R.A. Colby Organ Restoration

Services that we offer

Tuning
Maintenance
Voicing / Tonal Regulation
Organ relocation
Restoration

We are able to solve mechanical and tonal issues in

Electro-mechanical organs
Electro-pneumatic
Historical and modern temperaments
Cone tuned pipes
Collared, scrolled and reed ranks

With each visit we will

Interact with the music people of the church to:

Build a relationship
Discuss and document concerns and needs

Tune the organ
Reduce ambient noise
Minor tonal adjustments (regulation of reeds, poor pipe speech):
Lubrication and adjustment of electrical motors
Mechanical systems check: trems, percussions, combos, relays, etc.
Electrical systems check: Voltage, fuses, digital audio, etc.
Support systems check: skyracks, pipe ties, chest supports, etc.
Create inspection/tuning report
Follow up quote on work needed and schedule to complete
Emergency visits within one week, within 24 hours for a fee

R.A. Colby has performed a number of organ renovations and simple rebuilds. From the grand Austin Organ to newer OSI chestwork, Colby has the capability to transform an aging organ into a refreshed and revitalized instrument.

We will meet with you and your committee to decide on which aspects of the instrument should be rebuilt, which should be replaced/updated, and what kinds of renovations can occur to conceive an instrument with a full pallette of tonal color.

Some work can be done on-site, but a majority of organs we rebuild are brought back to our shop. Here they are disassembled, sanded, releathered, cleaned, and brought back to life. We then re-assemble the instrument and fully test the organ in our shop so when we place the instrument back in its home it will be ready to perform its wonders.

Some aspects of a renovation:
• Console re-finishing
• Reservoir releathering
• Windchest
• Swell Shade operators
• Windline upgrades
• Wiring updates
• Pipe reconditioning & revoicing
• Resource Additions