Philosophy

For nearly four decades we have constructed new instruments in both contemporary and more traditional styles, while always using traditional methods of construction, and uniformly high quality materials internally as well as externally.

We have always used mechanical key actions (designed for simplicity and ease of regulation), oak-framed rollerboards, wooden rollers, squares and backfalls, brass action-wires threaded with leather buttons.

Soundboards have dovetailed oak frames for the grids and wells, with pine pallets fitted directly onto the wooden bars. Both oak and pine are used for toeboards with oak rack pillars and oak rack boards.

 

 

 

We make our own wooden pipes from 16' to 1 1/3' using appropriate timbers for the desired sound quality, such as quartered oak, pine, cherry, walnut and maple.

We generally employ wedge-bellows with morticed oak frames, oak ribs and quality lamb's leather joints. Where space is at a premium we make regulators. (e.g. St Margaret's Church, Putney, London, see below.)

 

 

 

Keyboards are also made 'in house', with oak jointed frames, selected yellow pine keys, and a variety of key coverings such as bone, boxwood, ebony and rosewood.

Our organs tend to be free-standing, fully-encased instruments (mostly of quartered oak) with traditional mortice and tenon frames or dovetailed corner joints where appropriate. Large and small organs receive the same attention to detail in design and finish - a high number have hand-carved case and pipeshade decoration.

We do not make the metal pipework, but this is carefully made (to Lammermuir house style scales) in Britain, or abroad when appropriate, and carefully prevoiced on our purpose-built voicing machine, made to the same standard and design as can be found in our instruments. All pipes are then finally voiced in the church or other final location when the organs are installed.

Our workshop has had a maximum of five organbuilders, thus ensuring a uniformity of approach and quality. Careful design ensures integration of components and appropriate solutions. Our overall approach to organbuilding is from the viewpoint of skilled craftsmen (and women), rather than of a factory-based production line - each person is capable of building any and all components of the instruments.