Pipe Organs

7 Reasons to Hire a Certified Pipe Organ Builder:

• Expertise: Through the European tradition of apprenticeship to a Master Craftsman, Wilhelmy learned the history, engineering, and fine art of pipe organ building in the classical European tradition, and his specialty became voicing and technical innovation. Xaver Wilhelmy is a Certified Pipe Organ Builder with 30 years of experience. He can and has built pipe organs “from scratch” and has renovated instruments in homes, churches, and concert halls in Europe, and the US, including Old Post Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery __________ and many others.
• Capacity: Not everyone who loves pipe organs can understand the complex math, physics, acoustics, pneumatics, engineering, and fine art of the pipe organ …and can also work skillfully in wood, metal, and many other materials …while also knowing and being respectful of pipe organ history and current innovations …and still has the hearing required to tune and voice the instrument. If you found someone who did have that capacity, you’d certainly want them taking care of the instruments that matter to you.
• Stewardship: For Geshenke, rescuing, restoring, and refining pipe organs is our passion. We know congregations and individuals are called upon to make big decisions concerning the stewardship of the instruments in their care, and it isn’t always easy to know who to trust. We walk with congregations by carefully listening to the needs, then exploring the possibilities. Finally, we provide a detailed road map to the goal. We follow through with dedication and integrity.
• Longevity: Sometimes short term repairs by unskilled technicians can cause long term damage. In contrast, expertise and dedication to the long term service of the instrument saves you money by catching small problems before they become big ones, which lengthens the life and enjoyment of your instrument. If you want your instrument to last for generations, as pipe organs routinely do, then you’ll need to have the instrument cared for by a skilled and dedicated certified pipe organ builder.
• Conservation: Each day we lose pipe organs around the world to age and attrition, and sometimes a pipe organ will be removed and replaced by a electronic sound machine. We are dedicated to the conservation and restoration of instruments, to save every instrument we can so that they may continue to serve their congregations and musicians for generations to come.
• Wisdom: To use an automotive metaphor – sometimes a mechanic can’t diagnose a problem unless he has the help of a computer system. More “old school” mechanics may replace parts to see if that fixes the problem… sometimes replacing parts that were just fine. This can get expensive in a hurry. However, an automobile builder will look over the car and pinpoint any weakness or defect in design or execution and then he can actually build a whole system, from scratch if needed. Xaver Wilhelmy is a pipe organ builder, he understands the different ways that various builders designed their instruments, and he has the wisdom to know the most cost effective way to restore and refine a pipe organ so that it serves it’s congregation and musicians well.
• Patience: Pipe organ work is craftsmanship from start to finish, which always takes time. Even the smallest parts are built by hand. Sometimes congregations take on projects that are expected to take more than a year, and we have the patience and dedication to finish well. We enjoy the celebrations and dedication recitals of the instruments we serve as our fingerprints, sweat, and tears are there in every part of the instrument.