I just had a look around on Belgian 2nd hand sites, and found two Arp Solina String ensembles (one of them credited as just "Solina String Ensemble", one goes for 500 euro, the other one is rising direction 600 euro.
Dieter
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Dieter" <dieter_vanmarcke@...> wrote:
>
> John,
>
> I think it will be easier to make water into wine. I had a look inside the Eminent Organ, and I have to say it's quite a mess inside - not like the Arp Solina, which looks very clean and nicely wired inside. The string section here is made by Eminent (as is the Arp Solina String Ensemble in fact) and it is spread out all over the place. You have a dedicated string section (which has 4' and 8' + sustained 8' for the upper and lower keyboard and another layer for the bass pedals), but the strings are also featured in the Arpeggio section and in the Rhythm/accompaniment section. The actual "String Synthesizer" inside the organ is really a part of the rest and not a freestanding section.
>
> I have uploaded a video on Youtube a few weeks ago to show some people my organs, here it is:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31uKXzhS3HI
> I start fiddling around with the string section (sometimes in combination with other sounds) at 1.45 and I turn it off somewhere around 3.40. It's also featured in the next parts of the video (around 5.00 and so on) in the Arpeggio and Rhythm section.
>
> If you really want one, I would suggest you to follow some european auction sites. If you want, I can look around for one... they're quite common in europe on auction sites...
>
> Dieter
>
> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, john barrick <barrickjohn262@> wrote:
> >
> > Deiter - thanks - that gives me some hope. I wonder what the trouble/effort
> > would be in chopping the string section out of an Eminent and rehousing it -
> > or if it's even practical.
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:11 PM, Dieter <dieter_vanmarcke@> wrote:
> >
> > > ∗∗
> > >
> > >
> > > Hello
> > >
> > > I've bought a restored and great sounding and looking Arp Solina String
> > > Ensemble version 2 with lo/hi-stereo output for eur 700. They can be found
> > > for prices between 500 and 800 euro in Europe.
> > > I've also got an Eminent 1600 Orchestra (big home organ, which sounds great
> > > by the way) and it features more or less the same string ensemble as the Arp
> > > Solina. And this one costs between 0 and 150 euro here...
> > >
> > > Dieter
> > >
> > --
> > john barrick
> >
> > ∗Leo got it right the first time∗
> > ∗then he added a second pickup and got it righter∗
> >
>