Instrument Restoration

Some of the Loew’s Wonder Morton Crew Members

Your help is needed with GSTOS projects to restore and maintain our instruments!
Please share your time and talents as we work to preserve this musical art form.

Joining one of our organ crews offers the opportunity to learn how to restore and maintain the theatre pipe organ. Preservation and restoration projects are labor intensive and a wide variety of skills are utilized. The tasks, however, are not overwhelming. Hands on instruction for new crew members is provided, and many of our experienced crew members attend technical education courses.

We are looking for NEW people to step forward and help with the crew work which is so important to our mission. Both men and women are needed. Technical expertise and mechanical and electrical aptitude are helpful but not required. Our friendly existing crew members are more than willing to train you. This is not rocket science! While Theatre Pipe Organs may seem hopelessly complex to the uninitiated, once a few simple concepts are understood, most aspects of organ restoration and maintenance are pure common sense.

Perhaps you like to tinker with mechanical things. Experience shows, for example, that model train enthusiasts love to work on organs. Ham radio enthusiasts love the electronics. Musical knowledge is not really required. An interest in working with wood, metal, glue, leather, wiring, electronics, and furniture refinishing is what organ building/restoration is all about.

There are a myriad of tasks involved, and it is not hard to find something that might interest you. Some tasks require your presence at the venue. Scheduling is flexible. In other cases components can be worked on at home. Work sessions are not all work. They also offer you an opportunity to socialize with other members. We jokingly call ourselves “The Garden State Eating Society”!

To join in the fun, contact, GSTOS President Michael Cipolletti, or any of the Crew Chiefs listed on the Contacts Page.

We currently hold a Weekly Work Session at the Rahway Senior Center on Wednesday Afternoons. Our area of focus currently is restoration of The Wood Wurlitzer and maintenance on the Rahway Senior Center Rainbow Room Wurlitzer. From time to time, as needed we will work on our Brook Theatre Wurlitzer and Trenton War Memorial.