Deagan Chimes & Large Tubular Chimes
America's Premier Tubular Chime Specialists
If you've ever heard the mellow, resonant sound of large tubular chimes ringing from a church tower or historic building, you already understand why people love them. At Chime Master, we are one of the only companies in the country actively restoring, servicing, and selling Deagan chimes, the iconic tower chimes that graced America's most prestigious institutions from the 1920s through the 1950s.
450
Sets ever made
200
Still in existence
25
Sets we actively service
What Are Tubular Chimes?
Large tubular chimes, sometimes called tower chimes or chimes tubular bells, are massive bronze tubes ranging from 3-6 inches in diameter with walls nearly ¾ of an inch thick. Individual tubes weigh anywhere from 150 to nearly 600 pounds. When struck, they produce a sound unlike traditional church bells: mellow, sustained, and beautiful, like wind chimes on a grand scale.
The most celebrated manufacturer of these chimes was the J.C. Deagan Company of Chicago. Founded by J.C. Deagan, the man credited with standardizing A440 tuning (which remains the global musical standard today), the Deagan Company produced about 450 sets of tower chimes between roughly 1917 and 1959. These instruments were the Cadillacs of their era, priced at $10,000 or more, a time when that sum could buy many traditional church bells. They were installed in churches, universities, cemeteries, theaters, and other buildings across the United States and Canada.
Today, only around 200 of those original sets remain, and fewer than half are in working condition. Chime Master actively services about 25 sets nationwide and has several sets available for sale.
Our Tubular Chime Services
Deagan Chimes Repair & Restoration
Most tubular chimes that are still around haven't worked reliably in years. The original electromechanical equipment, while remarkable for its era, is now 75 to 100 years old. Chime Master provides comprehensive Deagan chimes repair, including:
Complete assessment of existing tubes, frames, strikers, and dampers
Rebuilding or replacing original rams, damper pads, and hardware
New power supplies and switchgear (original Deagan chimes ran on 48V DC)
Structural frame repair and new timber construction where needed
Garnet sandblasting to clean and restore tube surfaces
Full reinstallation and testing
Original Deagan equipment, while beautiful and historically significant, cannot be made reliably functional long-term. Our approach is to preserve and display original components where possible while replacing the functional systems with modern, dependable equipment.
Modern Automation for Deagan Chimes
One of Chime Master's most unique offerings is our AX bell controller, configured specifically for Deagan tower chimes. This touchscreen system gives Deagan chime owners capabilities they never had with the traditional paper rolls used to play music:
Hundreds of songs from our digitized Deagan music library
Seasonal programming for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, patriotic, and general repertoire
Shuffle play so your community hears variety, not the same six songs on repeat
Smartphone control and internet connectivity
Scheduled automatic playing throughout the day
Tubular Chimes for Sale
Chime Master currently has several sets of Deagan chimes for sale, including 10-note and 18-note sets. We also help clients source additional tubes to expand smaller sets into larger, more musically capable instruments. These are extraordinary instruments, and we are happy to discuss your particular setup and goals, and what would work for your space and budget.
Preserving a Unique Legacy
THE DEAGAN MUSIC LIBRARY:
One of the most remarkable aspects of our Deagan chime work is the music library we've built over the years. Deagan originally produced paper rolls, similar to player piano rolls, for their automated chiming devices. Each roll was hand-played by June Albright, Deagan's in-house musician, who created custom arrangements for every set of tubes in existence. If your chime had 10 notes, she recorded it for 10 notes. If it had 18 harmonically tuned tubes, she created a fuller arrangement that took advantage of the richer tonal capabilities.
Our business partner has developed an electronic conversion system that translates original paper rolls into digital MIDI files, capturing exactly the way June played for each different tube configuration. When a client installs our AX controller on their Deagan chime, we load every arrangement that works for their specific set, not just the handful of songs they may have had on worn-out rolls. It's a genuine preservation effort that ensures one of America's most distinctive musical traditions continues to be heard.
FEATURED PROJECT
London, Ohio
When Central United Methodist Church in Springfield, Ohio, closed in 2021, a devoted church member spent months negotiating with the Methodist Conference to rescue its 1924 Deagan chime set before the building was sold. He rallied a team of volunteers who spent two weekends hoisting the massive bronze tubes (the heaviest weighing over 750 pounds) down through narrow staircases and out of the tower.
Six additional tubes from a second historic Deagan set, originally installed in 1926 in New Albany, Indiana, were sourced to bring the instrument from 10 notes to 16, dramatically expanding its musical range. Chime Master restored all ten original striker mechanisms to museum quality, erected a new rack in the tower at First United Methodist Church in London, Ohio, and installed the complete 16-note set with our AX controller.
The World Carillon Federation noted it is the only Deagan set to be saved, relocated, and reinstalled anywhere in the United States in the last 25 years.
The World Carillon Federation noted it is the only Deagan set to be saved, relocated, and reinstalled anywhere in the United States in the last 25 years.
FAQs About Deagan Chimes & Deagan Chime Repair
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Yes, but not with the original electromechanical equipment. We restore the tubes, frames, and mechanical components while replacing the aging electrical systems with modern, dependable technology. The result is an instrument that sounds exactly as it should and can be expected to operate reliably for decades.
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Deagan produced sets ranging from 10 notes up to 32 notes per set. Larger installations used multiple sets, with 64, 96, or even 97 tubes, to increase volume and musical capability. The most common sizes we encounter today are in the 10-32 note range.
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After around 1938, Deagan began producing harmonically tuned tubes with a distinctive pinched "waist" that reduced clashing overtones. Harmonically tuned sets can support fuller chording and more complex musical arrangements. Straight-tube sets from earlier years are still beautiful but require simpler arrangements to avoid tonal clashing.
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In many cases, yes. We have helped clients expand smaller sets by sourcing additional matching tubes from our inventory or from other installations. If you're interested in adding on to your current set of chimes, contact us!
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The tubes themselves are extraordinarily durable and rarely the problem. In most cases, restoration is absolutely possible. If you get us photos, measurements, and any history you have about your instrument, we'll give you an honest assessment.
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Deagan tower chimes were installed in a wide variety of locations, including Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches, universities and college campuses, cemeteries and memorial parks, municipal and civic buildings, and theaters and concert venues. Notable existing installations include sets at the Stephen Foster Memorial in northern Florida, a 96-tube set in Missouri, and sets we have recently restored in Vancouver, British Columbia, Bar Harbor, Maine, Deadwood, South Dakota, and London, Ohio. We maintain service relationships with Deagan chime owners across the country.
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Deagan went out of business decades ago, and the equipment is complex, heavy, and labor-intensive to service. The original tubes are irreplaceable, as no one is manufacturing new large tubular chimes commercially, and doing so would require extraordinary capital investment for very limited demand. As a result, there are very few people in the world with the knowledge and parts inventory to properly restore these instruments. Chime Master is proud to be among them, and we're committed to keeping as many of these remarkable instruments in service as possible.
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Deagan tower chimes can still be heard in churches, universities, cemeteries, and civic buildings across the United States and Canada. Notable sets are located in Bellefontaine, Newark, and at Capital University in Ohio, as well as at the Stephen Foster Memorial in Florida and a 96-tube set in Missouri, among others. We maintain a database of known Deagan chime locations — view the full list — or contact us to have us point you to a set near you!
Contact Us About Tubular Chimes
Whether you're interested in Deagan chimes for sale, need repair and restoration services for an existing instrument, or simply want to learn more about these remarkable pieces of American musical history, contact our team today.