Pipe Organ Database

From Organ Database Builders editor Stephen Hall, October 22, 2019. —

Excerpt from Homer Blanchard's article:

The original pitch of the organ was somewhat higher than 440. At about the turn of the century it was felt that the organ was making It too difficult for the sopranos of the choir to reach their top notes. Consequently an organ service man named Murdock, reputed to be a former employee of the Johnson firm, was given the job of lowering the pitch. For those pipes that had been cone turned before, he made slide tuners of pipe metal. Slotted pipes were turned flat by unrolling the tuners and then fixing them in place with strips of leather glued across the cuts. In some cases the stoppers in the stopped basses could not be pulled out far enough. so that certain low notes never were in tune with the new pitch.

Source:

• Homer D. Blanchard, "Johnson and Son Opus 458", The Tracker 11:4 (Richmond, Va.: Organ Historical Society, 1967), 11.

From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders, by David H. Fox (Richmond, Va.: Organ Historical Society, 1991). —

With Wm. Johnson & Son firm of Westfield, Massachusetts, 1883?

Sources:

• Elizabeth Towne Schmitt.
• Homer D. Blanchard, "Johnson and Son Opus 458", The Tracker 11:4 (Richmond, Va.: Organ Historical Society, 1967), 11.