Tucson’s first organ builder

David McDowell (20 Sep 1918 - 3 Jun 2011) was truly Tucson's first organ builder and technician. He built organs from about 1935 through the 1980s (ish).

He is most well known (by most of Tucson's organists) for putting together instruments with used/second-hand parts. The pipework/pipes that are extant in his organs are from a variety of different builders, and some pipework is especially old. He did make some pipework himself, but in his later years he suffered from bouts of lead poisoning and slowed his building.

Even though the instruments were patch-quilts of pipework and equipment, the organs that he assembled were very good instruments that were useful for concerts and congregational accompaniment. Some instruments still stand to this day in great condition.

The first organs in Tucson were put together and maintained by David McDowell.