There's one of these for sale on Craigslist where I live. I don't like how they have introduced a third manual only to cut two of them short. I often like to switch to playing both melody and accompaniment on the same manual as a sound change without changing registration, as do many other people. Also the pedalboard lacks anything good for a performance instrument and being as they are like spinett pedals, won't help you out for a performance either.
I've uploaded a few different Thomas organ records, I only have about 40 uploads, if that, so if you go to my channel and hit uploads at the top of the page you'll find them. Search Thomas Trianon for a couple of vids from a woman in Russia- nice improv, and a guy in Peru has uploaded several songs playing a Trianon. Thomas uses a stereo tremulent that is created electronically using 4 photocells and lightbulb in the center using feedback, rate,etc. they use same set-up for the L & R spkr
i had the Thomas organ with the Leslie separate... had the band box to..and the lighted keys.. very beautiful.. mice chewed it up sometime in the early 1980's..
I wonder how close these guys used to communicate with other engineers. I just got what some call the Holy Grail of electronic theater organs- the Gulbransen Rialto II. I've only sat at the helm twice. Once on Friday for 30 minutes, when I first got it to my storage, and today for about 2 hours. As I began to explore the organ it is very friendly & well laid out. This organ, like the Thomas Trianon is an LSI design. At first I was wary of such a design, but now I am completely astounded. An A+++
Thomas was a sound concurrent of Hammond, but they still sound terrific. Too bad the Thomas factory isn't in business anymore. If you've got a defect organ, you have to look and search for spare parts yourself. If you are a technician, you can fix it. Otherwise you've to find qualified personnel.
By the way: my first organ was a Thomas, ,later I bought a Hammond.
@ryancangri First of all your 'bible' for instant knowledge of Tone Generators is called , ' The Organ List' Google it. Now within the list you can see how many pedals, manuals, year manufactured, and 'model name' for any brands model number.
Your organ is a 1968 transistor divider organ. You should first get some sort of audio probing device that allows you to listen to various points on the circuit.
The Thomas organs have the amplifier on the volume pedal. Test the RCA inputs touching RCA +.
@pianomanmaestro Organs are worth whatever the public is willing to pay- a supply demand thing. It takes a little effort to develop a taste for organ music, but once that effort is put forth the rewards are priceless. Oh', there are those who naturally love all organ music, but not organs sound the same. For instance, I am fond of the Hammond organ and have even owned a couple full blown set-ups, but I developed a liking for Yamaha Electones, Farfisa's, and Thomas even more in some ways.
@ pianomanmaestro These days organs are thick on craigslist & are extremely cheap to buy. I bought a pristine 1977 Wurlitzer 625t for $100. That organ was $10,000 new! The time is perfect to buy an organ, but if selling one you won't get much. In fact I just bought a near perfect 1958 Hammond M3 with a rare feature add-on called a 'duet-sixteen'- paid $75 & might get $450 for it. Love Thomas Organs! I was given a Thomas Californian 250,liked it so much got a 263 for $30! I'd like a 72' Trianon.
I have inherited one of these a 1960s model plays well has all the beats an everything great base sound except like a couple of the plastic controls that line the top of the organ are missing! it had a sticker price of 4K on it how much would it be today????????????
ATTENTION THOMAS ORGAN OWNERS: You will find literally nothing about your Thomas organ on youtube by searching Thomas organ except 1 Liberace organ- TV Commercial, and some guy playing off camera for 15 seconds. Search Lawrence Welk videos and you will find plenty of Thomas organs as well as Vox Harpsichords and Hammonds. Even found a nice little duet with a Hammond B3 and a Hammond Chord organ- the Hammond S6. I have played an S6 for about eight years now and love that thing!
I was recently fortunate enough to rescue a pristine 1971 Thomas Californian 250 organ. No it's not this bigger more serious organ, but it's workmanship and tones are very warm and full sounding. Plus it's Stereo ( or mono)There is a socket for a tone cabinet and rca line in/out. Having grown up with a dad in the electronics industry I'm also well aware of the high quality of components in this organ, but having trouble with the osc. cards making good contact. I've cleaned, same issue. Advice?
I had the same organ, my ex wife chopped it up to hurt me when I left her ; actually becouse she was crazy and dangerous! I loved that organ and hope to replace it some day and find another one local
My first organ was an Italian chord reed organ - basically a flattened out accordian.
In 1970, my parents bought a new Thomas Catalina: 2-44note keyboards + 13 note pedalboard. It was the love of my life. It had no Band Box or automatic rhythms, but the tones were richer than any Lowrey organ.
When I began seriously studying classical organ music, I made do for as long as I could by adding a salvaged pipe organ 32-note pedalboard.
The Thomas Trianon was a very nice sounding organ but there was also the Thomas Palace III with 3 full 61 note keyboards that was out around 1970 that was really nice too! Don't see many of them around anymore.
Thomas organs are great sounding organs as I own one of the last ones manufactured in 1981, the Eldorado 792. Many fun features as I love playing on it! Your organs is one that I had seen on eBay many times as it was in the late 1960's. The new Thomas digital organs are nothing like the classic Thomas organs, those organs are Wersi and Italian manufactured with the Thomas name on it.
There's one of these for sale on Craigslist where I live. I don't like how they have introduced a third manual only to cut two of them short. I often like to switch to playing both melody and accompaniment on the same manual as a sound change without changing registration, as do many other people. Also the pedalboard lacks anything good for a performance instrument and being as they are like spinett pedals, won't help you out for a performance either.
Zylstra555 1 week ago
I've uploaded a few different Thomas organ records, I only have about 40 uploads, if that, so if you go to my channel and hit uploads at the top of the page you'll find them. Search Thomas Trianon for a couple of vids from a woman in Russia- nice improv, and a guy in Peru has uploaded several songs playing a Trianon. Thomas uses a stereo tremulent that is created electronically using 4 photocells and lightbulb in the center using feedback, rate,etc. they use same set-up for the L & R spkr
paulj0557 1 month ago
i had the Thomas organ with the Leslie separate... had the band box to..and the lighted keys.. very beautiful.. mice chewed it up sometime in the early 1980's..
groomingirlme1 6 months ago
I wonder how close these guys used to communicate with other engineers. I just got what some call the Holy Grail of electronic theater organs- the Gulbransen Rialto II. I've only sat at the helm twice. Once on Friday for 30 minutes, when I first got it to my storage, and today for about 2 hours. As I began to explore the organ it is very friendly & well laid out. This organ, like the Thomas Trianon is an LSI design. At first I was wary of such a design, but now I am completely astounded. An A+++
paulj0557 8 months ago
Thomas was a sound concurrent of Hammond, but they still sound terrific. Too bad the Thomas factory isn't in business anymore. If you've got a defect organ, you have to look and search for spare parts yourself. If you are a technician, you can fix it. Otherwise you've to find qualified personnel.
By the way: my first organ was a Thomas, ,later I bought a Hammond.
JohanB600 9 months ago
I just got a Thomas 146A solid state organ for free on Craigslist yesterday; unfortunately, I can't get any sound out of it. Can anybody help?
ryancangri 9 months ago
@ryancangri First of all your 'bible' for instant knowledge of Tone Generators is called , ' The Organ List' Google it. Now within the list you can see how many pedals, manuals, year manufactured, and 'model name' for any brands model number.
Your organ is a 1968 transistor divider organ. You should first get some sort of audio probing device that allows you to listen to various points on the circuit.
The Thomas organs have the amplifier on the volume pedal. Test the RCA inputs touching RCA +.
paulj0557 8 months ago
Thats like the one my crazy ex wife chopped up on me, I always loved the Thomas organs
soccercleatscrush 11 months ago
@pianomanmaestro Organs are worth whatever the public is willing to pay- a supply demand thing. It takes a little effort to develop a taste for organ music, but once that effort is put forth the rewards are priceless. Oh', there are those who naturally love all organ music, but not organs sound the same. For instance, I am fond of the Hammond organ and have even owned a couple full blown set-ups, but I developed a liking for Yamaha Electones, Farfisa's, and Thomas even more in some ways.
Play it
paulj0557 1 year ago
@ pianomanmaestro These days organs are thick on craigslist & are extremely cheap to buy. I bought a pristine 1977 Wurlitzer 625t for $100. That organ was $10,000 new! The time is perfect to buy an organ, but if selling one you won't get much. In fact I just bought a near perfect 1958 Hammond M3 with a rare feature add-on called a 'duet-sixteen'- paid $75 & might get $450 for it. Love Thomas Organs! I was given a Thomas Californian 250,liked it so much got a 263 for $30! I'd like a 72' Trianon.
paulj0557 1 year ago
I have inherited one of these a 1960s model plays well has all the beats an everything great base sound except like a couple of the plastic controls that line the top of the organ are missing! it had a sticker price of 4K on it how much would it be today????????????
pianomanmaestro 1 year ago
@pianomanmaestro IF you want to sell it today, it is probably worth no more than $50-75. The organ market is not what it used to be at all.
The2010SnowDay 8 months ago
ATTENTION THOMAS ORGAN OWNERS: You will find literally nothing about your Thomas organ on youtube by searching Thomas organ except 1 Liberace organ- TV Commercial, and some guy playing off camera for 15 seconds. Search Lawrence Welk videos and you will find plenty of Thomas organs as well as Vox Harpsichords and Hammonds. Even found a nice little duet with a Hammond B3 and a Hammond Chord organ- the Hammond S6. I have played an S6 for about eight years now and love that thing!
paulj0557 1 year ago
I was recently fortunate enough to rescue a pristine 1971 Thomas Californian 250 organ. No it's not this bigger more serious organ, but it's workmanship and tones are very warm and full sounding. Plus it's Stereo ( or mono)There is a socket for a tone cabinet and rca line in/out. Having grown up with a dad in the electronics industry I'm also well aware of the high quality of components in this organ, but having trouble with the osc. cards making good contact. I've cleaned, same issue. Advice?
paulj0557 1 year ago
I had the same organ, my ex wife chopped it up to hurt me when I left her ; actually becouse she was crazy and dangerous! I loved that organ and hope to replace it some day and find another one local
soccercleatscrush 1 year ago
what type of organ is being played. doring the recording.
Royalorgans 1 year ago
Heartaches, heartaches, my loving you only ment heartaches
iBook3503332 1 year ago
My first organ was an Italian chord reed organ - basically a flattened out accordian.
In 1970, my parents bought a new Thomas Catalina: 2-44note keyboards + 13 note pedalboard. It was the love of my life. It had no Band Box or automatic rhythms, but the tones were richer than any Lowrey organ.
When I began seriously studying classical organ music, I made do for as long as I could by adding a salvaged pipe organ 32-note pedalboard.
It got me into college as an organ major!
Thank you all!!!
Rollinglenn 1 year ago
The Thomas Trianon was a very nice sounding organ but there was also the Thomas Palace III with 3 full 61 note keyboards that was out around 1970 that was really nice too! Don't see many of them around anymore.
WB9DKY 1 year ago
Thomas organs are great sounding organs as I own one of the last ones manufactured in 1981, the Eldorado 792. Many fun features as I love playing on it! Your organs is one that I had seen on eBay many times as it was in the late 1960's. The new Thomas digital organs are nothing like the classic Thomas organs, those organs are Wersi and Italian manufactured with the Thomas name on it.
patsaxon 1 year ago