Extras

Drone levers

Carrying Handles

Air release from bellows

Detachable sleeves

Types of wood

Special requests

Drone levers

All lower keys can be individually (also several at once) stopped during the play as drones by means of adjustable drone levers; e.g. keynote and its fifth.  Most of the time, between 2 and 4 are a good choice.

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Carrying Handles

A practical and at the same time attractive accessory are the historically inspired carrying handles made of massive brass.  Can be retrofitted (Price upon request).

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Air release from bellows

For a quick release of air without having to push any keys or play a long tone, I offer to add an inconspicuous lever which, when operated, guarantees the quick release of air from the bellows.  It allows quick, space saving setting aside or storage of the instrument inside the case.  Anybody that has experienced the tight space on stage between chairs, notes or microphone stands, will appreciate this little extra.  Can also be retrofitted (Price upon request).

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Detachable Sleeves Ghaetta & Cantiga

One of the main goals when building a portative organ, is to have a small and lightweight instrument with a wide range of tones.  This is the reason why the so called half-tones are rarely present in larger pipes due to weight and space restrictions (e.g. Cantiga – where it makes sense to go without the c#1)

To enable the musician to still be able to use this half tone or give him/her the flexibility towards lower tones, I offer custom-made detachable sleeves for the metal pipe instruments.  These sleeves can shorten or lengthen individual pipes and therefore make them sound a half or a full tone lower or higher.

After adding the sleeves made of pipe material (with internal connector sleeve), only a small interface is visible.  The handling is very easy.  The adding or removing can be easily achieved between two pieces of music.  The detachable sleeves come, as all other pipes, with parchment tuning sleeves; re-tuning after addition or removal is in general not necessary.

Options for "Ghaetta"

One 3-piece set of detachable sleeves made of pipe material: instead of the standard lower tones g-g sharp-a, f-g-a or f sharp-g-a are obtained (this is interesting for the continuous play or for flute ensembles). 

Options for "Cantiga" (no picture)

One detachable sleeve made of pipe material:

The detachable sleeve lengthens the lower pipe c sharp to c Tone sequence with detachable sleeve: c-d-d sharp… or without: c sharp-d-d sharp… .
Can be retrofitted (price upon request).

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Types of wood

For my portatives, I use top grade, carefully selected, high quality red cherry or maple wood.  This beautiful, light coloured and wonderfully supple wood with keys made of different fruit tree wood, has an elegant look.  With time, it will darken to a honey coloured shade.

Flamed maple
 Occasionally, Mother Nature offers us the so-called ‘flamed maple’.  Due to growth defects, this attractive variety of maple offers an optically interesting, wave-type, three dimensional structure.  This popular variety is offered upon request.

Other attractive types of wood such as walnut, oak, several thousand year old black fen oak, checkers wood and others are also available.  I would be more than happy to consult with you.

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Special requests

Naturally, special requests regarding range of tone, design, pipe-material and dimensions will be honoured.  Or, I can build you a customized instrument based on your ideas and imagination. 

I would be more than happy to consult with you

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