Redgewood, New Jersey
West Side Presbyterian Church

Nichols & Simpson Organ
2007

NOTES FROM THE BUILDER


The Voix Celeste is CC.  The other two Celestes were CC until the budget ax
fell and they became GG.

The 4+8 Clairon is a normal 4' Clairon for 44 notes then it breaks back to
8' pitch from 45 to 56 but a brighter quality--then double flues 8+4 for 57
to 61.  All of our chorus reeds have doubled flues.

There is nothing digital in this organ.  The Great has a 16' Double Geigen
that plays at 16' and 8' in the Great and Pedal.  The rest of the Great is
straight.  The Tuba in the enclosed Great is available by drawknob in every
division.

The Swell is entirely straight except for the bottom 12 notes of the Chimney
Flute 8' which are borrowed from the 16' Bourdon.  The Double Trumpet is
duplexed to the Pedal at 16 and 8 as is the Bourdon.

In the Choir the Erzahler plays at 16' and 8' and is duplexed to the Pedal
at both pitches.

In the Pedal the Bourdon is played at 32 16 and 8.  The Open Wood is played
at 16 8 and 4.  The Ophicleide is played at 32 and 16.  The Trumpet is
played at 8 and 4 and is extended upwards and available on the Choir manual
at 16 8 and 4 with the low 12 coming from the Ophicleide.  The rest of the
Pedal is straight.

The Antiphonal is console preparation only.

All straight manual stops are on electric pallet and slider chests with
pnuematic cylinder stop actions.  The pedal and duplexed stops are on unit
chests.  The organ is free standing in the two corners of the chancel with
an architect designed "stockade" of feetless pipes on the two faces of each
side of the organ.  The facade pipes are cylindrical from top to bottom with
a mouth somewhere in the middle.  We had to create a normal sized foot
volume in each pipe with a soldered in plate and a nipple to admit the wind.

The 32' Ophicleide is full-length metal.  We have only built 2 half length
reeds.  Both in small organs and both over 20 years ago.  I don't like them.

C. Joseph Nichols
Nichols & Simpson, Inc.
www.nicholsandsimpson.com

[Posted to PipeChat June 9, 2007]