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| The 70's Organ Craze, it came and it went; leaving a lot of wreckage in its wake | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 11 2006, 03:35 AM (723 Views) | |
| Daniel\ | Aug 11 2006, 03:35 AM Post #1 |
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Fulla-Carp
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This is my rant about organs and pianos. In the 70's organs were a big deal. Every other person seemed to have one. My mother wanted me to have lessons and she bought me a Baldwin organ. This was nice of her. But the truth is I never liked it. I was never good at it. And I did not play it for long. My stepfather's mother wanted her to buy a piano. She said boys should play the piano and not the organ. I think she was only trying to convince my mother to buy a piano. Her argument made no sense. I am not sure if she even believed it. She had a piano. Every other person seemed to have a piano too. But my neighbor had an organ. My mother wanted an organ. And that's what we got. Looking back on it now, what we called an "organ" was an electronic organ. A "pipe organ" was an exotic kind of organ. In truth, an electronic organ is no more of "an organ" than a digital piano is "a piano". I played the violin and took lessons and was a terrible violin player. I played the clarinet and took lessons and became good at it. I played in the state music competitions. I got sick one summer and could not play, and did not take lessons again. It seems strange that there are no more organs. Organs seem to have disappeared. I wanted to find an instrument to play. I considered piano, guitar, clarinet, and harmonica. I ruled out the clarinet. I wanted to try something else. I might buy a harmonica. I would like very much to buy a guitar, and found one I would like to buy. But the instrument I want is a piano. Pianos are the most beautiful sounding instruments. They remind me of harps with keys and hammers. I think pianos are the ULTIMATE instrument. But back in the real word, I cannot afford to buy one. They are very expensive. Some people wrote about financing pianos. I just payed off a five year car loan. Nothing like financing a piano is in my near future. I live in a remote area. I cannot rent one. The only option open to me is to want one. Those of you who have one are very fortunate. I am grateful to my mother for buying me an organ when I was a child but I have no interest in organs and I cannot bring myself to be nostaligic about them. If you have not fallen asleep by now, thank you for reading my rant about organs and pianos. ![]() |
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| dolmansaxlil | Aug 11 2006, 03:40 AM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Daniel, I'm sure that I'll get trounced for saying this, but here goes. Why don't you look into buying a used digital piano? Sure, it's not the same as owning kenny's Blue (very few things are), but they aren't awful, either, especially for a beginner. |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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| Dewey | Aug 11 2006, 03:41 AM Post #3 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Heh heh, this could become a very interesting thread... |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| Daniel\ | Aug 11 2006, 03:46 AM Post #4 |
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Fulla-Carp
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I've actually thought about that, and I might do it. |
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| Mikhailoh | Aug 11 2006, 04:36 AM Post #5 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Have I got an organ for you.. my dad still has a big ol' electronic church organ... full pedals, voice the whole bit. It was left over from his store. You could blow your neighbors clean away with it. We were dueting the other night on Bach's Tocatta, me at his old Marshall and Wendell Reproducing grand. Although I will probably end up with it, it is the ultimate white elephant. |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| George K | Aug 11 2006, 04:40 AM Post #6 |
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Finally
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Digital pianos today are remarkable. The sound (through headphones) is very realistic. The sound (thought speakers) is acceptable. As far as maintainence goes - there is none. As far as touch and feel go, that's such a subjective matter that one can't say. Last year I looked at the Yamaha CLP 2XX series, thinking it could replace my 30 year old Baldwin - I decided to keep my acoustic. However, they are very, very good. You may want to go to Pianoworld - there's an active digital users forum there. Give your budget and you'll get all kinds of advice. I bought a cheap Casio ($500) for my place in Wisconsin, and I've been playing it for the last 2 weeks. Is it good? Nah. Is it good enought? Yeah. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Mikhailoh | Aug 11 2006, 04:42 AM Post #7 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Yeah.. I travel with a 66-key Yamaha. It sucks but it is a lot better than letting my fingers lose their stuff while out of town. |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| big al | Aug 11 2006, 04:44 AM Post #8 |
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Bull-Carp
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Daniel, I've had a digital piano (Yamaha Clavinova) for about 15 years now and have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it. I might like to have a grand piano, but it's not at the top of my want list, unlike (I assume) many on this board. For what it's worth, I also have a Hammond C3 organ (same electronics as a B3, different case). I really like that sound, especially for jazz. I love the pipe organ, but a home pipe organ is the height of impracticality, although I have seen a couple of them. There are a number of excellent church organs in this region, some of which have special concerts. There is also a rebuilt Wurlitzer theater pipe organ installed in a high school auditorium here and the society which maintains it has regular public concerts with guest organists. Last winter, they sponsered a grest performance of the LOn Chaney silent movie "Phantom of the Opera" with organ accompanyment. I grew up in a home with a piano and an organ, but I really didn't play much until I was an adult. I don't expect to ever do more than entertain myself. Big Al |
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Location: Western PA "jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen." -bachophile | |
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| dolmansaxlil | Aug 11 2006, 04:48 AM Post #9 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Yep - that's what I have as well, Al. We bought a Clavinova in '88 or '89. Sure, it's not the same as an acoustic, but at the time it was the best my parents could afford, and compared to the antique upright acoustics I had been playing, it was a dream. I've been lugging the thing from apartment to apartment since I moved out, and there's never been a thing wrong with it. It's not an acoustic, and it's certainly not a high-end grand. But if the choice is to own a good digital and get to play, or not play at all, then I think it's a pretty easy decision to make. |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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| Phlebas | Aug 11 2006, 04:48 AM Post #10 |
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Bull-Carp
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"You might like to hear my organ I said, 'Ride, Sally, ride." ![]() I thought this thread was going to be about something else. Yeah it's funny going to some peoples houses, and they still have these 1970's organs collecting dust somewhere. |
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Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D | |
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| Mark | Aug 11 2006, 06:08 AM Post #11 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I also grew up in a house with a organ. Baldwin in the 60's / 70s and Hammond Model E from the 1930's. Big old drawbar thing with a 6' tall Leslie. Motor warmup switch, get it running! get it running! Now flip the on switch as you release the motor warmup switch. Yeah Baby! I never really liked the organ that much. I always asked my parents for a piano but they never got one. |
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___.___ (_]===* o 0 When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells | |
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| Luke's Dad | Aug 11 2006, 07:01 AM Post #12 |
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Emperor Pengin
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99 times out of 100, a 2k-3k digital piano is going to sound and feel a lot better than a 2-3k console piano. |
| The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it. | |
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| kenny | Aug 11 2006, 07:08 AM Post #13 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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We have some friends with one of those 1960/70s organs. They inherited it. It hasn't been turned on in decades but they keep polishing it. Kind of freaky. |
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| sue | Aug 11 2006, 07:13 AM Post #14 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Daniel, I begged for a piano for years when I was a kid, and finally my parents bought us a plastic organ. You'd press the key and wait for 5 minutes for the sound to come out. Way fun. I lost interest pretty quickly, and that was the deciding factor for my mother. Obviously I wasn't interested, and/or taltented enough to warrant a real piano. Now I have one. We bought a digital first though, and still have it. I agree with others here, a good digital is a great choice. |
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| Larry | Aug 11 2006, 07:48 AM Post #15 |
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
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Well...... mine hasn't.....
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Of the Pokatwat Tribe | |
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| Dewey | Aug 11 2006, 08:45 AM Post #16 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I seem to remember a story about you being pulled down the center of a mall, laying on your back, playing with your organ... |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| apple | Aug 11 2006, 08:47 AM Post #17 |
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one of the angels
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you've got to hit garage sales in neighborhoods of retired folks.. here they can't sell them for 25 bucks. I bet i saw 20 of them this summer. We had one. |
| it behooves me to behold | |
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| Kincaid | Aug 11 2006, 08:50 AM Post #18 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Daniel, a budget doesn't have to be very big to get a pretty good piano. We got a mid 70's upright Kawai for $1600. You say you are living in a remote area - does that mean it is hundreds of miles to any larger urban center? Yesterday I saw a free Baldwin Hamilton (granted, it was 1908) but even that would probably get you a passable sound and feel. |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| Daniel\ | Aug 11 2006, 01:23 PM Post #19 |
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Fulla-Carp
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I don't saying it but I live in Hawaii and - we don't have the kind of choice of used pianos there are on the mainland. The consesus seems to be digital pianos are a good idea. I am trying to avoid an electronic instrument but they seem to be very good- and humidity isn't an issue. My clarinet was a Bundy- plastic pos. I thought I wanted a Buffet. I'm glad I did't get one. I didn't have a way to know it at the time- but what I wanted was a LeBlanc. In a way- I'd like to have a lifetime quality instrument - at this point it would be the guitar- and humidity would kill it. Thanks, everyone. ![]() |
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| John D'Oh | Aug 11 2006, 01:28 PM Post #20 |
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MAMIL
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I bought a Yamaha P120 and while it doesn't sound too great through its own speakers, through a pair of Sennheisers it sounds very good indeed, considering the price. I was waxing melancholic to 'er indoors about how I'd really like an upright, and when I visited my parents I was really looking forward to playing my mums good, but rather aged, piano. My surprise was significant, and I no longer wax about buying a cheap upright. I think my mum was a little surprised when she tried out the Yamaha. I just wish it had better speakers. |
| What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket? | |
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| George K | Aug 11 2006, 01:43 PM Post #21 |
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Finally
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That's easily fixed, isn't it? Just plug in some damn fine speakers (like computer 2.1's) and you should be good to go! Also, take a look at this thread for a discussion of how to set up a fine digital system. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| John D'Oh | Aug 11 2006, 01:57 PM Post #22 |
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MAMIL
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I tried it with a pair of pretty good 2.1 speakers, but I found they tended to pick up the vibration from the keyboard so I hardly ever use them. After much experimentation with headphones, I ended up with a pair of Sennheiser HD580's - one of the best $200 I ever spent. |
| What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket? | |
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| dolmansaxlil | Aug 11 2006, 02:10 PM Post #23 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I have a Buffet, and I'm not crazy about it. I also have a Bundy (wood), which needs some TLC but it has a gorgeous sound. I really miss clarinet, but I find I don't have the discipline to learn new stuff without the pressure of performing in an ensemble. So I very rarely pick it up. Unfortunately, my embouchure has suffered a tonne because of it, so it's a viscious cycle. Someday I'm sure I'll go back to it. I loved playing clarinet. More than piano by a long shot.
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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| Daniel\ | Aug 11 2006, 02:13 PM Post #24 |
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Fulla-Carp
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My greatgrandmother had a piano in her house in North Carolina and it was moved to my grandmother's house in Florida when she passed away. It looks fine- but I never could play it for more than five minutes. This is the the kind of experience I want to avoid when choosing any instrument. I am sure when people talk about digital pianos being better than bad uprights they have this kind of piano in mind. |
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| Daniel\ | Aug 11 2006, 02:23 PM Post #25 |
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Fulla-Carp
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It is very hard to play because of that reason and my teacher was very good- he knew what he was doing- he had a disciplined approach to teaching. It's not the kind of instrument I would like to pick up now and try to relearn what I used to know- it would be impossible. Quick nerd story. One of my favorite recordings is Anthony Pay playing Mozart's clarinet concerto for the Academy of Ancient Music. I found a posting board about clarinets- and sure enough- Tony Pay was posting there. I didn't participate because I didn't think I had anything to add but I would like to have told him about how he's my favorite clarinet player and how great it was to be talking to him- Anthony Pay, can I have your autograph? LOL. |
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10:41 PM Jul 12