The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ using free-reeds that generates sound as air flows past the free-reeds, the vibrating pieces of thin metal in a frame.

What is a Reed Organ? A reed organ can be referenced in many ways. In North America, it is most often referred as a pump organ, cottage organ, parlor organ, cabinet organ or melodeon if it is a suction instrument.

Reed organ, any keyboard instrument sounded by vibration of metal reeds under wind pressure. “Reed organ” commonly refers to instruments having free reeds (vibrating through a slot with close tolerance) and no pipes. Such instruments include the harmonium and the melodeon (qq.v.) and are distinct.

Founded in 1981, the Society is an international, non-profit organization devoted to the appreciation, study, collection, restoration and preservation of reed organs. Membership is open to anyone who is genuinely interested in reed organs.

The “bread and butter” of the Estey Organ Company was the reed organ. Also referred to as the American Reed Organ, parlor organ, and pump organ, the reed organ was the most popular instrument of its day, gracing both chapels and fashionable American parlors.

Harmonium or parlor organ: a reed instrument, usually with several stops and two foot-operated bellows. American reed organ : similar to the Harmonium, but that works on negative pressure, sucking air through the reeds.

The reed organ is a keyboard instrument that operates via bellows that blow wind past free-floating reeds. A free floating reed doesn’t change pitch by increasing or decreasing the wind pressure and is, therefore, ideal to express dynamics by the pumping/pedaling action of the feet.

How can my reed organ be in tune (relative to the notes on the organ itself) and yet out of tune (relative to other instruments)? This article looks at the specifics of reed organ tuning, and why some organs aren't in tune with other instruments.

In this article, Rod outlines the 12 different categories of reed organs, complete with pictures.

A reed pipe (also referred to as a lingual pipe) is an organ pipe that is sounded by a vibrating brass strip known as a reed. Air under pressure (referred to as wind) is directed towards the reed, which vibrates at a specific pitch.