Chuck Gibson

Charles (Chuck) Gibson became interested in the sound of the pipe organ listening to the 4 manual 106 rank E.M. Skinner pipe organ at his school, Girard College in Philadelphia, PA. He began studying piano at the age of 10 with the hope of someday playing the organ. After a single organ lesson, he wanted to know how the sound was produced. Being naturally interested in all things mechanical, the workings of the pipe organ were very interesting to him.
Upon graduation from Girard in 1973, Chuck already had been hired as an apprentice pipe organ technician by Burger and Shafer Organ Co. of Findlay, Ohio who were associates of M.P. Moller Organ Co., Hagerstown, MD. One year later, M.P. Moller hired Chuck into the factory team where he learned many areas of the trade. In 1976 Chuck moved back to New Jersey accepting a position with Mangam Organ Co. of Philadelphia. In 1978, Chuck was recommended for the position of Assistant Curator of the Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia where he remained for 11 years.
Chuck began his own service company while still at Wanamaker’s as many people were asking for his expertise at their churches. The company grew quickly and was incorporated in 1987. Today the company known as C.W. Gibson, Inc., Pipe Organ Specialties, is responsible for the care and tuning of 125 church pipe organs. In 1996, C.W. Gibson, Inc. purchased the Mangam Organ Co. and merged its customers into the company. After 35 years as President of C.W. Gibson, Inc, Chuck turned over operation of that business to his longest employee in 2018.
C.W. Gibson, Inc. was asked to begin the restoration work on the W.W. Kimball organ at Boardwalk Hall in 2008 rebuilding the main blower, several regulators and two main chests of the solo chamber. When that work was completed, Chuck was asked to help with the Midmer-Losh organ on a weekly basis and was named as Professional Assistant to the Curator in 2015. Additional duties now include HORC Treasurer.