Noble, solid organ sounds can only be produced by magnificent pipes. We are privileged to retain the services of Holland’s and Germany’s finest organ pipe makers, whose centuries of experience and craftsmanship are at our complete disposal.
All our pipe-metal is of virgin stock, and nearly two times thicker than that used by most organbuilders. Pipe-metal is a mixture of tin and lead, the exact amount of each chosen for the tonal results intended. Our reed stops, even those of grave pitch, are constructed from this stout pipe-metal rather than the more commonly used zinc. We do not use zinc for any of our organ pipes. Zinc, while light and inexpensive, does not, in our opinion, encourage production of good, noble organ tone. Other metals are used for front pipes and can be finished in a variety of ways depending on the visual effect desired.
Every metal flue pipe’s mouth is scored on the upper and lower lips, on the inside surface of the metal, before the pipe is rounded and soldered. This causes the pipes’ lips to remain absolutely flat, in the exact positions in which the voicer places them, so the organ’s voicing will never degrade.
All our large polished tin façade pipes have copper linings inside the feet, to eliminate fatigue.
In organs in which tuning slides are fitted to the metal flue pipes, only stainless steel slides are used. These never tarnish, and never lose their grip on the pipe bodies.
All our pipes are racked and supported on the windchests by systems designed to preserve their integrity forever. The largest flue pipes up to smaller pipes in the 4-foot octave are supported by felted scallop-traces, the pipes held in place by permanent pins and soldered hooks. The reed pipes are racked in a supporting system employing multiple felted traces at various points along each pipe’s length. The result of such painstaking effort is unlimited longevity of life, and encouragement of solid tone production.