Weird. Expensive.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:31 pm

I don't understand where the air comes from that would blow across the tops of the bottles. Surely you don't have to blow with your own mouth, do you? How do you play it?

Why do they refer to MIDI technology and Pianomation CD's?

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:44 pm

Just a guess, there's an electric air-pump geared to an electronic keyboard.

djm

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:23 pm

How's the chiff on this thing?

If I want to play it in church do I have to replace the beer labels with sacramental wine labels?

Since it's from bottles, and not draft, I assume it's good for playing voluntaries?

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:27 pm

Walden wrote:If I want to play it in church do I have to replace the beer labels with sacramental wine labels?

Depends on the denomination of the church. Methodist, for instance, would require you to use grape juice labels.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:32 pm

Cynth wrote:I don't understand where the air comes from that would blow across the tops of the bottles. Surely you don't have to blow with your own mouth, do you? How do you play it?

Like a pipe organ, this has a keyboard and a source of moving air,
which is piped over each bottle with an individual tube. Each key on
the keyboard will open a valve for one of the tubes, which blows air
over one of the bottles. There's some good info here

Cynth wrote:Why do they refer to MIDI technology and Pianomation CD's?

I imagine because you can hook your synthesizer's MIDI port into this,
and use your keyboard instead of the one that comes with the organ.
Or, you could use your computer to output MIDI to the organ, making
it a sort of player piano. I believe this is where the Pianomation CD's
come into play...

Random notes · Post by **Random notes** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 6:45 pm

Okay, and now for the REALLY weird part. The organ on Amazon.com is a Gulbransen Bottle Organ, distributed by QRS Music Technologies (yeah, the piano roll people) but the organ on the Odd MUsic Site is made by Peterson Tuners. Therefore, there are at least TWO manufacturers of beer bottle organs.

And I would have thought that one old guy in his basement would have been able to keep up with the worldwide market for beer bottle organs.

Sheesh.

Roger

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 6:56 pm

Random notes wrote:And I would have thought that one old guy in his basement would have been able to keep up with the worldwide market for beer bottle organs.

...must not be Irish, eh?

Random notes · Post by **Random notes** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:22 pm

Denny wrote:...must not be Irish, eh?

Actually, no I'm not. Is the Land of Tara graced with many beer bottle organs, or just a substantial quantitiy of potential beer bottle organs?

Anyway, I went back to the Peterson site and discovered on this page:
http://www.petersontuners.com/news/bbo/index.cfm#

If you click on the icon that looks like a bottle with a bit of fog blowing over it you get to watch a rather animated performance.

This is definitely a cool toy. Maybe we can get a federal grant to purchase one for the C&F museum.

Roger

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:39 pm

fearfaoin wrote:
Cynth wrote:I don't understand where the air comes from that would blow across the tops of the bottles. Surely you don't have to blow with your own mouth, do you? How do you play it?
Like a pipe organ, this has a keyboard and a source of moving air,
which is piped over each bottle with an individual tube. Each key on
the keyboard will open a valve for one of the tubes, which blows air
over one of the bottles. There's some good info here

Cynth wrote:Why do they refer to MIDI technology and Pianomation CD's?
I imagine because you can hook your synthesizer's MIDI port into this,
and use your keyboard instead of the one that comes with the organ.
Or, you could use your computer to output MIDI to the organ, making
it a sort of player piano. I believe this is where the Pianomation CD's
come into play...

Thanks! That was a very informative website.

I don't know why I didn't google it myself

. Too busy turning jerky I guess. I thought it didn't sound bad, even though I wouldn't want to listen to it all day.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:49 pm

I would like to point out that at this website, in the sound clips, it lists a "Bach Sonata."

This is actually Mozart.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:12 pm

I can't believe I didn't notice that! I thought The Sunny Side of the Street was pretty jolly.

Random notes · Post by **Random notes** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:26 am

Congratulations wrote:I would like to point out that at this website, in the sound clips, it lists a "Bach Sonata."

This is actually Mozart.

Yeah, I noticed that too, but I figured they probably wrote that after preparing the materials for another organ. That's got to be a pretty "relaxed" place to work.

Roger

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:36 am

Random notes wrote:
Congratulations wrote:I would like to point out that at this website, in the sound clips, it lists a "Bach Sonata."

This is actually Mozart.
Yeah, I noticed that too, but I figured they probably wrote that after preparing the materials for another organ. That's got to be a pretty "relaxed" place to work.

Roger

Especially since they might have to drink the beer before using the bottles. I can't imagine they'd dump it out.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 6:44 am

Congratulations wrote:I would like to point out that at this website, in the sound clips, it lists a "Bach Sonata."

This is actually Mozart.

you sure it wasn't just some guy dressed like him?