Album

Link

Date
Modified

The Mighty Wurlitzer in its original home - the Phipps Experience in New Bedford, Massachusetts

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6/8/07

Repairing/rebuilding existing/new components prior to starting major disassembly at the Phipps Experience (ingredients: wood, leather, metal, glue, shellac, wiring, dust, etc.,
and love of the theatre organ)

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6/8/07

Finale Concert at the Phipps Experience
on Sunday, June 10, 2007,
featuring world-renowned theatre organist,
Ron Rhode

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9/9/07

Things are starting to take shape with some
components ready to install in The Hanover!

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10/4/07

Phew!  Getting winded - Step 1.
Blower muffler box and windline flange
come together in New Bedford.

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11/13/07

Phew!  Getting winded - Step 2.
Tales from the Crypt
or
How the Mighty Wurlitzer Mighty Blower Muffler Box
Came to Be Installed in the Basement of
The Hanover Theatre!

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12/22/07

Phew!  Getting winded - Step 3.
Major Windline runs are installed in
The Hanover Theatre!

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1/31/08

First Pipes - Monday, January 28, 2008!
Because of the straight-line length (up to 16 feet) of some of the diaphone pipes destined for the main chamber, we needed to take advantage of the freight elevator before its ceiling was installed. So this is the tale of the first 18 out of 2,482 pipes to make it into The Hanover Theatre!

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1/31/08

The Hanover Becomes a Theatre!
Although the Hanover’s Mighty Wurlitzer will be installed someday (there is still very, very much to do), the Hanover Theatre is opening for business on March 14.  So, here are some pictures taken by organ crew member Bruce Hager of the nearly complete, beautiful Hanover Theatre’s auditorium.

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3/3/08

”Shuddering Shutters, Batman!
That organ crew is a bit shady!
But I bet the organ will sound just swell, anyway!”
The Main Chamber shutters (aka, swell shades) are in place. Opening and closing these shutters (from the organ console) constitutes the volume control for the Main Chamber.

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5/20/08

”That organ crew is not only a bit shady,
but some of them are even known chiselers,
and many are involved in a coverup!”
The Main Chamber walls are beautified. Old plaster covering the brick was chiseled off (not shown) and then covered with 3/4” plywood.  Eventually all will be painted. Participating in the coverup were Don Phipps (ring leader), Bruce Hager, Bob Evans, Dick Handverger and Ray Deshaies.

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for
Pix

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for
Video

6/2/08

“And here they are, doing a little more chiseling,
a little more coverup,
and then, finally, painting the town!
WHAT NERVE!”
The Main Chamber walls near final beautification with a little touch-up and the first sprays of paint (hopefully landing mostly on the walls and ceiling).

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for
Pix

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for
Video

6/19/08

Main Chamber Hijinks
Main Chamber beautification nears completion.

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6/24/08

Main Chamber - Thunderous 16’ Diaphones
The 80+ year old thunderous 16’ Diaphones get the distinction of being the First Pipes to be installed in the Hanover!

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6/27/08

Main Chamber
That’s Swell, a Dash of Color &
Thump Those Chests
The Main Chamber gets a little color and three pipe chests totally weighing in at about 700 lbs.

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7/24/08

Being Regular Is Good
Ray, Bruce and Don install the Main Chamber Regulators.

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8/1/08

Winding the Main Chamber
a Plumber’s Nightmare
Isn’t there an easier way to do this?

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8/18/08

The Main Chamber Starts to
Get a Little Crowded.
A few more offset chests and a glorious French Horn start to fill up the limited real estate.

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8/29/08

After All This Work,
We Need a Lift.
The organ (console) lift arrives at the Hanover.
Picture the 4-manual console on this baby!

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9/3/08

Bearing the Main Chamber’s Second Story
The Main Chamber’s 2nd story starts to take shape.

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9/10/08

Chrysoglott & More Enter
Main Chamber’s Second Story
The Main Chamber’s 2nd story gets some residents.

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9/16/08

More Main Chamber Progress
We bet it’s going to start getting windy up here, eventually!

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10/12/08

Main Chamber Metal Wind Line
More winding - phew!

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10/17/08

THAR SHE BLOWS!
 The Mighty Spencer Organ Blower
makes it to The Hanover!
(Images are currently out of sequence - fix it later.)

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10/22/08

Doing the Marimba Carumba in the Main Chamber
Enter the Marimba/Harp - in the Main.
First wind to the Main!

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11/17/08

Wiring “the Beast’s” Main Chamber
The Wurlitzer’s Main Chamber nervous system is connected and the pipe population explodes.

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12/11/08

John Phipps busy in The Main

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12/21/08

The Main Before Christmas

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12/24/08

A Sweet End to 2008

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1/3/09

Strings and Safety

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1/23/09

The Mighty Console Arrives at the Hanover
The Mighty Wurlitzer’s Mighty Console arrived at the Hanover on a cold Sunday morning - February 1, 2009.

Participating were:
Don Phipps, John Phipps, Mark Duff, Kenny Duffie, Bruce Hager, Bob Evans, Dick Handverger and
Len Beyersdorfer.

The pix are select frames from a video shot that day by Bruce Hager.

More pix/video will be available in the near future.

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2/1/09

The Mighty Console
Is Mated with
The Mighty Organ Lift!

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2/11/09

All Work Makes Jack a Dull Boy!
Now that a little of The Main is playable from the console, it appears that the crew has lost work-focus as ably demonstrated by John Phipps, Ray Deshaies and Len Beyersdorfer.  Just that little bit of pipework sounds swell, so when it’s all done it will sound just great!

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2/20/09

Tubas & Diaphones in The Main
Here are two “ranks” that will raise the hair on the back of your neck!

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3/4/09

Happy 1st Birthday to The Hanover Theatre
and
Happy Debut to the
Mighty Hanover Wurlitzer
Although less than half complete, the Mighty Hanover Wurlitzer had its premiere at the Hanover Theatre’s Happy 1st Birthday Open House. There were quite a few pleased patrons who had never seen nor heard anything quite like it before. Don Phipps and Bruce Hager (pit elevator operator) explained a lot of the intricacies of this great instrument, and John Phipps and Len Beyersdorfer provided some swell music!

(Just added some excellent shots taken by Joshua Handverger, son of Dick Handverger, a member of the organ crew.)

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3/29/09

Main Almost Done?!?
Here are some pictures of recent second-story work in the Main Chamber.  When the 12-note chest on the left is filled, all pipes will be in the Main (well, except for a couple that are awaiting mitering).

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4/10/09

Solo Performance
Work begins in the Solo Chamber, in earnest!

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4/25/09

Solo Plywood & Plaster & Merrie Melodies
Solo Chamber: Plywood for the floor is loaded and installed, plaster is chipped, & there is a show & tell for a few select folks.

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5/3/09

Solo Shades & Bearers
Solo Chamber: Painted & clean (for now), swell shades  and bearers installed.

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6/2/09

Solo Chamber - a 2nd Story
Solo Chamber: We installed the 2nd story to house the many Hanover Wurlitzer percussion instruments and traps. What is not shown is the precarious process we used to load and install the three sheets of heavy plywood in their final resting places.

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6/8/09

Solo Chamber - Measuring Up
Solo Chamber: Putting all of the various components in their proper places is a tedious task requiring skill, smarts, care and patience. At various times, not all of these required attributes are present!

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6/24/09