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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| Patience, Patience, Patience. |
The Catholic Church
in Marion, Kansas, one of three churches of Holy Family Parish,
began looking for a new organ almost two years ago. The old Baldwin
chapel organ had become unreliable, it was not a full size church
organ, and it really didn't’t sound very good in the church.
There were even times that nobody was available to play the organ
for mass.
The priest and musicians felt it was time to start looking for a
new instrument. Some people felt an organ was important and others
did not. What they did agree on was the need to play and hear the
instruments in their own church, so they began the process with
another major digital organ company and had them bring an organ
for them to use.
They soon realized that in order to make a decision of this magnitude,
they would need to hear other instruments from a variety of companies.
Combs Organ Specialists was contacted by the church and a Rodgers
905 was in place as a “demo” in August of 2001. Included
with the 905 organ was a PR-300 sound module and sequencer. The
PR-300 became an instant success allowing the organists the ability
to “pre-record” themselves for the times when no organist
would be available to play for mass. David Rankin demonstrated the
organ following a Saturday evening mass and was available to answer
questions from parish members. The process was moving along nicely.
No need for patience…….
This unique parish includes three churches served by one priest
and one parish council. The Pilsen church was undergoing a major
renovation and soon the Marion church organ project had to be placed
on hold. Patience!
During the early months of 2002, David kept in touch with the priest
and one of the main organists. The interest was still there, but
other projects needed to be taken care of first. It was hard for
everyone to be patient.
In early fall of 2002, the organ project for the Marion church was
“moved to a front burner.” A group from the church went
to Newton to play a Rodgers 787I that was in the showroom. While
they were there, the group decided to recommend the purchase of
the 787I and install it with a PR-300 and external speakers. Following
discussions between the priest, parish council, and musicians, a
contract was signed.
The new organ was installed by Mike Combs and David Rankin on December
12, 2002 completing a process that started over two years ago. Patience
on the part of everyone involved was the key to the success of this
organ project.
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