http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Three-Rank-Two-Manual-Church-Pipe-Organ-or-Home-Practise-Instrument-/152014484223
£1950 buys, only modest dismantling required (I moved it with the help of one person in a day!) and removal by end of April...! So don't just look- BUY!- when it's gone, it's gone! :-)
For Sale.
A rare two-manual, three-rank extension church pipe organ.
Would make a great parish or home practise instrument.
Made by S.E. Gilkes of Peterborough.
Oak console with reverse keys.
Complete with bench.
Two drawer stops, Gedact & Diapason.
Twin thumb pistons for each drawer stop.
Specification:
Gedact & Diapson to manuals.
Bourdon to pedals.
Choir manual- 8' & 4'
Positiv manual 8', 4', 2 2/3', 2', 1 1/3' & 1'.
Pedal 16', 8', 4', & 2'.
Discus & voltmeter.
All in working order- the Gedact is a particularly well-voiced rank.
Organ has been tuned three times in the last two years by Cousins Organs of Leicester (previously Rushworth & Dreaper)
Some pipes not sounding- probably clogged up with dust.
Pedalboard C-F.
Please see photos.
Electro-magnetic action.
Great little practise instrument.
Bright sound throughout- from Widor to Bach, Walton to Reubke.. lovely hymnal instrument..
A delight for the purist organist. Viewing/playing welcome but serious buyers only..
If in doubt- press Buy It Now! Once it's gone- it's gone...
Dimensions: 271cm high, 156cm wide, 130cm deep.
Situated In Towcester, Northants. 10 mins from J 15A M1.
Buyer collects (fairly easy to dismantle- easily transportable in a medium size van.
10% Paypal deposit within 48 hours of end of auction, full payment within 7 days. Cash on collection or Paypal.
Organ must be removed prior to end of April 2016.
Any questions 07851 048827
Hi
Gilks built a few of these odd instruments. The method of stop control is far from standard - more reminiscent of certain early electronic instruments. If you can live with that limitation, it might be a good buy. There's a smaller example in St Andrew, Edburton in Sussex - the NPOR survey perhaps gives a clearer idea of how the tonal arrangements work. See http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=A00005
Every Blessing
Tony
There used to be one in the Lady Chapel of All Saints, Hereford, too. St. David's Cathedral in Wales had a two manual of similar appearance but, I think, rather more sophisticated means of control.
The simple thing about the Gilks system was that it had the pipes on a simple slider chest (each rank controlled by a draw-stop), with electric key action so that they could be played at different pitches (each pitch controlled by a stop-key). The disadvantage was that a rank would sound at all selected pitches and you couldn't mix ranks (e.g. Gedeckt 8, Principal 4 or Gedeckt 8, Flute 4 Fifteenth 2 would be impossible).
Two of Hull's big Comprehensive schools built in the 1960's, Sydney Smith High School and Sir Henry Cooper High School, had instruments by Gilks exactly like these.
Both of those schools are now closed and I often have wondered what became of the two organs.