Burton K. Tidwell, Organbuilder

      Throughout a career spanning 37 years, Tidwell has been involved in the crafting of more than 300 pipe organs and more recently in cutting-edge work seamlessly incorporating digital voices into pipe organs. He has directed the tonal finishing of more than 150 instruments and been responsible for the scaling of some 250-300 instruments across the United States. It is this concentrated study that has give him a unique perspective on the craft and has earned him a national reputation for careful attention to detail in the scaling and finishing of instruments of all sizes.  From 1995 to 2006, he oversaw the building of the third largest pipe organ on the West coast in Westwood United Methodist Church,

Los Angeles.

     He worked with Franklin Mitchell, Reuter Organ Company, Lawrence, Kan., during undergraduate years and as associate tonal director in the early 1980s. Voicer for Lawrence Phelps & Associates, Erie, Penn., 1974-1975. Established his own company with R.L. Hulsey in 1981 while serving as organist at First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, Erie;  joined Schantz Organ Company staff as Tonal Director in 1987 before continuing in free-lance organbuilding from 1996 to the present, including work as consultant to Allen Organ Co. working with both digital organs and pipe additions to digital organs.  His extensive portfolio includes both pipe and digital organ projects including:

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.
new chapel organ and additions/tonal changes to sanctuary Ruffatti organ

University United Methodist Church, Wichita, KS.
new console, tonal changes/revoicing of Smith Organ

Saint Ann's Catholic Church , Midland, TX.
4-manual pipe/digital instrument

First Presbyterian Church, York, Penn.
4-manual pipe/digital instrument

Dallas Baptist University
4-manual pipe/digital instrument

First United Methodist Church, McKinney, TX.
Allen digital voices to the new Robert L. Sipe pipe organ

Please join us in welcoming Burton Tidwell to our adjunct staff at

Church Organ Associates, Inc.   Contact Burton today about
your special church organ project.