Design
You are involved in the design of your instrument. Its appearance and sound must be adapted to the space in which it is to stand. Each of our new organs is unique.
Case
The organ case is of great importance for the quality of the sound. That is why we design and make it ourselves. We often collaborate with established artists and sculptors. Our cases are made of solid wood. Other excellent materials are frequently involved, including gold leaf on the front pipes, tin pipes, fine wood carving and subtle colour schemes. A Van Vulpen organ is an object of radiant beauty and a handsome furnishing.
Materials
We only work with the best materials. We have our own storage of solid wood, also of exotic wood species, including palm and ebony. We also keep our own storage of tin and lead.
Pipes
We are one of the few organ builders who still make all the pipes themselves. We consider it essential to create the tonal heart of the organ according to our own ideas and standards. We cast our own metal, plane and cut it, and solder our own pipes – from the smallest (1 foot, 30cm) to the largest (16 foot, nearly 5m).
Key and stop action
The key and stop action is also made in our own workshop. We have a solid reputation for mechanical instruments with suspended or pivoted actions as desired. But we also restore and build instruments with electric stop action.
Wind supply
We have experience with various winding systems: steady or more flexible, i.e. with horizontal or diagonal bellows.
Voicing
The dimensions of an organ pipe are naturally the point of departure for its tonal potential. By ‘voicing’ the pipe, however, its sound gains refinement and uniformity. We voice our instruments in the workshop and on location. The pipe is made to speak, the voicer listens, makes adjustments, listens again, and so on, until the ideal sound is attained.