Following on from Leslie E A Bourn's years of experiment and success with the Melotone Unit, came the development of the Electrone - a complete 'pipeless' organ, based on the same principles of electrostatic tone generation.

John Compton, writing to Musical Opinion in September 1937, spoke of the development and imminent launch of what was to be known as 'The Electrone'. He was most reluctant to describe the new instrument as an organ, as he claimed this description would only be justified when the sound authentically approached that of the pipe organ. Although Compton appeared to regard the production of Electrones as secondary to the building of real pipe organs, he would have had little cause for anxiety. At the time - largely due to Leslie Bourn and his assistant, Wally Fair - Comptons were arguably ahead of rivals in the electronics field.

The Electrone was first introduced to the public in January 1938, and while not precisely dated, the pre-war list of Compton Job Numbers does reveal a number of instruments being despatched throughout that year, to dealers' showrooms in various parts of the UK. The Electrone Model II appears to have aroused much interest, and the inclusion of an Unda Maris on the Swell division indicates a pre-war experiment with celeste tuning. One of the first church installations was at St Chad's Bolton, while in August 1938, Lou Morris and Florence de Jong were invited to the Compton factory, to inspect the newly-developed 'Theatrone'. So impressed were Lou and Florence, that the intended pipe organ order for the new Lou Morris Ritz, Sheerness was swept aside in favour of a Theatrone. This, together with a model for the Parkway Hotel, Leeds, featured a compact and striking 'eliptical' design of console case.

A Compton advertisement of the time announced "The new Compton Theatrone will shortly be ready for demonstration. It will be played from a standard Theatre Console, with stopkeys of normal type, and adjustable pistons. Incorporating the latest Compton electrostatic generator, the Theatrone afford greater tonal possibilities than any other instrument of its kind, together with mechanical reliability of the highest order."

Indeed, most models were housed in more conventional wood console cases - three being fitted out with Wood Sunburst box ends, and two with illuminated surrounds. The eliptical style did make a post-war reappearance, when used for two later-style models. These were produced for Broadstairs Corporation and the Derby Miners' Welfare Holiday Centre, Skegness.

The newly-developed 1937 Theatrone generator was the forerunner of the post-war 347 type. Here, we find 12 double-sided 5-inch discs - one for each note of the chromatic scale - each scanning seven octaves of primes (sine waves), plus at least one rank of natural harmonics. The vibrato mechanism, however, remained closely related to that of the Melotone unit, with the stator cans being rocked. In contrast to the familiar metal generator cabinets of post-war years, the Theatrone generator assembly was housed within a detached wooden cabinet.

The new 347 and 348 generators included seven octaves of developed (diapason) waveform engravings along with the usual seven sine wave octaves, and this innovation was to pave the way for a whole range of Electrone models, suited to both church and entertainment use.

To provide a detailed history and technical explanation within the confines of this website would be impossible. However, for anyone wishing to read brief notes on the post-war Electrone range, please follow this link. This will open a new window, allowing you to retain the existing page, and refer to the photo gallery. Wherever possible, I will be pleased to answer e-mail enquiries regarding Theatrones and Electrones.

May I add my thanks to Robert Cook of Compton Organ Specialists (Stowmarket) for furnishing me with a wealth of information relating to the post-war range of Electrones. Combined with my own research, this has served most usefully to confirm much, and as ever, to dispel some of the inevitable myths.