Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2006
Restoration
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=801340
I/4
Switzerland, Thurgau
Hausorgel Juon
Emmental house organ
This instrument, privately owned by Mr. Andreas Juon of Götighofen, could, thanks to the inscription of the initials «HHO 1800» underneath the façade, be attributed to the organ builder Hans Haueter. We had already restored an instrument by this builder in 1972, namely the organ in the chapel of Pfäfers clinic.
It was established that later alterations had been made to the instrument on the basis of the parts used for various sections of its construction. This was confirmed by the owner. He had purchased the organ from organ builder Bütikofer, who had renovated and extended it in 1961. The additional stops Spitzquinte 1 1/3 ' and Superoctave 1 ' had then been added. These ranks were situated on a separate windchest placed behind the case. The bellows system had been replaced by an electric blower and diaphragm bellows. The organ was raised to standard pitch through shortening the pipes accordingly. All in all, however, the original materials for pipework, windchests and action were preserved. Leakage in the windchests and technical problems eventually led to the instrument being practically unplayable.
The aim of the restoration was to solve the technical problems and also to return the instrument to its original specification. The additional stops and windchest were removed and all alterations which had been made to the case and original windchest at the time these stops had been added were reversed. In addition the old pitch (a = 426 Hz at 18°), which could be determined by examining the front pipes and stopped wooden pipes, was re-established.
The existing bellows system was kept as it was, since the motor-driven blower should be retained. A reconstruction of the historical bellows system would also be unproblematic if carried out at a later date.