Herman Organ Company

Herman Organ Company Based in Los Angeles, Herman Organ Company specializes in museum-quality restoration and care of pipe organs.

Led by Mark Herman, our skilled technicians are dedicated to pursuing the highest quality and craftsmanship in our work.

09/05/2026

Here's a fun duet on a fabulous organ... Yours truly with my talented friend Brett Valliant!

One of the challenges of restoring 100-year-old pipe organs is that sometimes the part you need simply isn’t available a...
08/25/2026

One of the challenges of restoring 100-year-old pipe organs is that sometimes the part you need simply isn’t available anymore.

Wurlitzer magnet armatures are a good example. For many years, our friends at Arndt Organ supplied excellent reproductions, but their remaining stock ran out this year and they elected not to manufacture another batch. The only other armatures currently available on the market are thicker than the originals, which can create problems, especially with Wurlitzer's Bakelite cap magnets, which do not have an adjustable port.

So, we decided to make them ourselves.

As it turns out, manufacturing a small disc of metal to the proper specification is considerably more involved than it sounds. Thickness, material, flatness, edge finish, and plating all have to be held to razor-tight tolerances.

We are very pleased with the result. Our new armatures are dead flat, nickel-plated, and precisely the correct original thickness, matching the fine reproductions Arndt supplied for many years. Our first small batch is complete, with another 50,000 now in production. (That should last us a while!)

For others working on Wurlitzer organs, we now offer these armatures for sale, along with proper reproduction dags, magnet cap gaskets, and magnet base gaskets.

Every once in a while, the boss is popular with the crew. We just installed a couple of these for the main “clean room” ...
08/17/2026

Every once in a while, the boss is popular with the crew. We just installed a couple of these for the main “clean room” at the shop. Apparently air conditioning is all it takes to buy employee loyalty…

From what we can tell, Wurlitzer built only five of these Trolley Bell effects, and this example is believed to have com...
08/04/2026

From what we can tell, Wurlitzer built only five of these Trolley Bell effects, and this example is believed to have come from Brooklyn's Fox Theatre. We found it tucked away in Ken Crome's storage, and it's been a pleasure bringing it back to life. Our own Josh Roebuck did a beautiful job on the restoration. One thing's for sure... it's loud!

You can never have enough high-quality vintage screws…A technician friend recently gifted us a large collection of new o...
06/12/2026

You can never have enough high-quality vintage screws…

A technician friend recently gifted us a large collection of new old stock wood screws, including many high quality cut-thread screws in a wide variety of sizes, including hard-to-find odd sizes like 5, 7, 9, and 11. Most of the round heads are blued or nickel plated.

While we restore and reuse original hardware whenever practical, a collection like this is incredibly valuable for a restoration-minded shop that strongly dislikes Phillips head screws... 🙂

We’ve added everything to our existing inventory and picked up a new rack (with a 3,800 lb load capacity) to keep our very heavy fastener collection organized. Many thanks to our friend for passing these along. We are happy to have them!

How often do you see three, four, and five-manual Wurlitzer consoles lined up next to one another?! It’s a very console-...
05/29/2026

How often do you see three, four, and five-manual Wurlitzer consoles lined up next to one another?! It’s a very console-heavy summer at Herman Organ Company!

05/14/2026

This organ has so many dead stops, dead notes, and other issues, yet it STILL sounds great! And what a room... We can't wait to restore this beautiful 5/21 Wurlitzer back to 100%! Here is me playing one last tune on it before the console was loaded onto the truck for the trip to California.

Today's office: Tuning at All Saints Beverly Hills. A lovely organ in a lovely space! This Friday evening, the organ (al...
05/06/2026

Today's office: Tuning at All Saints Beverly Hills. A lovely organ in a lovely space! This Friday evening, the organ (along with choir and orchestra) will be heard in a special concert celebrating Canon of Music Craig Phillips’s final concert before his retirement after 38 years. The program will feature music by Phillips and Vaughan Williams, along with the Duruflé Requiem. (Ticket link in the comments!)

RESTORING A LANDMARK INSTRUMENT: We’re beyond excited to share that Herman Organ Company has been selected to undertake ...
04/23/2026

RESTORING A LANDMARK INSTRUMENT: We’re beyond excited to share that Herman Organ Company has been selected to undertake the restoration of the historic 5/21 Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC).

Wurlitzer Opus 1587 (1927) was originally built for the 4,000-seat Marbro Theatre in Chicago (demolished in 1964), one of the great movie palaces of its day. It is one of only three five-manual Wurlitzers ever built, and remains the most complete and original example in existence. Moved to PPAC in 1982, the instrument is a perfect match for the stunning acoustics of one of the country’s great theatres.

Over the next two years, our team will carry out a comprehensive, ground-up restoration, including the original electropneumatic relay system, console combination action, and all supporting mechanisms, all while bringing the instrument to its full musical potential.

We’re very grateful to the leadership and board of the Providence Performing Arts Center for their trust in us. In particular, we’d like to thank President Alan Chille, Director of Special Projects Ricky Gresh, House Organist Peter Krasinski, and organ consultant Sean O’Donnell for their support, guidance, and dedication to this instrument.

Projects like this only happen because people care enough to do them the right way. It’s a privilege to be part of that.

We look forward to sharing the process as this remarkable instrument moves into its next 100 years.

Too funny… 100 years ago, someone at the Wurlitzer factory scribbled this note inside a primary pneumatic they were leat...
04/22/2026

Too funny… 100 years ago, someone at the Wurlitzer factory scribbled this note inside a primary pneumatic they were leathering. I appreciate their sentiment. Time for a second cup!

Address

Baldwin Park, CA
91706

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16262693226

Website

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