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Organ console colors

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organtechnology

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Organ console colors

PostSun Jul 09, 2017 3:35 pm

Not the correct thread to ask this, but I've often wondered are a majority of organ consoles "blondes" or "brunettes"? :roll:


Created new thread.

You left out the 'colonial look' where the console is both white and brown and sometimes part blonde :)

In discussing this with local churches and organists it seems that blonde is perhaps passé.
The colonial look seems to be active in the south still.

I am seeing a lot of blonde consoles come up for sale but they seem to be harder to sell.

Thomas
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engrssc

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Re: Organ console colors

PostMon Jul 10, 2017 4:01 am

Interesting. Relevant to tradition and personal taste I guess. Most Rodgers and Allens I've seen are darker. Can't remember large cathedral consoles being blondes, but I may not have seen that many.

I do like the wood grain keyboards vs the white and black versions.

Rgds,
Ed
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GrahamH

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Re: Organ console colors

PostMon Jul 10, 2017 4:16 am

I get the impression that you guys in the USA have a penchant for staining your wood dark.
Here in the UK we don't have the variety of attractive native timbers (lumber) that you enjoy in the US. We have to go to a specialist timber merchant to buy imported grades such as American White Oak and they cost many times the price of the ubiquitous pine that is found in our DIY stores.
Most of our older church instruments have dark stained cases and consoles, but if I were building a solid oak or cherry domestic Hauptwerk console, the last thing I would want to do is apply a dark stain - I would settle for Danish Oil or clear varnish. If I wanted a darker console I would go for mahogany or walnut.

Graham
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dhm

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Re: Organ console colors

PostMon Jul 10, 2017 4:35 am

Hoffrichter's default console colour is light oak; these are mainly for home practice.
Magnus (mainly for churches) are much darker.
But both will do any colour you want (within reason).
Douglas Henn-Macrae
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James

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Re: Organ console colors

PostMon Jul 10, 2017 6:57 am

Yellow?
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Antoni Scott

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Re: Organ console colors

PostThu Jul 13, 2017 7:59 am

Many of the organ consoles I see today are just inexpensive particle board cores with veneer coverings.
The bottom line is always that a console is cost driven. The older consoles I have seen are always solid core woods with rich deep wood grains. One organ builder told me he wouldn't be seen using any cheap woods. However, as nice as that is to say, cost is always the limiting factor to expensive tastes.

Personally, there is nothing better than a console that shows off the natural wood grains, lightly stained. One of the most gaudy consoles I saw was one that was painted white. Not my style but at one time was popular in some areas. Sometimes a black console with a deep shine or gloss looks attractive.

If I had a choice of any console color it would lean towards the lighter oak.

Antoni
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engrssc

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Re: Organ console colors

PostThu Jul 13, 2017 9:27 am

Antoni Scott wrote: Sometimes a black console with a deep shine or gloss looks attractive.


Something like this, maybe?

Image

Image

Rgds,
Ed
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engrssc

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Re: Organ console colors

PostThu Jul 13, 2017 9:53 am

Antoni Scott wrote:If I had a choice of any console color it would lean towards the lighter oak.


Such as one of these?

Image

Image

Rgds,
Ed

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