At the heart of any pipe organ is that which forms its voice – the pipes.
Schantz Organ Company maintains the tradition of building our own pipes from raw materials. Beginning with sheets of tin and lead, cast to precise specifications, every pipe is cut out by hand to insure that the dimensions of each meets the specific requirements for the new or rebuilt organ.
As a pipemaker begins construction on a new set of pipes, the flat pieces of metal which will become the individual notes in the organ are rolled up and soldered by hand. This labor-intensive process is the only way to manufacture organ pipes; as each pipe in all Schantz organ projects is unique – designed to fulfill its specific musical role in the completed instrument.
When existing pipework is being retained for inclusion in a new organ, or an instrument is undergoing a thorough historic restoration, our pipemakers apply their skills and knowledge developed in the construction of pipes to repair and refurbish existing sets to like-new condition.