Paramount Theatre, Oakland, California

 Wurlitzer, opus #1123, 1925, formerly in Capitol Theatre, Detriot

 

    Rank                 Pedal  Accomp     Great           Bombarde   Solo

  8 English Horn **         8   8   8t                     16 8          8

  8 Tuba Mirabilis          8   8   8t        8            16 8          8

  8 Trumpet                     8   8t     16 8            16 8          8

 16 Tuba Horn            16 8   8   8t     16 8               8          8

 16 Diaphonic Diapason   16     8   8t                     16 8          8

 16 Horn Diapason **     16 8   8 4           8 4

 16 Metal Diaphone **    16

 16 Tibia Clausa Solo    16 8     4 8t     16 8 5 4 3 2 T  16 8 4 3 2    8 4 3 2

  8 Tibia Clausa Main       8   8 4        16 8   4   2    16 8 4        8 4

  8 Orchestral Oboe                        16 8                          8

  8 Kinura                                    8                          8

  8 Clarinet                8   8          16 8                          8

  8 Saxophone                              16 8            16 8          8

 16 Solo Strings IV ***  16 8   8          16 8                          8

  8 Viols IV ***            8   8 4        16 8   4   2                  8

 16 Oboe Horn *          16 8   8             8                          8

  8 Quintadena                  8             8                          8

 16 Concert Flute II *** 16 8   8 4 3 2       8   4   2

  8 Vox Humana Solo             8 4        16 8   4        16 8          8

  8 Vox Humana Main             8 4        16 8   4        16 8          8

 

    Piano                16     8 8t          8                          8

    Master Xylophone                          X               X          X

    Xylophone                                 X                          X

    Harp/Marimba                8 4 M 8t      M Vt                       8 4

    Chrysoglott                 C             C                          C

    Glockenspiel/Bells          G             B               G          G

    Cathedral Chimes            C                                        C

    Sleigh Bells                S

 

    Accomp to ...           8     4

    Great to ...            8     4t       16 -8 4         16 8 4

    Bombarde to ...                           8t

    Solo to ...             8   8 8t 8z    16 8 16t 8t 8z             16 -8 4

 

 Tremulants: Main, Clarinet, Tibias & Voxes, Tubas & Diapasons, Solo, Solo,

             English Horn

 

 ("3" = 2-2/3; "T" = 1-3/5", "t" = second touch, "z" = pizzicato touch)

 ("*" = original rank extended; "**" = new rank; "***" = old and new)

 

 This organ started out a the first example of a "Publix #1" style

 Wurlitzer, with a specification designed by Jesse Crawford.  The Oakland

 Paramount's original instrument, the last Publix #1 ever built, had been

 removed for use in a restaurant and was finally replaced by the Detroit

 organ.  The orignal 20 ranks were expanded to 27 when the organ was

 installed in Oakland; this work was done under the guidance of organist Jim

 Roseveare, who died a few years ago.

 

 The Oboe Horn (marked "*") has had a 16' octave added.  The English Horn

 (marked "**" is new to this instrument.  The 16' Metal Diaphone is also new

 to this instrument and plays with the 16' Horn Diapason via the "16' Bass"

 stoptab in the Pedal.  The Horn Diapason replaced the original Dulciana,

 which seemed less useful in the 3000-seat theatre.  The 4-rank Solo Strings

 (marked "***") consists of the two original 8' Solo Strings, one in each

 chamber and now   both extended to 16', and two 8' Solo String Celestes,

 one in each chamber and new to this instrument.  The 4-rank 8' Viols

 (marked "***") consist of the original 8' VdO and Celeste and 8' Violin and

 8' Violin Celeste, new to this instrument.  The 16' Concert Flute (marked

 "***") consists of the original 16' Concert Flute and an 8' Flue Celeste,

 new to this instrument.

 

 A series of "ventil" stoptabs is provided to *disable* certain portions of

 the compound stop:

  1. Bass Off -- disables the 16' Metal Diaphone (Solo)

  2. Bass String Off -- disables the 16' Solo String (Solo)

  3. Solo String Off (Solo) -- disables the Solo Solo String (s???)

  4. Solo String Off (Main) -- disables the Main Solo String (s???)

  5. Solo String Celestes Off -- disables both Solo String celeste ranks

  6. Violin Off -- disables the 8' Violin (and its celeste???)

  7. Viol d'Orchestrae Off -- disables the 8' VdO (and its celeste???)

  8. Viol Celestes Off -- disables both 8' Celestes (Vd0 and Violin)

  9. Flute Celeste Off -- disable the 8' Flute Celeste

 10. Marimba Off -- disables the unenclosed Marimba

 

 In a similar fashion, all of the Pedal "traps" operate via a single stoptab

 labelled "TRAP".  Additional tabs control which ones play: Bass Drum,

 Kettle Drum, Cymbals, Crash Cymbals, and Jazz Cymbals.  There is also a

 Pedal stoptab for "Tibia Ensemble 8' Pizzicato".

 

 All of these unusual arrangements were made necessary by the fact that the

 console was originally designed to control 20 ranks, the standard for a

 Publix #1 style instrument.  Since the designer wanted to retain the

 original Wurlitzer stoptabs and pneumatic combination action, but also

 wanted to add 7 ranks, it was necessary to revise the specification.

 Several things were combined onto single tabs, including several

 "Ensembles" that are not apparent in the stoplist "matrix" given above.  In

 addition, some 17 extra tabs were added but were not available for control

 via the combination action.  These extra tabs are the ventils and the Pedal

 Trap selectors.

 

 This organ has been recorded by Jim Riggs.  The stoplist is from "Theatre

 Organ" for March of 1983.

 

 Larry Chace