The Organ Builder

            Organ builder Hal Gober got his feet wet in this craft in his native Texas with tracker* revival pioneer Otto Hoffman. He then spent eight years in Europe, where he completed the formal German apprenticeship program in the firm of Georg Jann, as well as gaining formative experience in several other shops in Germany and Switzerland. From there he went to Canada, working with Karl Wilhelm as a voicer** on 20 new organs and later spent several years as a freelance voicer and pipe maker for well-known North American and European firms. He completed his first organ in 1991.
            For more than 30 years (1992-2015), Gober Organs Inc. provided all the care for the renowned Oberlin Conservatory’s exquisite collection of organs. Hal continues his work as an organ builder, specializing in re-voicing organs as well as building. He also assesses organs, proposes solutions, and consults with church committees regarding the details of buying, building, or repairing an organ.
            For more information about Halbert Gober, Organbuilder, visit www.goberorgans.com. 


*A tracker organ is one in which there is a mechanical link (rather than electrical) between the keyboard and the pipes.  The keyboards (called manuals) and the pedal board are directly linked to the wooden trackers that connect to the windchests that play the notes.

**Voicing is the skill of manipulating an organ pipe to make it sound – it is, as some have said “where the magic happens”. When the exacting and laborious voicing process is complete, each individual pipe in the organ forms a musical instrument that resonates perfectly in its location and results in the beauty and majesty of sound that is uniquely produced by the pipe organ.