It seems in recent years that the electric organ has become very uncool in favour of smaller more modern looking keyboards such as the Yamaha Tyros. It’s a shame because the organ can do everything a keyboard can do and more. In my opinion, the organ is also more playable as a live instrument. Because of the bass pedals, you can play the organ without any auto chord or drum machine and get a very respectable sound. The keyboard on the other hand would sound thin, definitely lacking without auto chord/bass. Of course keyboards are considerably cheaper than organs and take up less room and so has created a new generation of keyboard players, some of which could never afford the hefty cost of an organ and that’s got to be a good thing.

So is this the end for the electric organ. What could the organ manufacturers do to rekindle the interest in organs? Well they were and still are designed to be a piece of furniture. Great big lumps of wood, which appeal to the older generation, which is why they have the reputation of being an older person’s musical instrument. This need to be changed so they appeal to all generations. The next major change has to be the cost. A top of the range electric keyboard such as the Yamaha Tyros would cost between two to three thousands pounds new. The top of the range Roland Atelier organ will cost you in the region of twenty thousand pounds new.

This change may have already started with new models from Yamaha with the Yamaha D-Deck organ and the top of the range Yamaha Electone Stagea. Both are portable and very modern looking. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information on these models unless you read Japanese. Yes, Yamaha have decided there is no organ market in the UK, Europe or the USA. So if you want one of these models you will have to import it yourself.

To find more info and pictures of these new organs visit Mikes Music Room.

About the Author
Michael David Shaw (Mike to his friends) runs websites http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk and http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk