I have got them!

[Sarongman]

I went down to Brisbane today, and finalised the deal to get two wonderful instruments from a Belgian couple. The first is a 2 manual Mannborg, which is, possibly, the only one of it's type in Australia. I am it's third owner, the first being a wealthy convent school, where it was the chapel organ. The second is a 2 manual Alexandre harmonium, with unknown provenance but rarity in having two manuals, and for it's age, which I calculate as between 1855 and 1859 or, at latest 1860. Both these instruments are as far away from the drawing room style reed organs as it is possible to get, and superior to many chapel styles of the same breed.

Alexandre.jpg

The BIG Mannborg.jpg

[Sarongman]

They arrived today, although they nearly didn't, as the road was blocked by a rock fall at the Cunningham's Gap section of the range, and the truck was held up for a little over an hour. The big Mannborg needs to have a full bellows overhaul before becoming playable, the Alexandre though, is playable except for some swollen key felts causing keys to stick down. The sound of the harmonium is quite grand,(especially for an instrument not far short of 160 years) especially with both Copula stops (one for bass & one for treble) and the Grand Jeu drawn. I might just get overexcited and give a full stoplist for both instruments, but then , I just realised I'd bore most of the folks here to tears. *Prob'ly doin it now

[crfriend]

Very nice, Sarongman, very nice indeed! Congratulations on the acquisition.

It'll be interesting to see how the Mannborg sounds once the bellows get replaced. Are these "all in one" console units or there outboard pipe-chests involved which are not in the pictures?

[Kirbstone]

Well, SM. I'm delighted for you.

They're two very fine boxes of whistles (I'm quoting a patient, retired cathedral organist).

You must have plenty of room at home to be able to accommodate these two as well as your wardrobe full of Macabis!

Tom K.

[Sarongman]

Carl, they are both reed organs in one unit, though the amount of mechanism packed into the Mannborg is a daunting thought, especially when compared to the run of the mill reed instruments. I do have an 1890s catalogue for small pipe organs that could be foot blown. To find one of these would be

Tom, I've now run out of room, and I don't have a Macabi in my cupboard.

[crfriend]

Carl, they are both reed organs in one unit, though the amount of mechanism packed into the Mannborg is a daunting thought, especially when compared to the run of the mill reed instruments.

When you get up the courage to pull the maintenance covers off pictures of the innards would be appreciated. It sounds like "dense going".

I do have an 1890s catalogue for small pipe organs that could be foot blown.

So how are these beasts supplied with wind? Lackeys working bellows off-stage? Midgets making minimum-wage inside the works?

[Kilted Musician]

Congratulations! They both look very nice! I'm a pipe organ technician by day and a jazz musician on the weekends. Although we don't service reed organs, I can appreciate these a lot!

Enjoy them!

--Rick

[Kirbstone]

From the look of them they are both harmoniums, really, the wind being supplied by tramping alternately on those very large paired foot-pedals at the bottom.

T.

[Sarongman]

The Alexandre is a harmonium, that is the reeds are blown by pressure bellows. The Mannborg is a suction organ like the bulk of U.S. production from the very late 1860s through to the first electones in the late 40s. Though the reed instrument was, in the hands of a top manufacturer, a superior instrument, until the classical Conn in the 50s equalled it in many respects. For proof, go to YouTube and type in Rushworth and Dreaper, Widor toccata

[crfriend]

The Mannborg is a suction organ like the bulk of U.S. production from the very late 1860s through to the first electones in the late 40s.

A suction organ? I believe I can figure out how that works, but I can't figure out why the manufacturer would choose the tactic. very strange.

[Tor]

A suction organ? I believe I can figure out how that works, but I can't figure out why the manufacturer would choose the tactic. very strange.

Well, I have what is arguably a partial suction/partial pressure reed organ, and it works just fine. I'll agree that where mixing the two isn't required for functional reasons I too find it odd to go for the suction direction - indeed a bit of a head scratcher, since I would have thought that pressure would be the simpler setup.

[Sarongman]

Well, I have what is arguably a partial suction/partial pressure reed organ,

I am fascinated and intrigued, please give some details of this beast. Sometime in the 1880s, for one of the Great Exhibitions, the Mannborg firm built a three manual instrument that had one manual of pressure sounded reeds, one manual of suction sounded reeds and a manual playing a few ranks of flue pipes, plus a pedalboard, most likely of heavy weighted reeds.

[Tor]

Well, describing what I have as I did is analogous to calling a square a rectangle or perhaps a parallelogram Depending on your point of view, one might argue that the proper analogy is to a quadrilateral. Some more details:

Treble: One manual, two sets of reeds, three preset stop combinations.
Bass: One set of buttons, four sets of reeds, two preset stop combinations.
Air flow: Hand pumped; every reed works with both suction and pressure.
Size: Small enough for one person to easily cart it around. Invariably the performer invariably brings and plays his/her own instrument.
Name: Well, not an organ unless humourously or as part of a description of characteristics. I'll give you another try at the specific name:)

[Sarongman]

Ah! The penny drops. This is a button accordion or, more colloquially, a squeeze box. (Mr Wheatstone's invention) Beloved in Irish folk music and, I wouldn't be surprised if a certain mouth torturer has one stashed away in his collection.

[Tor]

Provided there isn't a terminology mismatch: Not quite, but I'll grant you did quite well with the information provided. It's a 120 bass 2/4 reed piano accordion.