MATRIXSYNTH: Vintage Maas-Rowe G-123 Grand Symphonic Carillon Electronic Keyboard


Sunday, June 01, 2014

Vintage Maas-Rowe G-123 Grand Symphonic Carillon Electronic Keyboard

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via this auction

"This extremely rare Maas-Rowe Symphonic Carillon is in excellent functional (manual playing only) and cosmetic condition. This electromechanical rarity plays up to 123 chimes of four different kinds using a keyboard interface. It can either play Flemish Bells, Westminster Bells, or the Symphonic Carillon bells, the latter of which is comprised of both minor-third-tuned bells ("Minor Bells") or major-third-tuned bells ("Major Bells"). For the Symphonic Carillon bells, it uses relay that allows the player to choose the key in which he will be playing by pressing the corresponding button for that key, which in turn selects an appropriate set of minor-third-tuned bells and a set of major-third-tuned bells. Being able to select which bells are tuned minor or major allows for much greater melodic and harmonic possibilities.

This carillon was purchased from Otero Junior College, Colorado. This particular symphonic carillon cost the college $28,000 when it was installed new in the college by Maas-Rowe in the early 1960s, which equates to over $200,000 in today's dollars. Receipts and other documentation will be provided to the buyer.

An external speaker that can be used in conjunction with its current monitor speaker. If you plan to mount this in a church and amplifiy it through a bell tower, 4 large tower speakers/horns can be provided to a buyer at an additional cost of $250/each, plus shipping. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of the most extensive (and expensive!!!) carillon systems that Maas-Rowe ever built.

Chime bell types include:
37 Major bells (which, when combined with minor bells, comprises the Symphonic Carillon)
49 Minor bells (which, when combined with major bells, comprises the Symphonic Carillon)
37 Flemish bells
11 Westminster chimes

One of the two large wood-paneled cabinets is the amplification section, which includes five power amplifiers. One of these power amplifiers is for powering a monitor speaker, and four of them are for powering tower speaker horns in a church belfry, facing in four separate directions. The Hammond speaker shown on the right is not original to this carillon. The other of the two large wood-paneled cabinets houses Maas-Rowe Chronobell system, which is the timing and roll-playing system. The Westminster chimes have their own cabinet. The Flemish chimes have their own cabinet as well. The minor bells and major bells are all housed in the carillon console itself.

If you want this instrument for recording studio use rather than for church use, the footprint of this instrument can be reduced by 75% for more compact use, so that it takes up only the same amount of space as a Hammond organ. If you put a preamplifier/amplifier at the bottom of the keyboard console, you wouldn't need the electronics in the two tall cabinets, and you wouldn't need the Westminster chimes, as they are controlled by the clock cabinet only. Also, if DI the instrument-level signal directly from the keyboard console's Symphonic Carillon bells and from the Flemish Bells cabinet to an external preamplifier, you wouldn't need the Hammond speaker. Then, if you stick the flemish cabinet behind the console, the amount of floor and wall space that this would take up would be the same as that of a Hammond C3 organ.

Also included are 15 mylar player rolls. Please note that we have bypassed it (it was working before we bypassed it) several years ago, so we do not guarantee the functionality of the automatic player system...only the manual-playing system is guaranteed to be fully functional. There are about 8-12 songs on each roll, thereby providing 120-180 songs total. This also comes with three copies of the on-off switch key for the carillon console, as well as four copies of the key needed to open and close the two cabinet doors.

Due to the size of this carillon, it will need to be shipped freight, for which the rate varies depending on the buyer's location. Please contact me get a specific shipping quote to your location. The $500 is just an estimate; the buyer will be responsible for the actual shipping cost."


1 comment:

  1. Our church has a Maas Rowe Carillon, purchased in 1981, which looks identical to this one, except it has the 8-track player. We cannot find the instruction manual. Would you be willing to sell us a photocopy of your instruction manual? Thank you for your assistance.

    ReplyDelete

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