I am quite blown away. Normally a Wicks leaves me wanting. This organ has changed my thoughts. I cant help but wish that Organ Clearing House would do stop tours like this when possible. Also, I love when the organ builder is there to add more history and info about the organ. Another job well done.

Hopefully this organ gets purchased, restored, and given to an organization that gives it the love it deserves

The Willis touch is very much in evidence. What a splendid instrument. I wish the 1951 Wicks I play each summer sounded half-way as good as this one. I hope this organ goes to a good home. BTW, I think David is one of your best demonstrators. Kudos all around.

The quality of pipework is outstanding. The pipes in this organ are without doubt comparable to Skinner and other fine builders. I am so pleased to see Wicks at its best. I pray that it is saved. What a treasure!

This organ is impressive! Also, I just adore you. You’re INCREDIBLY knowledgeable and you show it without being arrogant. Your kind, humble tone really make this channel 1000% more impressive. Keep doing the incredible work you do and thank you for this channel and your hard work! If you’re ever in Pittsburgh, I might scream with excitement!

Unbeliebable, I think it has to be the best voicing for a non-reverberant room I ever heard. Also you would't expect such a specification for a 1951 organ. Thank you for presenting this gem, I hope it finds a new home. And the second part is also highly interesting - there's no one else but Scott Wick who can explain the gutts of this vintage in such a detailed way!

I played a Willis-Wicks at St Mary's Basilica in Minneapolis years ago (parr of an anniversary celebration for Tournemire, performing all of his l'Orgue Mystique during liturgies). I was quite impressed with the instrument; I especially remember the Koppelflöte with romantic style voicing (!), and the excellent Solo Tubas, with a truly blending tone without any hardness, so effectively serving as crowning chorus reeds.

Starting at 16:05 , that combination is just lovely. I've rewatched it numerous times now. Beautiful organ overall

I am amazed at how good this organ sounds in a less than ideal space. It will be a great addition to a medium-sized venue with the right acoustics.

This is an outstanding organ! Lovely, clear voicing, and great to see all the original controls and combination action still in use! I can only imagine how good it would sound in the right space.

Thanks for the thorough tour of this wonderful instrument! I knew Wicks was known for their direct electric action, so I was pleasantly surprised when the President of the company gave a detailed account of that action.

I play a 3 manual #2779, and we are having some refurbishment work done on the instrument in the near future. Love Wicks!

A very informative and even historic video on the amazing developments by Wicks Organ of Highland, IL. Hope this organ gets saved: so many are being trashed every year.

What an amazing, colorful organ! Hopefully this organ will find a good home it deserves.

I recognize this organization. Since they wish to remain anonymous in this context, I will not name them. They were and are a respected part of the community I grew up in. I did not have a personal connection with them, but many of my friends and schoolmates did.

This organ appears to have a remarkably clean, cohesive sound. It deserves a good, new home, and I'll bet that even with the updates that Scott Wick mentions, the price would be far below that of a brand new instrument.

Program always GREAT (Pun Intended). Demonstrator Best Yet. Mr. Bill - Richmond, Va, - 80 years old and used to work for Moller.

Oh how I wish I could buy this marvelous instrument.

That is an Amazing instrument…Great sound and it was maintained…. I played at the roller rink for years and had the honor and opportunity to play a mighty Wurlitzer at a theater …. That would make a great addition to a Victorian or old big house …. I have seen pipe organs used in that application

That is really a lovely sound. I grew up in Wicks country and have 2rank Wicks practice instrument. This is the loveliest English period Wicks….I hope it is re-homed and refurbished! In a reverberant room it would be a masterpiece!

What a wonderful sounding organ.

My residence organ built up from a 9 rank 1930 Moller with additions from removed Reuter, Kilgen and another Moller to make it 14 ranks has all mechanical key action relays and the console has it's original wind powered internals, thumb pistons etc. The only electronics I added were for the stop action, I initially started with 20 amp automotive headlight relays for the stop relays, but it was not scaleable very well because of all the wires needed for fusing, diodes etc., so I replaced that with circuit boards that had fuses and diodes built-in. The original 8 rank Moller chest was beyond repair, it was replaced by two 4 rank chests having electric valves. I prefer the mechanical stuff

I've built and service pipe organs since 1989, mostly for regional service and building people, so I've seen a good number of various organs of various makes. Many of these have been Wicks instruments. I also happen to own a small Wicks organ in my living room, their Opus 4654 from 1966, a 2 manual, 2 rank instrument. It's a lovely little practice instrument.

Fascinating !!!

Beautiful sound wish i could buy it ❤

42:20 -- Diodes had been around for long time prior to 1951, however AC to DC motor-generators were used in situations that required high current.

Yep, the 16 and 32 totally lost on desktop. Will have to find out how to connect the headphones. Wish I were in the market. Only in my dreams do I have the skill to work on as well as play an organ.

❤Wicks❤

I would love to own this King of Instruments

Like M.P. Moller, Wicks has built good organs, with good quality pipework, but both Mollers and Wicks have tended to be a bit under-voiced compared to AEolian-Skinners, but not bad. This organ its a nice instrument.

Working on Wicks organs for a tuner, I can tell you they are the easiest and cheapest to maintain and REPAIR. Despite their Trumpets were a pain to voice and re-tune, and sounded more "castillian" than French of German reeds. IMO their Diapason ranks are amazing, their string voicers in their 16' strings were always above par and that despite being called the cheapest organ, they are the most AFFORDABLE organ. Budgets matter. Direct electric vs Pitmann , i'd take a wicks direct electric over a pitmann chest anyday. They aren't "period" instruments by any means. but for a Church they are a heck of a lot better than a digital any day of the week, and cheaper than replacing a tone generator. vs some things like tuning, re-leathering air reservoirs and re-voicing every 25 years. and if that drives you away, just get floating reservoirs from OSI, and be sure a person can have access to the windchest to replace the occasional magnet that becomes weak. vs having to spend countless days scraping away leather pouches :P . they aren't bad. I recommend Wicks as a church instrument.

Absolutely gorgeous! Looks like the organ at TI, won’t say where. Would be an absolutely stunning instrument in a better acoustic!!

So sad that that incredible combination action and relay have to go. I have a Moller (I think) console in my home full of cotton-covered wire, immaculately wired and loomed. I don't use that wiring, but I couldn't bear to strip it out. I hope this organ finds a good home, but I suspect they will have to give it away, considering how much it will cost to relocate it.

I think this one deserves a third chance. The voicing is surprisingly mature.

That sounds to be a delightful organ. What a shame I am useless on a keyboard, and do not have the building to put it in (or the spare probable several hundred thousand dollars needed for it). At least I can listen to some good classical organ music on my HiFi.

Thanks very much…actually, it’s always interesting to see the plan on the church that it came out of, to see how it all fit together, and perhaps, where it would fit best in the future.

Hope this nice instrument finds a good home.

Oh man...in a better room this would be excellent. I think a bit of tonal finishing, not major revoicing, would help. It's a great instrument in a fairly compact package.

How much are they asking?

BTW the OHS listing for this organ says that the Solo/Great reed chorus does include a 16ft Trumpet - is that not there in reality?

i live near Highland. The last i heard, Wicks is out of business.

Why are they parting with this nice organ. It is not in poor condition.

Has the organ been sold yet?

How much?

Whatever happens to this instrument? Does anyone know?

What a shame. I hope this old organ finds the right new owner.

Not all wicks organs are desirable. Would have to hear it in person honestly to make a better decision. But wicks of the 60s no thanks.

If it whistles and clicks, it must be a Wicks!

Too bad the instrument isn't explained in terms understandable to the layperson. An opportunity is missed for an educational presentation. No doubt that was considered unnecessary in a video designed as a sales brochure.

Beautiful instrument, seems a pity for all the control equipment to be replaced by electronics, it should be preserved with the instrument as a part of living history for future generations to view