Comments on: A Guitar for Ice Skating (Vintage 1977 Guitorgan B35)

By: Ronald Leikel

Ronald Leikel — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:20:46 +0000

I also have a guitorgan . It was left to me by my stepfather & best friend . I have never played it & dont know if it is in full working order but , if anyone would know anything about them or is interested please email me & I will get back to you . Thank you

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 20:29:34 +0000

I’m the student Doug MacLean mentions above and yes, I still have it. The key for me to avoid glitching was to keep the strings and frets absolutely clean. I used to clean them with electrical contact cleaner each night before I used it.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 17:52:44 +0000

I’ve got a couple B-300’s and a B35. A tech in LA named Tim Conniff ruined one of the B-300’s and Ed Miller, who used to work on mine just retired. I’d love to find a tech anywhere in the country. These are marvelous, unique instruments that still have unexplored sonic frontiers.
Steve taylorsteve@gmail.com
http://www.stevetaylormusic.com

By: John Dempsy

John Dempsy — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 03:43:12 +0000

I have a B-35 identical to this…but with NO ORGAN ELECTRONICS…its an ES345 copy, straight forward. what’s this worth? any way to tell?? any way to date the guitar??

By: Jeff Brooks

Jeff Brooks — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 18:44:51 +0000

I have five b300 guitorgan at 74 I still do a single with bass pedals drum machine and harmony machine for vocals the man that kept them working for me passed away I’d like to find a recognition that understands and can fix them

By: Doug MacLean

Doug MacLean — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 05:10:09 +0000

I have had two Guitorgans and still have the second one I purchased (used) the first one I bought was new (at a cost of $4,500 back then. I played it professionally for several years before selling it to a teenage student of mine. He played it professionally (earned enough to pay for his university education) He is about to retire now and he still has that Guitorgan…:.

By: Ron Poole

Ron Poole — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 22:35:31 +0000

I own a guitorgan – I have had it since 1974 – I played in a dance band for 17 years – it was great – I learned how to play it pretty quickly – I even did a one man show using the bass pedals and drum machine which were options one could purchase at additional cost – you have to think organ and guitar at the same time – most guitar players can’t do that which is one reason it didn’t sell that well – it was also very expensive $2500 – in 1974 – and it is quite heavy – three or four hours playing this instrument is not for the faint of heart – it takes some muscle and stamina – especially it you are standing up during the gig. It may not have a lot of value in todays market but it is worth a lot to me – lots of great memories – you can’t put a price on that.

By: Roger Shaw

Roger Shaw — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 15:26:43 +0000

My Dad owned a music store in Ohio for several decades and was a Guitorgan authorized dealer for Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. He also played one every weekend (I played with him) for 15 years or so. To play the organ part didn’t require strumming the guitar part so he could work the draw bars and get a sort of wah-wah sound.

I went with him to the factory in Wako several times to see them built. He and Murrell became close friends and business buddies. If I recall, I think it was he and Dad that designed and built what they call the Rotronic. It was an amplifier for the Guitorgan that was based on the Leslie cabinet idea that it had a spinning deflector mounted above an upward facing speaker. They stand about 2 foot tall and about 14 inches square. They sound pretty cool combined with the Guitorgan. They didn’t sell like hotcakes or anything but they sold more than a few.

Dad passed away on 2000 and I wish I had his Guitorgan. I do however have the Guitorgan light/clock that hung in his store and I also have his Rotronic amplifier.

By: Jim Evans

Jim Evans — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 09:25:02 +0000

I bought a B35- S in ’79. The “s” designation means that for only $700.00 extra I got a Steiner analog synth with it. The guitar put out the control voltage from a second 1/4″ jack. I played it ’till I wore the frets off and sold it to a friend. He had it professionally rebuilt and hung it on his wall. It’s been hanging there for over 25 years, but I’m dealing with him to get it back 🙂 Maybe as soon as next payday (if I’m lucky) I want to mount my Fishman triple play on it and have the worlds most electrified electric guitar even if my hands are getting too stiff to play it properly. ….Some people just don’t know when to quit, I guess.
Before I got the guitorgan I had one of the previously mentioned Microfrets (green spacetone with wireless) I know where it is, but I can’t make a deal on it.

By: Steve Taylor

Steve Taylor — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 21:57:32 +0000

I have a B300 and love it. There’s a certain way to play it with effects that can get very “Floydy”. However I’ve had to repair some stuff on it and it’s been a nightmare. Does anyone know anyone that really works on these? I’m in need!
Cheers, Steve

By: Kris

Kris — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 19:02:12 +0000

Found this link on Vox’ homepage.

http://youtu.be/RtUrpzkfeuI

Seems others went on to use the idea.

By: Richard Peterson

Richard Peterson — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 01:46:57 +0000

I saw a guitarist working with only a drummer, kicking a Fender Pedal Bass and playing a GuitOrgan. Doing “Black Magic Woman,” both the organ arpeggios and Santana’s licks. He let me play a couple songs on it after learning I also kicked bass. It really did sound good for its time.

By: J.R.

J.R. — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 17:06:33 +0000

Just search guitorgan on You Tube. They are out there.

By: Arkay

Arkay — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 16:58:10 +0000

I fooled around with one in the early 70’s. Sounded awfully “glitchy” unless you had the specific technique down. Seemed more sensible to me to just get a combo organ. And for the money, you could.

By: Tom Cusic

Tom Cusic — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 16:27:28 +0000

Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, who you are aware of with your Messenger copy, played one of these on their “Shinin’ On” album, along with his all aluminum Veleno. Every damn guitar that guy played is now worth many times it’s original price(Messenger, Micro-Frets, Veleno, Gibson L5-S-the most beautiful solid body ever). I think it’s on the song “Getting Over You”. I live in Maryland and in the 70’s I saw one in a local music store, so the MD connection might be real. Sadly, I was was a kid and they wouldn’t let me play it. Oh, and make copies of all of Mark’s guitars!

By: Dave Achelis

Dave Achelis — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:57:39 +0000

How can you show us the guitar and write this article but fail to have an audio/video take on it?

By: sRonnie

sRonnie — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:24:42 +0000

I got to see if I can find one being played on YouTube. Maybe, they got everything on YouTube.

By: David Windhorst

David Windhorst — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:15:06 +0000

In the late 70s I was living in hardly-musical-Mecca (Paducah, KY). There was a local guy — Berklee guitar grad, at that — who used his Guitorgan for supper gigs at a local lounge, sometimes backing a female vocalist: “Tie a Yellow Ribbon,” “Delta Dawn,” etc.

Surreal.

btw, just in case you didn’t already know, there are some youtube vids of Teisco Del Rey (the guy, not the company) with his Guitorgan.

By: RICH JANES

RICH JANES — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 14:36:31 +0000

I saw and heard a very good guitarist play a Guitorgan, and the sound was fantastic. The guitarist
didn’t seem to have any problem playing it. It was his primary guitar. I have been trying to come
across another one without any luck. But the sound and tone of the only one I saw and heard was
tremendous (for the time) (@ 1980 or so)