Combs Organ Specialists Rodgers Digital Organs Pipe Organ Tuning, Service and Rebuilding Custom Casework, Windchests Contact Combs Organ Specialists

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.


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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!

combination Rodgers digital / pipe organ.
What Type of Company has a Website Section Titled "Wood"?

We do. You might notice that most of our pictures feature either an organ console, organ pipes, or wood casework. In many cases, you will find all three elements in images at this site. The reason is simple - we love to create instruments that are beautiful to listen to and look at. Nothing creates a more visually striking facade than silver principal pipes contrasting with deep, rich, custom-made, oak casework. The example above (left side) is from Trinity Heights UMC, Newton.

Custom Built Casework / Organ Facades

"Custom Built Caswork" is actually redundant. All of our woodwork is custom. Each organ we build is designed to fit perfectly into the church where it will be live. Our designs are equally at home in a contemporary church sharing space with state-of-the -art multi-media equipment, or in a 150 year old romanesque, arched-sanctuary.

Oak is strong and timeless, making it is always the wood of choice. Mike Combs is responsible for the concept and design of all our organs. Dan Miller, master carpenter, makes most of the sawdust and brings them to life. The rest of the crew helps add function to form as the wood becomes instrument, playing for the first time.

Combs Organ Specialists Windchests

One of the necessary ingredients to any pipe organ is one or many windchests - the box filled with pressurized air that breathe into the pipes. We now also build custom windchests for our organs using direct-electric magnet action.

Our windchests our made of poplar and basswood for stability and durability. These woods have stood the test of time for windchest construction for generations.

A newer innovation is the direct electric action - also preferred for simplicity of design and maintenance free, long life. (ie - no re-leathering).

*Quick Tip- We have also recently begun selling our custom windchests to other organ builders, Rodgers Dealers, etc. Use our contact page to inquire.

Sacred Furnishings

Since we deal so extensively with wood and almost exclusively with churches, restoring and building sacred furnishings is a match made in heaven for us. Actually, we didn't even go looking for this segment of business. Dan builds such beautiful things, churches have started asking us to take on this new challenge...so we have. Again, use the contact page to make an inquiry if you are interested in our ideas for pulpits, altars, lecterns, communion tables, baptismal fonts, seating, kneelers, etc.







Above - 1. Rose window and organ case at St. Rose of Lima, Great Bend. 2. Dan and Mike installing one of the cases at St. John Lutheran, Russell. 3. Two-rank windchest and casework for Rodgers Combination organ at Zion Lutheran, Vassar.

© 2010. Combs Organ Specialists. All rights reserved. Site last updated: January 7, 2010.