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Your organ technician will NOT appreciate this section, unless he is a gentleman and a flatlander. A good organ man will be so busy that he will not be mad if you try do help yourself in these areas.
Are all of one key, like "B", dead? If so, the oscillator circuit is probably fried. open the back, and plug the organ back in the house current. WARNING: You can get shocked doing this work. If you have experience with electricity, go ahead on your own. If you are not familiar with electronics and voltage and amps, DO NOT proceed.
On some old organs, there are a row of oscillator circuits. each one is a unit in itself, and it will have the key it generates printed on it-- "B", "A#", etc. Find the oscillator circuit that is dead on your organ. Pull it, and switch it with the one next to it. If your original dead key now works, and the one next to it is now dead, you have found your problem. you qualify for a PhD in Parts Changing.
Locate an organ technician who has a good attitude, and send him the bad oscillator. BE SURE to put the Name, Model, and Serial Number in the package when you mail it.
When the oscillator comes back, you must re-install it and try to tune it. There will be a tuning device somewhere on the board. Read the section on tuning below, and see how close you can get.
Does you organ have tubes? Are there 36 of them or more? Do the same thing. But this time you will have to have a friend play the keys as you remove them. Each tube should have the key written beside it. Your job is to find the one that is dead. Switch it with a tube that works OK. If the bad one comes on and the other one goes out, you have found your problem.
The hardest part is to find a new tube. Take a minimum of $20 in your hand, and call the organ shops in your area until you find out who has a supply of tubes on hand. A radio shop that has been in business in the same location for over 30 years may have the tube in the back room. That is where I look. Also, you can find the tubes used in old radios and amplifiers being sold at yard sales. If you find the tube, buy two if you can afford it. they are not made anymore, and you will one day need the extra.
Take the tube home and shove it in the hole, and turn it on. Wallah-- you fixed it. Tube organs do not need tuning just because you put in a new tube. The organ may need it in general, so read about tuning below.
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So, have you been oiling it? If it is an old Hammond, it needs to be oiled every year. If you have not been oiling it, I can help you.
Call the organ stores in your area until you find out how to get Hammond oil. DO NOT substitute. I would tell you if it was safe. I have checked it out with organ men, and they all tell me that there is no oil just like Hammond oil.
First, let's get the thing going again. You will need WD-40. Take the back off of the organ. Do not plug it in while you are doing this work.
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First, you will need a plastic or shielded tool to tune a "pot" or variable coil or resistor. Call your electronics or computer repair friend, and see if you can borrow his tool. There are some exceptions, but this is usually required.
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On
to Appendix Three
