ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
From: Bill Hausmann, Nov. 1997
The following is quoted from the jacket of the LP record "Nostalgia and
Now" (Pipin' Records, 1168 Volz Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822):
"The Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ, on which this album was recorded, is a
four manual, twenty rank instrument originally used during the silent
movies. It is a composite of two organs: Opus 0683 trom the Strand
Theater in Madison, Wisconsin and the Opus 0564 from the Tiffin Theater in
Chicago, Illinois; and was later assembled into one instrument by Replica
Records in Des Plaines, Illinois, to become one of the first theater pipe
organs used in the early history of Hi-Fi recording. Robert and Cathryn
Breuer acquired it in 1972 from a private party in Montreal, Canda, and
transported it to its present "home" at Arden Pizza and Pipes, 2911 Arden
Way, Sacramento, California -- where it now may be heard seven nights a
week. Installation was by Sacramento's Sierra Chapter, American Theater
Organ Society, under the direction of Dale Mendenhall. the organ, weighing
in at 20,000 pounds, is maintained by Mendenhall and Ray Anderson.
"The solo chamber consists of nine ranks: oboe, English horn, tuba, tibia
clausa, brass trumpet, brass saxophone, kinura, solo string, and orchestral
oboe. Also inside the solo chamber are the glockenspiel and orchestral
bells. The main chamber consists of eleven ranks: clarinet, viol,
celeste, salicional, tibia minor, and quintendina. The percussions are
installed on the walls outside the chambers. On the right wall are the
"toy counter", chrysglott, sleighbells, and glockenspiel. On the left wall
are the tuned doorbells, chimes, Chinese gong, xylophone, and harp. The
piano and accordian are placed in front of the main chamber.
"The most recent addition to the instrument is a duplicate "toy counter"
inside the solo chamber consisting of bass drum, tympani, snare drum,
triangle, crash cymbal and tom tom. This enables the performer to play the
organ in better balance when using these effects on softer passages."
I personally own five albums recorded on this organ, three by Emil Martin
and two by Stu Boyer (Arttus Records). Also one 78 rpm single from the
Replica Records era.