Rodgers Instruments - Pipe Organs

Pipe Organs

Although known primarily for its electronic organs, Rodgers has built many pipe organs and pipe/electronic combination organs.

Many Rodgers organs support the playing of actual pipe ranks in addition to their normal, electronic ranks. The first electronic organ to successfully integrate pipes and electronic tone generation was a Rodgers Gemini with Fratelli Ruffatti organ pipes installed in the Atlanta area home of Dr. Walter and Emily Spivey. It included a tuning control so the pipes and electronics could stay in tune with each other.

The largest full pipe organ produced by the company was the Second Baptist Church Houston, Texas organ with five manuals and 193 pipe ranks. It was dedicated on August 23, 1987 and featured concerts on August 23 and 24th by organist Frederick Swann. In addition, it was the featured organ of the 1988 Houston National Convention of the American Guild of Organists where it was played by organist Diane Bish.

In August 1991, another large all-pipe Rodgers organ installed at Glenkirk Presbyterian Church, Glendora, California was the cover feature of The American Organist, official journal of the American Guild of Organists.