Greetings
Welcome to CombsOrgan.com
Download
a printable .pdf brochure of our products and services.
(733K)
Thank you for visiting the new website of Combs Organ Specialists,
a small group of very dedicated organ craftsman and technicians.
We do Rodgers Instruments sales
and service, pipe organ tuning and
maintenance, custom digital / pipe interface organs, pipe
organ rebuilding and additions, re-leathering, custom organ
facade construction, build windchests,
organist training and workshops, and church music consultation.
*Quick Tip - We encourage
you to click on some of the tabs below this box for a quick
overview of what we do, what you can find at this website,
and how to navigate the site easily.
Using our New Website
Finding Your Way Around
There are several ways to move from
page to page at this site:
Accordion Box - The boxes that expand and
contract, including the one this section is contained by
are called "Accordion Boxes". The 6 different boxes contain
general information and links which will lead you to anything
you want to know. You will find these available towards
the top of every page.
Navigation Bar - You will find a conventional
"Navigation Bar", or set of one word links, at the very
top of each page on the site.
Content Links - Within the text of an article or
headline, you will find links that will take you to more
information.
*Quick Tip - If you click
on most of the smaller images, a larger version will be
shown.
Site Content
Once you are comfortable getting
around the site, what types of things will you find here?
Products and Services - Read an overview
of what we do.
Contact Us - Use one of any methods provided:
Mailing Address, Directions to our Shop and Showroom, Phone
Numbers, Email Addresses, one of two contact
forms for sales inquiries or service / tuning requests.
Installations - Many pages of pictures
and detailed information about upcoming, ongoing, and completed
projects.
Testimonials - one of the new focuses of
our website is to include as much feedback from our clients
as possible. We will be adding more and more messages from
the organists, ministers, and others that we work with as
they come in. If you have worked with us and would like
to drop us a line to give us your thoughts, please
do!
Our Products and Services
What We Do
Download
a printable .pdf brochure of our products and services.
(733K)
Rodgers Sales and Service - We are an authorized
dealer for Rodgers Instruments of Hillsboro, Oregon. We
serve most of the state of Kansas, excluding the eastern
edge. Mike Combs started his work with Rodgers as a salesperson
for Mid-America Piano, the Rodgers Dealer at the time, nearly
20 years ago. In 2000, Combs Organ Specialists became the
Rodgers dealership for this area.
For more information about our Rodgers Installations, links
to Rodgers, etc., visit our Rodgers
page.
Pipe Organ Tuning and Service
- C.O.S. contracts with over 100 churches in Kansas, Oklahoma,
and Texas for the regular tuning and service of their pipe
organs. For information regarding pricing, frequently asked
tuning questions, etc., visit our pipes
page.
Custom Woodworking - By looking at the
pictures on the page below, it should be apparent that we
take a great deal of pride in how our installations look,
in addition to how they sound. This past year, our master
carpenter, Dan Miller, came board as a full-time employee.
He has been working for us, on a per-project basis, for
years. Our business has grown to the point where we now
keep him busy building custom casework, windchests, and
church furnishings, 5 days a week. Visit our wood
page for more information.
Pipe Organ Additions and
Rebuilding - Reasons for needing to rebuild an
organ can vary. Old pipe organs can have problems with their
electrical relay and switching systems causing dead notes,
problems with combination actions, etc. They can also have
leather that has decayed - causing dead notes, ciphers (notes
that always play), wind leaks and air noise, etc. Rebuilding
might also be needed to add new stops to an organ. We can
help in any of these situations. See our rebuilding page
to read more.
Organist Training and Workshops
- Much of our organist training happens every time we are
at a church. Whether the visit is a scheduled tuning, sales
meeting, or we are just dropping by to say "hello",
organ talk invariably comes up. Each conversation is an
opportunity for us to teach about the inner workings of
the organ and learn from the organists we work with as well.
More extensive, formal training happens when we install
a new or newly rebuilt organ. Each organist is given ample,
hands-on instruction regarding the operation of a new system.
In addition, we plan and present workshops periodically
to cover more general organ related topics such as registration,
and the organ's place in contemporary worship services.
*Quick Tip - Join our Mailing
List to stay informed of workshops near you. Also, if you
would like to host a workshop at your church, please contact
us. We'd love to come.
Contact Us
At Your Service
Phone Numbers -
Sales Inquiries: (316)-283-6588 Tuning & Service Requests:
(316)-281-4855
Addresses - Mailing
Address: 410 E. 6th St., Newton, KS. 67114 Shop
/ Showroom: Map
of 304 N Main St Newton, KS 67114-3417, US (open by
appointment only)
Email - Mike Combs:
mikecombs@combsorgan.com
Jeff Combs: jcombs@combsorgan.com
Contact Form - Submit
a quick sales inquiry or tuning / service request using
our contact form
Email Newsletter
Stay Informed
We will begin sending 1 emailed newsletter
per month as part of our website update. Join our list to
find out about dedications, concerts, workshops, and more.
*Quick Tip - If you have an event
scheduled, please let us know so we can help you publicize
it.
Upcoming Events
The Latest
Happy New Year! Welcome 2010! - We are starting off the New Year with several new projects. For the next few weeks, we will be working on a new Rodgers / Pipe Combination organ at St. John's Lutheran Church, Ellinwood, Kansas.
*Quick
Tip - Make sure you join our mailing list to hear about
dedications, concerts, new installations and more!
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Immanuel
Lutheran, Ellsworth and Grace Lutheran, Osage City
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ellsworth - When the Austin pipe organ
was installed in Immanuel Lutheran Church of Ellsworth in 1949,
Rosemary Spaun was there as the crates were unloaded and the pipes
were voiced. She offered suggestions and expressed her opinions,
and when it was finally finished, Rosemary played the beautiful
new organ for worship.
Fifty-three years later, Rosemary was once again offering her opinions,
hopes, and dreams for the organ at Immanuel. As part of a committee
that realized the pipe organ needed to be upgraded, she gave her
blessing to a proposal from Combs Organ Specialists. This would
combine a new Rodgers T787 digital console with the existing seven
rank Austin pipe organ and create a “new” organ of over
50 stops. This would allow the organists of Immanuel to play all
styles of organ music, and to accompany the congregation with more
variety and support.
On July 7, 2002, Rosemary played the organ during the dedication
recital of the “new” organ at Immanuel. The joy and
excitement expressed by the nearly 200 people in attendance was
overwhelming.
Grace Lutheran Church, Osage City - The organ at Grace Lutheran
Church in Osage City, Kansas, has a slightly different story to
tell. Unlike the Immanuel organ that was in excellent mechanical
shape, the Grace organ was experiencing a multitude of problems.
Dead notes and ciphers made this 1930’s era Wicks pipe organ
virtually unplayable.
Pastor John Ashcraft called Combs Organ Specialists requesting an
evaluation of the organ. David Rankin inspected the organ and met
with the organ committee. Key contacts in the old console were responsible
for over 40 dead notes or ciphers. Magnets and valves were not working.
Trumpet pipes and diapasons needed re-voicing. The chimes were in
the way, and many treble pipes had been damaged beyond repair. David
and the committee discussed the variety of options available…….none
of which included “getting rid of the old pipe organ.”
David submitted a variety of proposals to restore, upgrade, and
enhance the existing pipe organ. They included re-building the existing
console, chest work, re-voicing, Rodgers digital consoles and all
new pipe facades.
The final plan included a new Rodgers 751 console, magnet and valve
replacement as needed, new wiring, re-voicing the trumpet rank and
some of the bottom diapason pipes, replacing damaged treble pipes
and moving the chimes to another location. Swell shutters were adjusted,
wind lines were replaced, and the wind pressure was restored. New
pipe facades reflect the “new” organ behind them. When
the dust finally settled and the soldering irons cooled off, sighs
of relief were heard. When the voicing was done, and the old trumpet
stop sounded forth its praise with its digital brother, success
was heard.
The dedication of this “new” organ at Grace was October
20th, 2002. Why don’t you join us at the celebration and see
for yourself what Combs Organ Specialists can do for you and the
older pipe organ in your church?
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