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Magnus organs

Short Description : Air-reed organs with preset chords.

Production period : Late 60´s

Numbers made : Must be thousands

Used by : Teddybears Stockholm.

Controls : Soft and Vibrant. ( as in two sounds not as in a description of the sound )

Sounds : well…reedy acoustic accordion like Organ sound.

Description : This was where it all started for me so these organs will always have a special place in my heart and mind. I was on my way home from a Pineforest Crunch rehearsal when I passed a hairdessers salon in Solna in Stockholm when I saw a unassuming little brown plastic keyboard in the window.

I rushed in to ask how much they wanted for it and the price was 250 kr ( in retrospect - pretty pricey ). Went home got the cash and bought it. Took it home and just looked at it. I didn´t play keyboards, I didn´t know what to do with it, it was way out of tune but had a special weird feel to it...

Then the Idea arose that maybe I should start collecting weird keyboards that noone wants or likes and use them in my music. Fast forward to 2004….

Magnus Organs sound a lot like accordions or harmoniums due to the Chordsection on the left side of the keyboard. It works with a fan that blows air through the reeds….when you press down a key the air is let through…There are a lot of different models. They all sound a bit different but if you have an Eq close at hand you can sort it out. The fan is pretty loud so it can take a short while to find the best place for the mike.

I have used Magnus organs quite a bit over the years. They have an earthy quality to them that works really great in acoustic settings.

Someone wrote on ebay that it sounds Mellotron like and works great for " stairway to heaven " ( which is even funnier considering the fact that there isn´t any Mellotron on Stairway to heaven " and sold them off for 150 dollars a piece…well…hrm….I consider 23 dollars a bit pricey but you be the judge…I think they are great for what they do. I have four of them. Some of them I paid for others I found on the street. I use them once in a while. Åsa has written songs on them…

Interesting ( o.k sort of ) footnote : The hairdresser from who I bought the Organ used to cut Greta Garbos hair while she lived in Stockholm and filmed in Solna. But the interesting that is that even when she had moved to the U.S she always sent him christmas cards telling him how she was doing and wishing him a merrty christmas.