Melophone English

Wedgwood lists this stop with the following description:

(1) A string-toned stop of very delicate intonation. Bridlington Priory Church (Anneessens, of Belgium). (2) A specialty of the Kimball Organ Co., consisting of a metal cylindrical flue pipe, of Violin Diapason scale, speaking two qualities of unison pitch at one and the same time, viz., String and “Open Wood.” In other words a string-toned Flute. Washington Temple, U.S.A. (Kimball Co.).

Maclean describes Kimball's Melophone as a large scale stop of the Melodia type. Irwin gives a different description:

A Flute stop of solo quality, at 8' on the manuals, and formed from heavy-walled open metal pipes, sometimes wood. It is quite loud, and sounds as a hybrid between the horn's overtones and an open Flute. Good examples are sympathetic and warm in quality. A few are string-like or even bright. It is also a big-toned ensembled stop, of easy blend with Trumpets or Diapasons. It has a complete train of harmonics since its pipes are inverted-conical and the mouth cut-up is fairly low. It may be heard from the Solo chests of concert or theater organs, and also some church organs. A few examples have belled tops for one-third to one-half their lengths. The wooden ranks are slightly inverted-pyramidal in shape.

This stop should not be confused with the Mellophone, a reed stop.

Examples

All known examples rae given below.

Melophone 8', Solo; Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Kimball 1901. (This example was wooden. It was moved to the Orchestral division in the 1926 rebuild, and removed in 1940.)

Melophone 8'; Atlantic City Convention Hall Ballroom, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; Kimball 1930.

Melophone 8', Solo; First Church of Christ, Scientist, San Francisco, California, USA; Kimball 1924.

Melophone 8', Solo; Kimball Hall, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kimball 1925.

Bibliography