electric)
  Sleigh Bells
  Xylophone
  Glockenspiel
  Great Octave
  Solo to Great
16 Ophicleide 2T
  Solo to Great 2T
  Solo to Great Pizz.

10 Combinations

TREMULANTS

Main
Solo
Vox Humana

 Solo tremulant appears only on Solo combinations. No tremulant on Tuba & Diapason. Tremulant cancel on Great key slip.

EFFECTS (Toe Studs)

Boat Whistle
Fire Bell
Siren
Horse¹s Hooves
Auto Horn
Bird

VENTIL CUTOUTS

32 Diaphone
16 Diaphone
  Tuba Horn

 Suitable Bass on Great & Accompaniment

PITCH: A=435

All couplers, including 1st Touch, are on the nameboard.
The Solo is between the Accomp. and Great on the stoprail, as on 4-manual Wurlitzers.

From: Robert Kingdom, August 2011

After Steve Levin died, possession the organ went to Edward Millington Stout III of Hayward, California.

It was then sold to Robert Kingdom in Oregon.

The organ with the exception of the console, the instrument is in poor condition from 40 years of storage and water damage in the UA Berkeley.

Many valuable pipes are severely damaged or missing and the original Saxophone rank was replaced by a much later Wurlitzer rank of the same name.

The cost of refurbishment is too great for this specialized instrument, so it is being sold for parts.

This page brought to you by:
VintageHammond.Com - We Buy-Sell-Trade Vintage Hammond Organs

TheatreOrgans.com operates KEZL-FM Culbertson, NE A Non Profit Full Powered Radio Station