Welte Theatre Pipe Organ

The Welte Pipe Organ, is a hybrid, made up of parts from different organs.  The core of the organ, the pipes, chest and regulators are from a 1926 Welte Theatre organ.  The Welte pipes, Opus 231, consist of a Tibia, Horn Diapason, Flute, Violin, Violin Cel., Muted Violin, Harmonic Trumpet, Clarinet, and Vox Humana.  This is one of maybe three Welte Theater organs still playing in the US.

There was no console, blower or switching relay with the collection of pipes, chest and regulators.  After searching for about two years,  trying to locate a three manual console,  a mint, very original two manual Wurlitzer console was located. The Wurlitzer Console was built in 1926 and is Opus 1431, original installed in East Aurora, NY.  The console has seen very little use since the original finish still shines, the ivory key tops are perfect and all the original cabling was still in the console when it was bought.  The cable inspectors tag is still in the console.

The Welte was purchased in 2000 and since then, many changes and additions have been made.  The original Welte chest were straight with a unit Flute and the Vox Humana which were on unit chest.  To enhance the sound of the organ, all of the straight chest have been replaced with direct electric unit chest, with the exception of the Tibia and Trumpet which are on a 1917 Kimball two rank unit chest.

In January of 2009, two new ranks were purchased and will be installed this spring, a Tuba and an Oboe.

A New Relay for 2008

Update 2-21-08

After spending several years designing and building the Diode Keyer relay system, new technology is replacing the original relay system.  In researching the Artisan uMidi system, it was decided that this is a better, more versatile and more cost affective way to go. In January 2008, the required uMidi controllers cards as well as the input and output card were purchased to wire the console. 

A total of six uMidi controllers, four input cards and two output cards mounted on a three foot by eight inch panel will not only control the two manuals, pedal and couplers, it also provide the combination action for fifty five stops and twenty pistons with ten levels of memory.  After the console wiring is complete and tested, the chest cabling to the new output cards will be started.  By June, the conversion to the new Artisan uMidi relay system should be complete.

Click here for more information on the Artisan uMidi Control System

New Combination Action and the console in three states of upgrading. 

The 3ed photo is with the new stop tabs.  A total of 65 tabs are now available to take advantage of the unit replacement chest.

Original Stop Rail and 6 pistons                          Expanded Stops, new Back Rail and new pistons.

The Aritsan system has a built in combination action that can easily be added.  As a result, ten pistons on each manual replace the original three pistons.  In addition to the expanded pistons, the system also has several levels of memory that are selected by a small rotary switch.  The two pistons on the right side of each manual are for Set Memory on the upper manual and Cancel on the lower manual.

December 2007, a new back rail with 25 stop tabs replaces the original blank rail.  The traps and tuned percussions tabs have been moved to the back rail from the mail stop rail.  This will free up space for the additions planed for next spring.

Expanding the pistons from three to ten proved to be an easy modification.  The original three piston assembly was removed as well as the piston rail.  New piston rails were made from solid mahogany strips with the switch spacing about 3/4 of an inch.  This allowed all ten switch's to fit in the cutout for the three piston assembly.   The new piston rails were stained to match the original rails, the switch's wired and reassembled.

Stop List.

* Ranks and stops to be added this summer

** Original Welte Ranks.  The Welte Kinura was replaced with a Clarinet after the organ was reinstalled in a church.

January, 2006 Over this past winter, a new single rank chest for the Clarinet, a two rank unit chest for the Tibia and Trumpet, a Toy Counter and a Glockenspiel have been added and are in the process of being installed.  As unit chest are located, all the ranks that are on the straight chest will be moved to unit chest.

The Clarinets have been relocated from the Welte four straight rank chest to the single rank unit chest.  Located behind the Clarinet, is the Vox Humana.

The Barton Chrysoglott and Wurlitzer  Glockenspiel ready to be played.

Xylophone added in summer of 2007

The new Gottfried Toy Counter includes a  snare drum, Chinese Gong, Bird Whistle, Wood Block, Triangle, Gong, Cymbal, Slay Bells, Castanets and Surf. With the exception of several large actions that had to be releathered, the Toy Counter is in good shape and is now playable from the console.

January 2007.  With the winter weather on us, work on the organ has all but stopped.  Over the summer of 2006, more of the organ became playable.  The 16' Bourdon was winded and wired to the relay, a new larger blower installed, the console combination action was releathered and new stop tabs added for the Toy Counter, Clarinet, Vox Humana and the Bourdon.

Over the winter, seven single rank direct electric action chest for acquired.  This will allow the moving of the VDO, VDO Cel, Diapason, Muted Violin and the Flute off the straight chest.   With the new unit chest, about 50 diode Keyer cards are being assembled for the relay and with the new Keyer cards, new stops actions will have to be added to the console. 

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History of the Welte

Joe Fisher

Downers Grove, IL

E-mail.

This page was last updated, 04/15/2009