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This looks cool. Bill K

It's a rather weathered "cob organ," so called because the pinned wooden cylinders that the tunes were on reminded people of corn cobs. Make is hard to tell for sure because all the decals are gone, but it looks like a Concert Roller Organ. I have one on my breakfast bar.

Clay

Yes, it is a Concert Roller Organ. These were used in the home, small churches, or used with a traveling minister. Most of these were Walnut. At least mine is. You don't see too many examples in Oak. The price is good, but there is one important detail to check. Most of these need to have the bellows and pneumatics redone. That can be expensive.
Harvey Kravitz

I agree that the oak is unusual and that is a positive selling point, at least for me... IF you are comfortable working on the bellows yourself AND you actually want one of these, the price is great...

There are no pneumatics in a roller organ. The pins on the cylinder directly actuate fingers that open and close the airways to the reeds. The fingers may require refelting. The bellows is rather simple.

The "cobs" are in fairly decent supply, and reproductions are made- expensive but worth it if you want some good tunes

By pneumatics, I meant bellows. I should have been more clear. They have to be just right. The material has to be, very thin, supple leather. It has to be flexible and airtight. Also, there can't be any leaks. The bellows can be recovered, but it is very tedious and lots of trial and error.
Harvey Kravitz

Phototone wrote:There are no pneumatics in a roller organ. The pins on the cylinder directly actuate fingers that open and close the airways to the reeds. The fingers may require refelting. The bellows is rather simple.

The bellows cloth is not typically leather. It's "motor bellows cloth", as used by player piano restorers. The thin, supple leather is used for the valves in the pumping bellows.

There are specialty vendors for all the types of leather and rubberized cloth materials needed for bellows renovation.

I've rebuilt two of these (Concert and Gem). I bought the exhauster/reservoir bellows cloth online from a player piano supply house. The leather came from a local Tandy Leather supply store.
Valve Pads
Cloth
Information

It's not hard to rebuild one of these machines, just takes lots of patience because hide glue has a mind of its own!


FYI, The reed block on then inside will have a manufacture date stamped on it.