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From:
William Hubert <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
William Hubert <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 27 Jan 2004 10:42:29 -0500
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I think you should probably drop this line of thought. Tracker or not there
are tuning costs and inevitable repairs and adjustments to all pipe organs
which are far in excess to the expenses of tuning and adjustments on a grand
piano. This is not to be confused with major overhauls or rebuilding of
either instrument, because there the costs are far higher for the organ.

But look at the depreciation issues. In 1966 I sold Steinway Pianos. A brand
new list price on the Model D was $7200. Today a new D is over $70,000. The
piano purchased in 1966 would still be in reasonable condition and would
probably be worth $20 to $30,000. Hardly depreciation.

On the other hand you could buy a new pipe organ in 1966 for app. $1,000 -
$1,250 per rank (obviously not including large scale pedal stops). Today
this price range is up at least by a factor of 10 times. So the cost
appreciation is app.. the same for the good piano or pipe organ.  BUT the
value of the organ that was purchased in 1966 is unlikely to be worth more
than $1500 -$2500 a rank. Not because it is not good ,but partially due to
the large costs involved with deinstallation and reinstallation.  Obviously
these assumptions are based on moderate instruments 25- 40 ranks. Very small
instruments can be worth more per rank and even larger ones can be less.

But the good news of this great loss of value is that many very fine
instruments have found new homes in churches that could not have possibly
been able to afford a new organ. Organizations such as the Organ Clearing
House have contributed enormously to allow pipe organs to play on.

It is not really possible to "sell" the idea of a good organ to "bean
counters". The sound of a good organ in a good acoustical environment
provides a unique ambience which is not going to provided by piano (no
matter how good the piano.

Remember the old saw about "knows the cost of everything and the value of
nothing". That is the area you need to concentrate on, the value of a fine
organ is in the music which will made with it and that as Master Card tells
us is "priceless!"

Bill Hubert
Where the thermometer has gone on strike

-----Original Message-----
From: Pipe Organs and Related Topics
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Scheide, Kathleen
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 7:53  PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: organs and pianos


I have an idea that I can prove that an organ is cheaper for an institution
to "operate" than a piano.  So far, I am making up my own statistics -- a
40-year old electro-pneumatic organ that cost probably $30,000 and has had
tuning/maintenance, but minimal repairs.  As the instrument is still worth
something, I am proposing that the cost per year has been less than $1000.
I am comparing to very fine institutional pianos (Steinway D, Bosendorfer),
but as I continue to invent my own figures, it does not seem to matter what
kind of organ I envision, as a finer organ will also suffer less
depreciation and a more expensive tracker will require less work.  Perhaps
someone can finger real numbers quickly, or expand on my flight of fancy?

Kathleen Scheide

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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Note:  opinions  expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  GET LSVCMMDS.TXT  or see  the  web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
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