The "Guitorgan"

[RadioGaGa 162]

So, there is a local band called "Freedom Train" that I have been going to see since I moved to town 10 years ago...they are AWESOME...3 piece...play lots of Classic Rock...Beatles, Zep, Marley, some newer stuff too...they're just awesome.

Anyway...they are giving up their Tuesday night house gig...so I had to be there...

They've had a guy playing with them off & on for the last couple years named Bill Dillon

Bill Dillon is a guitar player. He is basically a studio musician. He has worked with Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, 10,000 Maniacs, Sarah McClaughlan, Joni Mitchell...etc...etc.

He was playing an instrument called the Guitorgan. Looks like a guitar...6 strings...he could strum it like a normal guitar...but he also had it through a series of pedals and there were extra controls on the body of the guitar that basically turned the neck of the guitar into a synthesizer...full organ/keyboard sounds coming from it. I was told that there are very very few players in the world that can play the guitorgan as well as Bill.

It was absolutely wild...his right hand was pressing different buttons on the body to change effects and all the fingering was done with his left...sometimes he was picking notes on thr frets, sometime he was holding what looked like normal guitar chords, but the sounds the thing was making were crazy...

I was just wondering if anyone else had seen or heard the "Guitorgan" before?

[mack 44]

I think Jabba's band had that going for it, but no, never saw it in person.

[Oberon 0]

I remember when Ted Nugent had guitarms.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

A Guitorgan is basically an electric guitar with electronic organ components added.

Bob Murrell is credited with its invention and Musiconics International (MCI) of Waco, Texas claims to have introduced the world to the Guitorgan. However, many others have created them starting with many models of guitar. In any case, all have the basics in common: convert a standard electric guitar to the guitorgan by addition of electric organ components. The organ notes are typically keyed with switches on or under the frets. The guitar remains playable but organ notes can be played instead of or in addition to guitar chord.

Murrell worked on converting existing products from the late 1960s. In 1968, he had a significant run of instruments based on semi-hollow body designs. The B300 and B340 are among the most common examples from this run. He continued to produce upgrades that included analog synthesizer interfaces and even midi in the mid 1980s.

Vox also produced their own version under the same name, roughly based on their Vox Continential Voice Boards. This is an extremely rare item.

Some of the famous sounds produced by guitorgan can be heard in Teisco Del Rey's "The Many Moods of."

Bill Dillon is another practitioner of the Guitorgan. He has been featured on many Sarah McLachlan albums and appeared with the Counting Crows.

Woody Jackson's talents on the guitorgan can be heard on Orchestra Superstring's self titled album and many movie soundtracks Ocean's 12, Fun with Dick and Jane, The Devil Wears Prada to name a few. Also playing live show's with Money Mark and Eleni Mandell.

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