c,~"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The AMICA BULLETINAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION

MARCH / APRIL 1998 VOLUME 35, NUMBER 2

WELCOME SOUTHERN SKIES CHAPTER

Attending the first chapter meeting were (standing I-r):

Conrad Mueller, Karla Hosterman, Robert Shogren, Jeanne Heberling, Larry Heberling, Robert Hill, Barbara Daly,

Howard Wyman, Roger Anderson, Dorie Pilkey, Bill Pilkey, Dixie Leis, Dick Leis, Earl Mueller.

(seated I-r): Bill and Becky Shrive with grandchildren, Debra Legg, John Daly, Ferdinand Pointer.

THE AMICA BULLETINAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION

Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distributionand enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls and perforated music books. AMICA was founded in San Francisco, California in 1963.

ROBIN PRAn PUBLISHER, 515 scan ST., SANDUSKY, OH 44870-3736 -- Phone 419-626-1903, Fax 419-624-9454, e-mail: pianola@aol.comVisit the AMICA Web page at: http://www.winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/amica

Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens Contributing Editor: Mr. Emmett M. Ford

VOLUME 35, Number 2 MarchiApril 1998 AMICA BULLETIN

FEATURES _

Announcements - 50

Evaluating A Musical Box For Purchase - 58

Restoration of 1915 Steinway - Part II - 65

CD Review - 76

AMICA 1998 Niagara Falls, Canada - 77

People- 89

DEPARTMENTS _President's Message - 49

From the Editor's Desk- 49

Calendar of Events - 50

Letters- 51

In Memoriam - 57

Crossword Puzzle - 86

Tech Tips - 88

Chapter News - 92

Classified Ads - 100

Front Cover: Cover from sheet music "Trip to Niagara".

~enter: A "Trip to Niagara".

--'~ide Back and Back Cover: Advertisements apperaring in the ~898 Harper'sMagazine Advertiser.

Display and Classified AdsArticles for PublicationLetters to the PublisherChapter News

UPCOMING PUBLICATIONDEADLINESThe ads and articles must be receivedby the Publisher on the 1st of theOdd number months:

January JulyMarch SeptemberMay November

Bulletins will be mailed on the 1st weekof the even months.

Robin Pratt, Publisher515 Scott StreetSandusky, Ohio 44870-3736Phone: 419-626-1903Fax: 419-624-9454e-mail: pianola@aol.com

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

New Memberships

Renewals

Address changes and corrections

Directory information updates

Additional copies ofMember Directory

Single copies of back issues($6.00 per issue - basedupon availability)

William Chapman (Bill)3208 Nielsen CourtSanta Rosa, CA 95404-1720707-570-2258e-mail: shazam@sonic.net

To ensure timely delivery of yourBUllETIN, please allow 6-weeksadvance notice of address changes.

AMICA reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising.

Entire contents ~ 1998 AMICA International 47

AMICA INTERNATIONAL

...-....

.~

TEXASPres: Larry Williams - (817) 485-3727Vice Pres: Bill FlyntTreas: Ken LongSec: Janet TonnesenReporter: Bryan CatherBoard Rep: Sal Mele

SOUTHERN SKIESActing Pres: Debra Legg ­

(813) 734-3353Acting Reporter: Debra Legg

PACIFIC CAN-AMPres: Ron Babb - (253) 759-1588Vice Pres: Paul JohnsonSec: Ward FolsomTreas: Ted MiholovichReporter: Dan BrownBoard Rep: Fran Willyard

SIERRA NEVADAPres: Becky Kane - (916) 448-9559Vice Pres: Vickie MahrSecrrreas:

Tom & Virginia HawthornReporter: Lori DealBoard Rep: John Motto-Ros

SOWNY (Southern Ontario,Western New York)

Pres: Anne LemonVice Pres: Mike HamannSeclMem. Sec:

John & Diane ThompsonTreas: Holly WalterPhotographer: Garry LemonReporter: Garry LemonBoard Rep: Mike Walter

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAPres: Herb MercerVice Pres: James WestcottSec./Reporter. Shirley NixTreas: Ken HodgeBoard Rep: Frank Nix

CHAPTER OFFICERSNORTHERN LIGHTSPres: Donald B. Jones - (612) 824-48ffVice Pres: Jerrilyn Boehland -

(612) 780-5699Sec: Jason E. Beyer - (507) 454-3124Treas: Terry GoepelReporters: Paul & Barbara WatkinsBoard Rep: Dorothy Olds

BOSTON AREAPres. Edward Bordelieu - (603) 472-5566Vice Pres: Ken VolkSec: Robert HuntTreas: Alan JayneReporter: Don BrownBoard Rep: Sandy Libman

CHICAGO AREAPres: Margaret Bisberg - (847) 318-7310Vice Pres: Sandy PerskySec: Mabel ZivinTreas: Joe PekarekReporter: Barbara SchultzBoard Rep: Marty Persky

FOUNDING CHAPTERPres: John Motto-Ros - (707) 642-8792Vice Pres: Bob WilcoxSec: Lyle Merithew & Sandy SwirskyTreas: Dan StofleReporter: John & Nadine Motto-RosBoard Rep: Richard Reutlinger

GATEWAY CHAPTERPres: Robert W. Taylor - (573) 875-6111Vice Pres: Dan SummersSec: Cynthia CraigTreas: Cynthia CraigReporter: Cynthia CraigHistorian: Larry HollenbergBoard Rep: Robert W. Taylor

HEART OF AMERICAPres: Sandy Schoeppner -

(816) 767-9766

MIDWESTPres: Harold Malakinian -

(810) 528-3111Vice Pres: Liz BarnhartSec: Judy BarnickTreas: Alvin WulfekuhlReporter: Christy CountermanBoard Rep: Liz Barnhart

Vice Pres: Ron BoppSecrrreas: Rick McDowellReporter: Mary Jo BoppBoard Rep: Galen Bird

LADY LIBERTYPres: Keith Bigger - (718) 528-9443Vice Pres: David PalterSec: Richard KarlssonTreas: Joseph HutterReporter: Bill MaguireBoard Rep: Dianne Polan

- (516) 673-0388

Ken Vinen62 John Street, North

Stratford, OntarioN5A 6K7, CANADA

519-271-4576e-mail: kvinen@orc.ca

Roy K. PowlanThree Crestview Drive

Orinda, CA 94563510-254-0236

Robin Pratt515 Scott Street

Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3736419-626-1903

e-mail: pianola@aol.com

William Chapman (Bill)3208 Nielsen Court

Santa Rosa, CA 95404-1720707-570-2258

e-mail: shazarn@sonic.net

Linda Bird3300 Robinson Pike

Grandview, MO 64030-2275PhonelFax 816-767-8246

E-mail: OGMBird@AOL.Com

Maurice Willyard1988 NW Palmer LaneBremerton, WA 98311

360-692-8885

Dan C. BrownN. 4828 Monroe Street

Spokane, WA 99205-5354509-325-2626

Harold Malakinian2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI48098

Robin Pratt515 Scott St., Sandusky, OH 44870-3736

Shawn Fox1319 Pearl St., Sandusky, OH 44870

419-621-9758

COMMITTEES -

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

PAST PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

PUBLICATIONS

TREASURERRegistered agent for legal matters

PUBLISHER

Harold Malakinian2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, M148098

CONVENTION COORDINATOR Liz Barnhart919 Lantern Glow Trail, Dayton, OH 45431

HONORARY MEMBERS Mike Walter65 Running Brook Dr., Lancaster, NY 14086-3314

716-656-9583

AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

SECRETARYAMICA Headquarters

TECHNICAL

AMICA ARCHIVES

AUDIO-VISUAL

AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORSOF MECHANICAL MUSICALINSTRUMENTS19 Waipori StreetSt. Ives NSW 2075, Australia

DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC.Nederlandse Pianola VerenigingEikendreef 245342 HROss,Netherlands

PIANOLA INSTITUTEClair Cavanagh. Secretary43 Great Percy St., London WCIX 9RAEngland

INTERNATIONAL PIANOARCHIVES AT MARYLANDPerfonning Arts Library, Hombake 3210University of MarylandCollege Park. MD 20742

MUSICAL BOX SOCIETYINTERNATIONALP. O. Box 297Marietta, OH 45750

NETHERLANDS MECHANICALORGAN SOCIETY - KDVJan L.M. Van DinterenPotterstraat 36NL-6165 AE GeleenTellFax 0031 46474 3134

NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANOASSOCIATIONEverson Whittle47 Raikes Rd.Preston PRI 5EQ Lancashire. EnglandPhone 0772 792 795

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONDivision of Musical HistoryWashington, D.C. 20560

PLAYER PIANO GROUP(England)Tony Austin93 Evelyn Ave.Ruislip,Middlesex HA4 8AH, England

SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYINGMUSICAL INSTRUMENTSGesellschaft flir Selbstspielende Musikin­strumente (GSM) E.V.JOrgen HockerHeiligenstock 46D-51465 Bergisch GladbachGennanyPhone 02202-932524 /1""\Fax 2202-932526

48

President's Message

.-vI~t is with great pleasure that I announce receiving the petitionfor a new chapter of AMICA in Florida. It will be called theSouthern Skies Chapter. They are so organized that they

already have their by-laws written. We will go through the for­mality of a vote of the board at the annual board meeting this sum­mer to officially make them our 14th chapter. A great vote ofthanks needs to go to Debra Legg for realizing a need for thischapter and taking the initiative to do something about it. Theyhad 21 people attend their organizational meeting with severalmore saying they were unable to attend. I think that is a greatattendance for a first meeting and it surely will grow as wordspreads about the fun they are having. If you live in the southeast,consider joining and supporting this new chapter. If you haven'tbeen a chapter member in the past, you are missing one of thegreat aspects of AMICA. The friendships and sharing of commoninterests brings a real personal touch to AMICA members.

This announcement brings me to another aspect of member­ship. Bill Chapman has taken lots of time to make sure hesends an up-to-date list of new members to each chapter secre­tary. Please make sure you put any names on your mailing listof people in your chapter's geographical area. Many of thesenew members may not know that there is a chapter withindriving range of them. Just a friendly call, newsletter, or invita­tion to the next meeting is the very least we can do for thesenew members. If they do choose to come, make them feel wel-

. :ome. Sometimes we get involved with our own group of~riends at the expense of others. After meeting these people,

follow up with a phone call or a personal invitation to the next

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Dear Friends,

Spring is just around the comer and that means that outdooractivities will be starting again. So will this year's round ofChapter meetings.

Do you belong to a Chapter? If not, you should.

Why? The Chapters are pretty much the backbone of anygroup and are the connecting link between the individual and themain body of the Association. Topics of concern among mem­bers can be directed to the Chapter and its officers for action atthe annual Board Meeting. At this meeting, agenda items arepresented and discussed. After discussion, action may be takenor it may be referred to committee for further review. TheChapter is often the very starting point for these topics. Joinyour local Chapter, plan on attending your annual Convention(in Niagara Falls this year) and have a good time and makesome new friends.

I have been told that some of you don't want to get all"gussied up" and attend these functions (the Chapter meetings).

~ther than a legally required formal meeting about a half anhour long, they are really like mini-vacations. A sort of- ."breather" every few months to get out with people you don'tsee every day in your home town. The minor expense incurredfor a weekend getaway is well worth it.

meeting. As in any organiza­tion, you will find that whatyou put into it is what youwill receive from it!

My Bulletin just arrivedwith the convention registra­tion in it. Niagara Fallsshould be a beautiful placefor a convention and itsounds like the committee hasa great time planned for us.Make sure you get your registrations in so you won't miss outon all of the fun. Make sure to go to the AMICA Web site andlook at all of the beautiful information Terry Smythe has put onthere for us. If you have any questions about the convention,the Web page should answer it for you or will giveyou a contact name. The Web page address is:http://www.winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/amica.

I communicate with Mike Walter several times a weekabout the convention, so I know all of the hard work that is tak­ing place. Please make sure you plan to attend to support yourcommittee and your organization, not to mention the fun andeducation!

I look forward to seeing all of you at the Niagara FallsConvention.

Linda

Many of you regularly attend Chapter meetings, but howmany of you have offered your home for a get together? It tookme years to get around to it. I was one of those that had the"invisible collection". Heard about it ...but never saw it. So Ibroke down and had one. I am sure that my Chapter membersnever expected THAT! Everyone had a good time and it wasreally easy to pull off.

So if you attend, year after year, speak up and organize agroup in your area. If you feel that your home is too small forsuch a function, have it inside and outside. Everyone loves apicnic on a beautiful spring, summer or fall day! And don't do itall yourself. There are lots of people waiting in your Chapter tohelp. Believe it or not, they WANT to help. And they will.

How do I join a Chapter? That's the easy part. If you lookin the front of this Bulletin (yes, the one you're holding in yourhot little hands), there are telephone numbers accompanyingalmost every Chapter Officer listing. They are also printed inthe heading of the respective Chapter reports in the back. So, noexcuses. Call today and get a personal invitation to your nextChapter meeting.

Dare I say it? They're FUN!

Robin

49

CALENDAR OF EVENTSCHAPTERS CALENDAR OF EVENTSHeart ofAmerica Chapter

September 11·13, 1998, Rally· Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson KSWe welcome large and small organs and will have display areas forphonographs, music boxes, etc.Contact: Leonard Railsback 316-665-57401440 West 17th Street, Hutchinson, KS 67501. Ien@toast.net

May 1-3, 1998, Emmett KeUy Clown Festival and Heart of America,AMICA Band Organ Rally, Honston, Texas Area Chamber ofCommerce Fairgrounds

Contact: Ron Bopp 918-786-498855801 E. 365, Jay, OK 74346 Fax 918-786-8049

Lady Liberty Chapter

May 17, 1998, Lady Liberty Chapter MeetingPaul Ciancia CoUection, WyckhotT, NJ at 2:00 p.m.Contact: Keith Bigger 718-528-9443

NOMINATING COMMITTEEMaury Willyard

February 2, 1998

· - ANNUAL CONVENTIONSJuly 8·12, 1998 AMICA Convention, Niagara Falls, Canada

Contact: Michael Walter 716-656-9583

August 12·15, 1999 AMICA Convention, Boston, Massachusetts

June 21-26, 2000 AMICA Convention, Sacramento, California

February 29-March 6, 2001 AMICA Convention,Melbourue, Australia

RELATED EVENTSJuly 24-25, 1998 Mid-Am MBSI Band Organ Rally

Berrien Springs, MIContact: Carl or Sharon Curtis 734-428-02688533 Sharon Hollow Rd., Box 536, Manchester, MI 48158-0536.

Call for PresentersBoston 1999

~

The Nominating Committee members have complet­ed their action required in accordance with the bylaws,with the exception of presenting the Nominees to themembership by way of the Bulletin and for a vote at theAnnual Meeting.

Therefore, it is requested that you put the followingnotice in the Bulletin for receipt by the Membership,prior to the Annual Meeting in New York and Ontario.

Election ofAMICA OfficersThe Nominating Committee has selected the follow­

ing slate to serve as AMICA officers for the term 1998­2000. This selection has been made in accordance withthe AMICA bylaws and will be presented for your con­sideration and approval at the 1998 Annual Meeting inNew York/Ontario.

President - Linda Bird (second term)

3300 Robinson Pike, Grandview, MO 64030

Vice President - Dan Brown (second term)

N. 4828 St., Spokane, WA 99205

Secretary - Shirley Nix

6030 Oakdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Treasurer - Robert Deland

485 Gatewood Lane, Grayslake, IL 60030

50

AMICA Boston 1999 is well under way and includes a blockof time for seminars. The dates of the 1999 Convention are August12-15 at the Westin-Waltham Hotel, 30 minutes from Boston.

If there is a topic you would be interested in sharing, pleaseT'\ .contact: Dorothy Bromage ~ _

8 Skyline DriveBillerica, MA 01821-1117978-670-1269(voice or fax)E-mail: LFXU66A@prodigy.com

Time allotted for each presentation is one hour. Audio-visualdevices will be available. Convention planners are looking fortalks involving any aspect of mechanical music, such as rolls,disks, music, artists, instruments of all types, manufacturers, repair,restoration, history, ephemera.

Mid-Am MBSI Band Organ RallyThe annual band organ rally of the Mid-America Chapter of the

Musical Box Society will be held July 24th and 25th this year in BerrienSprings, Michigan.

If you've never been to one of these rallies, now is the time! We hopeto have nearly 100 organs, ranging from large band and fair organs andcalliopes to smaller monkey, street and tabletop organs. You'll not only beable to see all these beautiful organs, but you'll also be able to hear themand talk with the collectors and restorers who proudly present them.

This year's rally will be located in the spacious and shady ground ofthe youth fair of Berrien County. The festivities will be open to the publicon Friday and Saturday, but registration will begin Thursday the 23rd in....~the afternoon. With beautiful Lake Michigan nearby, you may even WllIU"

to come early or stay later.

If you would like addition information, please contact Carl or SharonCurtis at 734-428-0268 or write 8533 Sharon Hollow Rd., Box 536,Manchester, MI 48158-0536.

Letters to the Editor: Don't relegate those Music Rollsto the "Ash Heap of History" just

yet folks! -RobinDearAMICA,

MIDI and MEDIA may be fine, but this builds the case for quality paperplayer/reproducing rolls and media.

Bob Muylaert

Storing information on disk and tape isconvenient, but how long will it last?From U.S. News & World Report, February 16,1998

Whoops, there goesanother CD-ROM

By LAURA TANGLEY

The parchment has yellowed and the-~~ ink is badly faded, but with a bit of

effort one can still make out thewords of the Declaration of Indepen­dence and the Constitution, penned morethan two centuries ago. Both arepainstakingly preserved by the NationalArchives in Washington, D.C., not mere­ly as historic curiosities but, in the wordsof an official sign, as testimony "to theaccountability of a government that laysitself open, through its records, to thescrutiny of present and future genera­tions."

Future generations will be fortunate,however, if they get a chance to view therecords of the current Congress, or tolook at some 8 million presidential filesdue to arrive at the National Archivessoon after President Clinton leavesoffice. Most of the documents will be inthe form of computer disks, CD-ROMs,and magnetic tapes. And these modemrecord keepers, archivists and librarianswarn, are turning out to be far lessdurable in many cases than simple parch­ment.

Tests by the National Media Lab-~how that top-quality VHS tapes stored at

room temperature preserve data depend­ably for just a decade. Average-qualityCD-ROMs become unreliable - some canbe read, some can't - after five years.

And even when tapes and disks remainintact, the hardware and software neededto read them may no longer be available.

This is a formidable threat, consider­ing that by the year 2000 about threequarters of all federal transactions willtake place electronically. Records per­taining to health and human survival ­studies of disease transmission, forexample, or the location of toxic-wastesites - are of particular concern. Thedanger extends to the nation's culturallegacy: Virtually all new music, animat­ed art, and early drafts of literature andacademic works are created and stored incomputers. If such accomplishments arelost, says Deanna Marcum, president ofthe Council on Library and InformationResources, "we leave an incompletelegacy to future generations."

Part of the problem is that tapes anddisks, unlike paper, often do not showdegradation until it's too late. Occasion­ally tapes become so brittle that the mag­netic coating actually separates from itsbacking. More often, however, the signsof damage are subtle: Routine exposureto everyday magnetic fields willrearrange some of the tape's magnetizediron particles. When a machine plays thedegraded tapes, these alterations makethe tapes unreadabie, resulting in missingdata. A few years ago, for example, sci­entists from NASA's Jet Propulsion labo­ratory tried to read some of the magnetic

tapes that contained the results of the1976 Viking mission to Mars - tapes thathad been carefully stored and appeared tobe in good shape. Noting that 10 to 20percent of them had missing data, onefrustrated researcher called the decom­posing tapes "a disaster."

Even more troubling than the fragili­ty of storage media, however, is howrapidly computer hardware and softwarebecome obsolete. Unlike paper docu­ments and traditional audio and videorecordings - which as analog media pre­sent a continuous, start-to-finish recordof information - computers store datadigitally. By breaking information intoelectronic or magnetic strings of 1s andOs, digital technology has made it possi­ble to store and access enormous vol­umes of data using very little space. Butwithout the programs and equipmentused to encode it, digital informationmakes no sense.

Time bomb. Any computer user whohas tried to find software to translateWordPerfect 4.0 is already familiar withthe problem. In government and indus­try, the difficulties are magnified. Dec­tape and UNIVAC drives, which foryears recorded massive amounts of gov­ernment data, have vanished, as havesoftware programs like FORTRAN II.Often, archivists don't discover that dataare inaccessible until someone requeststhe information. Donald Waters, directorof the Digital Library Federation, callsthe problem a time bomb whose fullimpact will register only in the future.

Instances of lost data already havebegun to surface. Waters himself facedthe problem a few years ago when, asassociate librarian for Yale UniversityLibrary, he developed a project to trans­fer 2,000 books from microfilm to opticaldisk. Midway through the project, thesoftware he was using became obsolete,and the disks no longer could be easilyread. At the New York State Archives,Margaret Hedstrom, now at the Universi-

51

Letters to the Editor: (continued)ty of Michigan, tried unsuccessfully toread magnetic tapes, recorded in the1960s, which mapped land use through­out the state. On a larger scale, satellitephotos of the Brazilian Amazon takenduring the 1970s - data critical to estab­lishing deforestation trends both region­ally and globally - are also trapped onindecipherable magnetic tapes.

There's no quick fix in sight. ButMarcum says that librarians andarchivists must now start thinking aboutpreservation as soon as new knowledgeis generated - deciding what's importantto save, putting the information into ascommon and standard a format as possi­ble, and carefully recording whatmachinery and software were used toencode the data. This week, the GettyConservation and Information Instituteswill convene a meeting in Los Angeles todiscuss these issues. Some archivistslook to technology as a long-term solu­tion. At Rand, for example, senior com­puter scientist Jeff Rothenberg is design­ing new kinds of "emulation software,"programs that instruct new computers tobehave like older ones so they can deci­pher obsolete digital data.

Ironically, some of the latest ideassound more like the past than the future.Norsam Technologies, for instance, ispromoting HD-Rosetta, a system that"permanently and safely" stores histori­cal documents - but only if they are con­verted from digital back to analog data.Another company, Cobblestone Soft­ware, actually uses paper to print outcomplex patterns of dots and dashes rep-

resenting computer files. CalledPaperDisk, the product is designed toresist the damage that heat, cold, andmagnetism inflict on magnetic and opti-

cal media. The company says its inven­tion should last for hundreds of years:about as long as old-fashioned, top-quali­ty paper.•

Large dimension braid covered power cord similar to above but with,:-.larger overall physlQal dimension to mor~accurately represent type of 1/

wire used on early AC radios.. Sold by the foot S-W10$ $2.00

BRAIDED CQVEREDPOWER CORDBrown 2 conduotor 18 gauge. stranded P9w~rcord, similaL t()wovencloth covered cords in earlyAC radios

DearAMICA:

I read with interest Larry Givens' comment that 13feet of wire should be used as a line cord when restoringMason and Hamlin Ampico grands. But he doesn't saywhat wire.

I wonder if your readers are aware that antique stylepower cord is available from:

Antique Electronic Supply6221 South Maple AvenueTempe AZ 85283

I enclose a photocopy of the pertinent page of theircatalog.

F. Cecil GracePO Box 5127Asheville NC 28813

52

20 feet

50 feet

250 foot spool

S-W102-~O

S~Wl02-50

S-W102-250

$7.50

$1.6.50

$69.00

DearAMICA,Saw this and thought AMICA members would be interested. I have to agree with Denis Hall. It

might make an interesting counterpoint to the reviews of the Nimbus CDs.

Best,Ken Snowden

Nimbus GrandPiano CDsFrom International Classical RecordCollector

Autumn Edition 1996

I refer to Tully Potter's perceptivereview of two Nimbus CDs containingDuo-Art reproducing piano rolls (Sum­mer issue, page 95). His observationshighlight features which are apparent inthe performances as heard on these discs,but, in my opinion, he has drawn somefundamentally wrong conclusions.

Josef Hofmann, along with PercyGrainger and Harold Bauer, took asmuch interest as any pianist in the prepa­ration of his Duo-Art rolls, to the extentof involving himself in the editing ofthem, which was a necessary part of thelong production process. In view of that

'tf'act, an off-day at the Aeolian company's'"Vstudio is not a possible explanation for

what we hear on these CDs. Hofmannseems to have been happier with hisDuo-Art rolls than with his gramophonerecordings, and he used the Duo-Artpiano roll medium between 1918 to

1929, when serious roll recording cameto an end. During that period 58 rolls byhim were published.

Friedman, another wizard of thekeyboard, came to Duo-Art in 1921 andcontinued to record for them until 1929;one would hardly expect a pianist whoseart depended so much on ravishing tonecolouring would have kept up a relation­ship with a recording company if it hadnot succeeded in reproducing his 'touch'.Mr. Potter has obviously not fallen underthe Paderewski spell to quite the extentas the writer, but if, for example, he com­pares the Duo-Art roll as reproduced byNimbus of the Paderewski Nocturne, Op.16 No.4, with his disc of the same piece,which was recorded at roughly the sametime (Pearl*GEMMCD9499, 11/91), hemust find that the Nimbus version hardlydoes that pianist justice either.

No. I do not think that "the Duo-Artsystem made a travesty of his[Hofmann's] playing" is an answer. Inspite of the undoubted trouble taken overthis project and the claims made for thetechnology, the faults lie in the RobotDuo-Art player, the mechanism of which

does not seem to be reproducing thedynamic coding on the rolls correctly.The over-bright Steinway piano used alsoresults in unremittingly aggressivesounds, quite untypical of the artists con­cerned. When a reproducing piano is notfunctioning properly, it is the perfor­mance which is distorted, whereas with adisc or tape recording, if the play-backequipment is faulty, the sound may bebad, but the performance will emergerelatively unscathed.

Listeners should not write off theDuo-Art reproducing piano any morethan the other main systems, all of whichcan produce breathtakingly life-likeperformances when heard at their best.As an example of what can be achieved,listen to Rachmaninov, via the Ampico,playing his transcription of Kreisler'sLiebesfreud (Decca *425 964-2DM,6/90): Duo-Art and Welte-Mignon canbe equally convincing.

Denis Hall

The Pianola Institute

Hayes, Kent

:HARMONICA COLLECTORS CLUB LA.UNCHED

H armonica Collectors Internation­al, the nations first Harmonica

Collecting Club is now a reality. Found­ed by five of the country's top harmonicacollectors, HCI will serve harmonicacollecting interest around the world. Upuntil now there have been many interna­tional and local "player" associations butnone dedicated to the collecting of thisinstrument.

People around the world have beencollecting harmonicas for many years.

'Their Mecca is the Harmonika Museum~n Trossingen, Germany with over 20,000

different types of instruments. InAmerica several enthusiasts have assem­bled large and important collections. In

fact, several years ago one major collec­tor donated all his harmonicas to theSmithsonian Institute, which now has thefinest harmonica collection of any U.S.museum.

The club has two missions - toencourage the historical study of harmon­ica makers and their instruments and todiscover, classify, preserve and exhibitharmonicas. There are many benefits tojoining the club. There is a periodicnewsletter, with articles about harmoni­cas, major collections, buy, sell, and tradeadvertisements, and a regular selectionon who-found-what lately. There is alsoan annual meeting in which members canmeet other collectors, learn about

harmonicas and their makers, seeharmonica displays, and purchaseharmonicas at an auction held at themeeting. There is also an annual directo­ry of members, with advertising availableto dealers, harmonica manufacturingcompanies and others.

For membership information writeto: HCI, P.O. Box 6081, St. Louis, MO63006-6081 or call Harland Crain at(314) 434-8875. E-mail address:hcrain@harleysharps.com.

53

Letters to the Editor: (continued)

String Section: After You TllneThe Cellos, Boot Up tIle Violins

By Ralph T. King, Jr.

StaffReporter o/The Wall Street Journal, March 9, 1998

Sent in by Robert M. Taylor

MENLO PARK, Calif. - As the violin's bow speeds Mr. Paroutaud, who writes musical scores for TVthrough the ~nal, flutteri~g notes of a Hungarian dance and film, including "Smokey and the Bandit III," saystune, the audience bursts Into applause. he was getting tired of having to hire violinists to play

Except for one spectator, that is, who scowls at the his compositions. So, at night, he began tinkering, tak-laptop computer on his knees. ing engineering tips from a former NASA administrator

"It was 500 '11' d ah d f h' " for whom he worked days as an office assistant.ml Isecon s ea 0 t e plano part,

grumbles Fred Paroutaud, getting up to check the wires That was 10 years ago. Today, he says, his garageleading from his laptop to the first computer-controlled is littered with failed prototypes. One, with mechanicalviolin that sounds as if a person is playing. fingers, proved too complex. Another, with 12 strings,

Mr. Paroutaud's invention even looks kind of like a sna?ped in half. Finally, he s~t~led on the bowed-rodviolin, though the usual four strings have been replaced deSign but bl~w a d~zen amplIfiers. and ~e1ted count-by a two-inch steel rod, which vibrates at different fre- less copper COlIs gettIng the rod to Vibrate Just so.

quencies. A bow glides back and forth over the rod, A few bugs remain, but Mr. Paroutaud says hisdriven by motors and microchips in a box on which the manufacturing partner, QRS Music Technologies Inc.violin is mounted. The whole thing runs off the laptop. of Naples, Florida, has already received orders for 20

Th V'rtu V' l' , I hak P 1 instruments, priced at around $10,000 apiece.

e I oso 10 In won t put tz er man outof work anytime soon. Still, it goes far beyond most Meanwhile, his audience is growing restless. Mr.electronic synthesizers, which pipe repetitious hums Paroutaud stops fiddling with wires and starts the violinthrough loudspeakers. By contrast, Mr. Paroutaud's sailing through a subtle rendition of "Danny Boy."violin can produce an endless series of vibrations, each Michael Golub, a money manager who purchased theslightly different from the next. "The human ear is so instrument and is hosting the evening's recital, looks

sophisticated that people get tired of hearing the exact relieved.same sound played the exact same way over and over," "I just flipped for this thing," he says later. "I justhe says. had to have it."

QRS Needs Your Help!Looking for the following rolls to recut:

~

-r-." I....

7669 My Little Cousin

8151 Route 66

8450 The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

9082 Smile

6215 Sweet and Slow

6589 I Can't Break the Habit of You

7233 WPA

7389 There'll Be Some Changes Made

7483 Boogie Woogie Piggy

7729 Fat Meat's Good Meat

Contact: Bob Berkman - QRS Music Rolls

1026 Niagara Street· Buffalo, NY 14213

54

0('

Nathan Woodhull comments on Larry Givens' article"Does Rebuilder Skill Influence Market Trends?"

"None but a fool would doggedly adjust an action to rigidconformance with the test roll only to have this result in poorperformance ofthe piano!"

"The Aeolian Company technicians were none too carefulin inserting expression perforations in Duo-Art rolls. Thiswriter has seen dozens ofinstances in which insufficient expres­sion tracks were opened for chords or arpeggios, with resultsthat even the most perfectly-adjusted Duo-Art cannot copewith."

First of all I wish to thank Mr. Givens for his statementsconcerning the status of reproducing pianos as an art form.This represents my opinion exactly and one wonders how manyowners of true art shop around for the prices of the restorationof their paintings and other art objects. Most of the time theyare looking for expertise rather than price.

Sad to say this is not the case with owners of pneumaticinstruments. Most of the time, they will opt for the "Johnnycome lately" person who has credentials in other areas of his or~er life but lacks the critical ingredient for proper restoration,

~at being experience.

Piano and player-piano restoration is a craft, and a craft islearned by practice, pure and simple. My advice is to look forthe rebuilder for your instrument that is in the business fulltime.

Once I visited Ed Freyer when he lived in Flemington, NewJersey. Ed was one of myoid friends that encouraged me to gointo the restoration business full time. His attitude was that onecould only be exceptional at a craft if he chose to practice thatcraft full time. He has been proven correct over and over again.

Naturally one who is in the business full time will have tocharge more than a part-timer. The cost of benefits today, par­ticularly health care, are staggering. Mine run about $700.00per month for hospitalization insurance alone.

I appreciate Larry's comment about "very few rebuildersbeing capable of doing this work even close to correctly." Myexperience teaches me this is so, and it is getting worse. As theinstruments themselves are suffering more of the effects oftime, more effort in different areas is required to obtain theexcellent results the instruments should be afforded.

Time is also bearing down on us rebuilders. Eyesight andhearing are beginning to decay along with physical dexterity,

-¥lIld there appear to be no apprentices waiting in the wings to~take over. My son has seen his family struggle trying to make a - .

living in this business and wants no part of being self-employedin any way, especially the piano repair business.

So what is to happen to all of my tools, dies for cuttingvalve seats and gaskets, jigs for drilling pin blocks, tubing dia­grams and stringing scales? Who knows? Hopefully someyounger (I'm 57) person who is actively practicing the craftwill be able to use them, to be able to better himself, as we allbuild on the knowledge and experience of others.

I also appreciate Larry's comments regarding the digital vs.analog type of reproducing piano mechanisms. However myexperience has taught me that, properly rebuilt, the three mainbrands, Ampico, Duo-Art, and Welte, all play remarkably well.In fact I prefer the late "A" Ampico mechanism over the "B"with the exception of the uncanny accuracy of the electric rolldrive.

Now for another observation which only we seasonedrebuilders may appreciate. Larry states in this article that "onemust follow the test roll to the letter, no matter how much trou­ble it takes!"

Yet in his book REBUILDING THE PLAYER PIANO onpage 107 he states, and I quote, "None but a fool woulddoggedly adjust an action to rigid conformance with the testroll only to have this result in poor performance of the piano!"(emphasis Larry's). The natural question here is, why thechange of heart, Larry?

My experience agrees totally with Larry's views on thesubject on the use of the test roll as is outlined in detail onpages 107-108 of his book. As all accomplished rebuildersmust have this book in their library, I would recommend theirperusal of those two pages (excerpted in box at upper left).

Finally I might add to those AMICAns who are looking fora qualified rebuilder to consider this method. Look for therebuilder who is experienced and has a high regard for the foot­operated player-piano. This is the toughest work there is, barnone. Any defect in workmanship is immediately transmittedinto uneven tempo or hard pumping. Since the customer has toexpend physical energy to obtain music rather than simply flip­ping a switch, the amount of energy required to obtain thatmusic is directly proportional to the satisfaction of said cus­tomer. I have never, in 42 years of rebuilding, seen a mediocrerebuilder put out a good non-electrified foot player, but I haveseen, as has Larry, a mediocre rebuilder put out a passable elec­tric reproducing piano. Look for a rebuilder with a healthyrespect for the foot player and ask to pump one of his or herpianos.

Sincerely,

Nathan F. Woodhull illS-K Piano624 Ohio StreetLima, Ohio 45804-1150

55

Letters to the Editor: (continued)

LARRY GIVENS REPLIES.~

56

Having read Mr. Nathan Woodhull's thoughts on

my JanuarylFebruary article titled "Does Rebuilder

Skill Influence Market Trends?" I, in turn, wish to

thank him for the tact and politeness shown in his

commentary.

It's bad enough to be led to the gallows for some­

thing you put into print. But when this is accom­

plished via your own words, it doubles the impact of

the experience!

First, Mr. Woodhull notes an emphatic statement

on page 107 of my 1963 book "Rebuilding the Player

Piano," which reads: "None but a fool would

doggedly adjust an action to rigid conformance with

the test roll only to have this result in poor perfor­

mance of the piano." (However, the sentence which

follows the above advocates bringing the player into

"strict accord" with the test roll - which helps to take

some of the sting out.)

Then Mr. Woodhull quite justifiably points out a

paragraph near the end of my recent " ...Rebuilder

Skill... " article which reads: " ...follow the test roll

to the letter. Make the player conform to the test roll

without the slightest exception, no matter how much

trouble it takes."

Mr. Woodhull then poses the very good question:

"Why the change of heart, Larry?"

To be completely candid, I had forgotten about

those words I had written 35 years ago. Perhaps I

ought to re-read some of my early material once in a

while! The only defense I can offer for my "change

of heart" is the well-worn saying "That was then, but

this is now."

And now involves 35 years more experience than

then did!

Mr. Woodhull himself states that experience is

"the critical ingredient for proper restoration." And I

couldn't agree with him more. Any person in any

field of endeavor needs it to become a first-rate

practitioner of whatever it may be that he practices.

And so, to put it as plainly as I know how, my mind

has changed during the 35 years since I wrote

"Rebuilding the Player Piano."

My current opinion is that the test roll is and

should be the final authority on piano adjustments.

And that opinion is based on another one which

crystallized from the same source (experience). I

now believe that if a reproducing piano mechanism is

rebuilt to the highest possible standard, with no short­

cuts, it will conform to its test roll without deviating

from it. Stated another way, if the piano mechanism

is correctly rebuilt, it will be able to handle every

section of its test roll almost automatically.

This conclusion (really a rather elementary fact)

is one which I apparently hadn't grasped in 1963.

Yes, experience really is the best teacher - isn't it?

As for the rest of Mr. Woodhull's fine commen­

tary, it is so eminently correct that I think little could

be added to it. Unfortunately, I know first-hand the

truth of his paragraph which begins "Time is also

bearing down on us rebuilders." To anyone who

laments the deterioration of his hearing and eyesight,

I can only say "You ain't seen nothin' yet - until

you've hit age 60 and have been afflicted with

Parkinson's disease for the past 16 years. Life can be

very trying at times, to use a word which was a

favorite of my friend and mentor Dr. Clarence

Hickman, who taught me much more about living

than he taught me about my favorite subject, the

Ampico.

.,........, /

-I

:.T'

-~)

Bill,TothJuly 18, 1915~ Jantiary22, 1998

. .

The Southern California Chapter of AMICA lost a good friend, andlong-time member,with the passing of Bill Toth. He and Betty have been members of AMICA for twenty-someodd years. . .

Bill had been fighting a valiant batUe with cancer against the odds.' He fought with.aspirit that could serve as a model for any Qf ~s. .

He and Betty attended organ ralIie$, conven(ions, chapter meetings, and even got in a trip'to New Zealand' during' his illness. Bill gQt tired, but he seemed detennined to' GramlD asmuch into what could be, and turnedQut tragically to be his last couple of years of life.

Bill waS i:l good friend of mi~e; and l really mourn his passing. lie was always teasingpeople trying to geta rise out of them, but he could take it as well as dish it OUt, and I thinkone of his great joys was to have'someone come right back athim.

Bill arld Betty had a wonderful collection ofinstruments, and put in lTIany hours buildinga gorgeous room in their lovely Dana Point home for the instruments. Billhad restored manyof the instruments himself, and took great pride in showi:ng off the collection. They hadmeetings there in years past; and were always open for visits from other collectors.

. . .. . . "

Bill was 82 in years, but in spirit he was a youngster. OUf condolences to Betty 'and thefamily. We will miss him and mourn his passing,butwe are also~atefuIJorthe time we had

. him here with us, and th,e world was a little better for his having ,been among us.

.Bill leaves Betty, his wife of twen(y-seven years, four children, eight grandchildren, fOl,lrgreat-grandchildren, two sisters and two brothers.

ShirleyN4

Fred Scharpenberg.1922-1998

.. . . .

Fred died unexpectedly January4, 1998 after a sIege of the flu led into pneumonia, whichin tum led into complications resulting in complete respitatory failure.

. Fred was born August 19, 1922 in Bakersfield, California.. He and his father beganfanning in the Old River area in ,194T When Fred marriedCharlene in 1955, they continue~

to farm and reside there.

. Fred wasa long-time member of AMICA and had a nice collection. It wasal'ways fun tovisit Fred and Charlene, and they wen~ attendees at a great number of conventions.

He leaves his wife; Charlene, two sons, Charles Christian II and Craig Alan and his wife.He had onegrandsQn, Nathan, who, was the joy of his life. He also had a sister.

Services were held in Bakersfield on January 8th. .

Fred will be missed by all his friends in the Southern California AMICA Chapter. We allextend oqrcondolences to Charlene and the family. .

Shirley Nix

An IntroductionOver the past twenty-five plus years that I have been involved with automatic musical instruments, ithas seemed to me that musical boxes have been the area of the greatest confusion amongst novicecollectors. I have often been asked by "piano people" (i.e., AMICAns) "What type of musical boxshould I buy..." as their first purchase. The question is a little like asking what type of motor vehicleto buy. Function, cost, and availability all help determine the ultimate choice.

A basic understanding of the types and functions of the different types of musical boxes is essential tomaking that first and, perhaps, future purchase(s). It was to this goal, that I asked member Larry Karp(a well known authority on musical boxes) to write an article for the AMICA Bulletin.

Mel Septon

EVALUATING A MUSICAL BOX FOR PURCHASEby Larry Karp

Illustrative examples submitted by Ray Barker from"Collecting Musical Boxes and How To Repair Them", Arthur W. F. G. Ord-Hume, 1967 edition.

Asking yourselfand others a few fundamental questions before you buymay save your bank account and your pride if that musical box you're considering

turns out to be a dog with bad teeth.

~

When former AMICA president Mel Septonasked me to write an article to help AMICAmembers evaluate prospective musical boxpurchases, I said: "Yes." But, it was not with­out a bit of consternation.

When a collector catches sight of a desir­able machine, there's a sudden, massive emo­tional response; and, the application of logic insuch a situation is not easy. Imagine catchingsight of the girl or boy of your dreams and thenhaving some damn fool tell you: "Hey, Bub, slowdown there a bit! Better subject this dream boat of yoursto the kind of scrutiny you'd use in a horse trade. Take adarned good look at her teeth... no, every one of them."

That's not easy advice to take. You want that musical box.Maybe it's got a little trouble here and there - but thatshouldn't be so terrible to sort out... Well, passion's lovely; butif you're operating under its influence while thinking thatreason is guiding your steps, you're in danger. Keeping this inmind is Step One. Step Two is to develop some reasonablyordered approach to evaluation.

This article won't be - can't be - comprehensive. Norwill it have much to say about rarities. AMICA members sin­cerely interested in playing the musical box purchase gameshould take some time to read through the two major generalworks on musical boxes: Graham Webb's The Musical BoxHandbook (Vestal Press, 1984); and, Arthur Ord-Hume's TheMusical Box (Schiffer Publishing, 1995). Try to carry thesereference books with you when you go out musical box huntingso that you can refresh your memory as you examine amachine. This might save you from making a bad purchase. Atthe least, you'll learn more with each musical box you consider.If possible, discuss your prospective purchase with a trustedfriend whose knowledge may be more extensive than your own.

58

Ask yourself some pertinent questions. Is yourpurchase intended to be the start of a collection ora single addition to help round out a more gener­al collection of mechanical musical instruments?Is your interest primarily in the music or in the 1--'"visual appeal of the machine? :

Be certain to ask yourself whether you'relooking for a cylinder box or a disc machine.

Sometimes collectors are quick to respond thatthey want a disc player so as to be able to acquire a

wider assortment of tunes. Yet owners of disc boxeswill often leave one particular disc on a machine for long

periods of time. Similarly, a cylinder box can be set to repeatone tune indefinitely or run sequentially through its program(usually between four and twelve tunes). In the final analysis,the most important consideration is which sound - that of thecylinder box or of the disc machine - is more appealing toyou. You may decide to buy an apple and an orange.

Start with some general ideas.1. Above all, take your time. Don't rush; don't panic. Be

methodical as you consider the condition of the machine. Thinkthe price over. Unless you happen to have stumbled across anexceedingly rare and valuable instrument (like a revolver cylin-der box or a Regina china cabinet housing a disc mechanism) Ithink it's wiser to take a chance on losing the machine than torisk saddling yourself with an overpriced under-performer...possibly one in need of major repairs. There will be otheropportunities - even if the antiques dealer tells you that his or..r'her musical box is the only one of its type ever made.

On the other hand, if you've gone through your evaluationand have decided that you like the machine and you're comfort­able with its condition and price, buy it! Right then. People

Bedplates and hardware: At first, solid brass bedplateswere used. In most cases, these were gradually replaced by castiron (usually but not always ribbed) during the 1860s-70s.Early boxes were wound by clock-type keys, usually from the

59

Pack it right. Ship it right. You owe thatmuch to history and posterity if not to your­self. And just in case, insure your purchasefor its full value. Check with your homeown­ers-insurance carrier. They may cover yourpurchase from the time you made it.

CYLINDER BOXES:Of the cylinder boxes made between

1820 and the First World War, probablymore than ninety percent came fromSwitzerland. The rest were made in Franceand Bohemia!AustrialHungary.

Cylinder boxes are much more difficultto categorize than disc boxes. They have farmore individuality in construction and musi­cal content. Superficially, cylinder boxescan look very similar; but, similar lookingboxes can sound quite different.

The point is that you should look and lis­ten carefully to be sure a particular cylinderbox "turns you on." Don't buy on a whim.Do you want a machine primarily for itsmusic, or for its appearance? If the former,what sort of music do you like: operatic,dance hall tunes, popular airs, or marches?Do you want a large number of tunes, suchthat you should limit your serious inspec­tions to boxes with multiple cylinders? Ordo you want a cylinder box with attractivevisual components, such as bells, drums or azither bar? Knowing the true basis of yourinterest will increase your chances of ulti­mately being satisfied with your purchase.

Cases: Early on, cases for musical boxeswere made of unadorned fruitwood withplain metal hinges and catches. These caseswere fitted closely to the mechanisms. Byabout 1840, modest inlays and bandingswere being used and inner glass lidsappeared. By the 1850s and l860s, orna­mentation became more elaborate withinlays of woods, metals, and enamels.

These decorations reached their zenith during the l870s and1880s.

Until the 1870s, most cases were stained on the inside withred aniline dyes. After this, a black Japan-enamel was usuallyused. By the 1890s, a deterioration of quality was apparent inmany instruments. This was mostly limited to smallermachines which used cheaper woods, overall faux-grain finish­ing, and decals rather than inlays. In some instances (especiallyafter the turn of the century), it became common practice toplace small musical movements into oversized cases. A realsizzle-over-the-steak selling feature.

" d'. . . ISCUSS yourprospective

purchase with atrusted friend

whose knowledgemaybe more

extensive thanyour own."

who can't make timely decisions or takereasoned and reasonable risks usually havevery small collections.

_ - 2. Buy quality before quantity. Whether~our primary concern is enjoyment or

investment, you'll be so much better offwith one superb instrument than ten so-so's.Excellent music boxes have appreciatedmarkedly in value over the years; not somediocre ones. In addition, you'll never tireof hearing a fine musical box play; but, aftera few listenings, a poor box palls rapidly.

3. We all love a bargain, but the inexpe­rienced buyer should beware. If a particulardeal looks too good to be true, it very likelyis. Until you acquire a bit of expertise andexperience in the market place, I believeyou're better off being prepared to pay a fairprice for a good musical box.

At first, consider dealing with an experi­enced collector or collector/dealer ratherthan trying to pick up a sleeper at a shop orauction. Insist that the seller describespecifically and in detail the condition of themechanism. If you hear a shopkeeper or anauctioneer say, "It just needs a little oilingand a few minor adjustments," all alarmsshould go off. If the box's problems werethat simple, they probably would have been

- solved long ago!

Y 4. Do not walk up to a musical box, givethe winder a couple of pulls, and let 'er rip.In so doing, if you happen to trigger thedestruct mode, you will be letting yourselfin for embarrassment at best or considerableexpense at worst. Once you've looked abox over and are ready to listen to it, ask theowner to operate it.

5. On a disc box, listen to several tunes;on a cylinder box, listen to all tunes. If adestructive "run" has occurred on a cylinderbox with the change/repeat lever set onrepeat, only one tune may have been affect­ed. Better to ascertain the need for a cylin-der repin before rather than after a purchase.

6. Should you respond to an advertisement, take particularcare. Listen to the box. Ideally, this should be done by meansof a good audio or video tape recording, but at least do it bytelephone. If you're considering a major (expensive) purchase,get on a plane and take a look first-hand. Figure the air fare asan excellent, low-priced insurance policy.

Buying by mail is always difficult. If you do this, be sureto negotiate reasonable return privileges. Most reputable deal­ers and collectors will permit you to return a purchase (in unal­tered condition) within a few days to a week if you are unhappy

Vith it. You'll pay shipping costs, but that's reasonable eno.ugh.

Do not scrimp on packing or shipping costs. When buymg a _-_box costing five, ten, or even more thousands of dollars, it's idi­otic to try to shave fifty or a hundred bucks off the shipping fees.This false economy might endanger the safety of the instrument.

'~bove all,take your

time"

left side of the case. This arrangement wassuperseded by the ratchet-lever after about1860. Start/stop and change/repeat leverswere at first located at the left of the case.Until about 1830, they protruded unprotect­ed from the end of the case. After this, theywere covered by a hinged, wooden end-flap.

With the advent of the lever-wind mechanism, the controllevers were moved to within the case and were operated fromabove on the right. Most keywound boxes featured a third leverlocated closest to the operator. This was an instant stop intend­ed (possibly) for use by the manufacturer in making his finaladjustments on the cylinder pins. Nicole Freres and someother makers continued this three-lever arrangement for varyingperiods of time into the lever-wound epoch.

Bells and drums made their appearance about 1850. Theywere usually concealed beneath the bed plate and are todaycalled "hidden drum/bell boxes". However, the manufacturerssoon realized that the visual appeal of these features was a goodselling point. So before long, thedrums and bells were brought intosight. Their presence was some­times indicated on the tune card.By the 1870s, other accompani­ments came into common use.Clattering wood blocks or"castanets", small reed organs,and so-called harps or zither bars(consisting of a decorative metalstrip beneath which was attached aroll of tissue paper encased in silkfabric) made their appearance.Lowering the zither bar assembly so it made contact with thecomb teeth produced a plucked-string sound of short durationrather than a sustained singing tone. Tune indicators andselectors were some of the other added visual features. All ofthese mechanisms reached their apogee during the 1890s.

Combs: Early on, comb teeth were screwed to the plinth(the brass supporting structure under the steel comb) in groupsof one to as many as eight and, occasionally, more. Theintroduction of the one-piece comb is attributed to FrancoisLouis Lecoultre. It is said that this occured in 1814; and, by1830, the one-piece comb was in common use.. Usually thespacing of the teeth related directly to the number of tunes thebox played.

During the 1840s-70s, manufacturers experimented withdifferent comb configurations to achieve different musical for­mats. For example, two combs with teeth of different stiffnesswere set up so as to give a ''forte-piano'' effect (normal longcomb, soft short comb). Or a bright "piccolo" effect wasachieved via a normally tempered long comb and a hard-tem­pered, high-pitched short comb. When several teeth were tunedin groups to the same pitch so that when members of a particu­lar group were plucked in rapid succession, a "mandoline"effect resulted. "Tremolo" and "Guitarre" cylinder boxes were

designed according to a variation on thistheme. When this group tuning extended...(')well down into the bass teeth, the effect wascalled ''rnandoline basse" or "organoclei­de". The popular "sublime-harmonie"effect utilizes seemingly identical side by

side combs tuned slightly off pitch from one another. The notesfrom the two combs tended to beat slightly, thus producing arich harmonic effect having a "celeste" or "vox humana"quality.

The cylinder: The standard cylinder diameter is about2 1/8", though in some very fine early mechanisms it is smaller.From the 1830s on, larger cylinder diameters were sometimesemployed in order to achieve more complete musical arrange­ments (Le., less abridged versions). This was particularly truefor operatic music. Today these so-called ''fat cylinders" arehighly prized.

Some people define ''fat'' as a cylinder of at least 2 1/2" indiameter while others insist on 3". Whatever, ''fat'' is definitely

not a derogatory term when refer­ring to music box cylinders.

After the 1840s, some massivecylinders were produced. Thesewere often 16-18" in length and upto about 5" in diameter. These so­called "grand format" mecha­nisms usually played opera over"-otures or intricate theme-and-varia­tion pieces. Most "grand format"boxes are musically outstanding!

Some fat cylinder boxes fromthe I 840-60s play two or more

tunes per tum, one from each of several portions of a single rev­olution of the cylinder. Tunes so derived can be excellent.Again, these usually play operatic music. Beware, though, thefin-de siecle ''fat cylinder, two (or more)-per-turn box" evenif it has interchangeable cylinders. These later cylinders wereshort and the musical arrangements, more often than not, tendto be less than pedestrian. Also, tone generally was execrable,harsh and brittle. A few hints: In most cases, Red stainedinteriors in two-per-turns =good; black paint =bad. Keywound = good; lever wound = bad. Fine, closely spacedteeth = good. Broad, widely spaced teeth =bad.

Music: Fine early cylinder boxes featured operatic airs,and/or lovely arrangements of early, popular and dance tunes.Later, sacred music was pinned to cylinders; and, some hymnand oratorio boxes are superb. As cylinders fattened, marvelousarrangements of operatic overtures or theme-and-variationswere executed. Late in the century, music hall and then-currentpopular songs appeared and proliferated on cylinders. As the"American market opened and developed, popular tunes from-"the United States could be found. These include tunes by Sousaand other popular composers.

60

Makers: These were legion. Some of the better knownearly names were Nicole, Lecoultre, and Ducommun-Girod.Then, after the middle of the century, Bremond, Baker, Mer­mod, and the various PailJards came to prominence. Asidefrom only a maker's name impressed on the comb or the bed­plate, or a characteristic marking or logo on different parts of themechanism or on the tune card, there may be no other feature toserve to identify a particular manufacturer. A full discussion ofthese is beyond the scope of this article, but the interested readercan consult the Webb and Ord-Hume references cited earlier inthis article. Many very fine cylirider boxes are unmarked, andby no means should the absence of attribution lead you to rejecta box out of hand. If it looks good and sounds good, it is good.If you like it and its condition warrants the price, buy it.

Condition of Mechanism:General considerations: Most

mechanical defects can be rectifiedat different degrees of expense.Cylinders can be repinned andcomb teeth replaced at considerableexpense. Balky governors can becleaned, repaired, and adjusted toregulate properly. However, untilyou are reasonably experienced, I'dadvise against buying a non-play­ing musical box. Repairs andrestorations can be quite costly andgood restorers often have workbacklogs of a year or more. And,when you finally get your musicalbox back in working condition, youmay find to your dismay that youdon't really care for its sound at all.

When inspecting a cylinderbox, look for prior bad repairs suchas makeshift levers or other compo­nents, comb teeth or tips that arepoorly shaped and clumsilyreplaced, even badly deformedscrew slots. Remember thatPhillips head screws were never used in cylinder boxes. This isa sure indication that someone has been working on the box.

If the governor fails to hold back the power of a woundmainspring (even one partially wound), the spring will releaseits stored energy in an instant. This in tum sends the cylinderflying madly around and around as comb teeth, tips and cylin­der pins sail off in every direction. This unpleasant situation iscalled a "run" and unless some talented restorer pulls off adeath-and-transfiguration job, it's usually the swan song of thatmusical box. While inspecting a potential purchase, if you seebroken teeth and tips, cylinder pins bent and snapped off andbroken teeth on the gears, the box would have to be awfullyspecial to justify its purchase.

Runs can occur spontaneously, but by far the most common. cause is human behavior. Most often, this involves some sort

of tampering with the governor while the box is under power..Don't you cause a run while evaluating a musical box for possi- .ble purchase (or when working on it for that matter). If theowner says "it played just fine yesterday" and "maybe it needs

just a little oil here and there", you are justified in consideringhim a liar until proven otherwise. Let him try to get the box toplay. If it turns out that the spring is broken (the owner windsand winds with no resulting increase in spring tension), you canstill listen to the music by carefully rotating the cylinder slowlyand smoothly by hand. If there are no other signs of damage,the box may tum out to be a good buy since springs are readilyrepaired or replaced.

However, if the box is fully (or even partially) wound andwill still not play, beware. If the owner wants to apply a dropof light oil to the worm at its midsection and at each end-bear­ing, and that remedies the situation, fine. If not, do one of twothings. Either say thank you and leave the shop, or (if the boxappears to be a fine one, otherwise in good condition and very

reasonably priced) pay yourmoney and take the box directly toan experienced restorer who willfirst remove the comb, let downthe spring power and only theninvestigate its reluctance to play.A word of warning: Before buy­ing in this situation, look closely atall gears. If it appears that thenon-playing condition of the musi­cal box is due to damaged or miss­ing gear teeth, this is probably anindication of more serious prob­lems and a good reason not to buy.

Listen carefully to each tune...every one. Evaluate the quality ofboth the sound and the arrange­ments. If the music sounds gar­bled (nonsense music), the mostlikely reason is that the comb andcylinder are out of register (thepins are not plucking their toothtips squarely). If this is the case,the notes will also sound thin andweak. A good light source andmagnifier will allow you to seethat the area of contact between

the tooth tips and the pins is off to either the right or the left.The remedy usually takes the form of a simple adjustment of asmall registration peg which projects from the right side of thecylinder. Since misregistration does make the music soundawful, this may stand as a point in your favor during negotia­tions.

The comb: Check for broken teeth or tips. Look closely.On casual examination, a protruding damper wire can appearto be a tooth tip. If a zither bar is present, be certain to lookunderneath it since it may hide serious comb damage and/orbotched tooth replacements. In addition, look beneath thezither bar for rust. A silk covered paper roll resting on steelfor years can produce impressive quantities of rust. A bit ofsurface rust is not a problem, but watch out for more extensiveand invasive rust that may have eroded and pitted the metal. Aslong as the rust is confined to the non-toothed part of the comb(the region behind the teeth) it can still be removed withoutmajor consequence. But, if there is extensive erosive rust on theteeth themselves, take care. Loss of tooth steel will change thepitch of the teeth and retuning will be necessary. Be espe<;ially

61

look at and play each of them. The re­pinning of multiple cylinders or restoringthem to roundness could give Croesusserious cash flow problems.

The governor: The approach to thenon-running or poorly running mecha­nism has already been discussed. Butwatch specifically for clicking or jumpingin the governor. This most likely repre­sents broken or otherwise damaged gearteeth and should signal you to look forsigns of a prior run. Such gears should berepaired or replaced before they give wayaltogether and cause a run.

The spring and barrel: A broken orweakened spring can be replaced.

Just be sure to ascertain that springbreakage was not the cause of a run. A /

loose aJ;)d/or badly bulging steel spring- -]Lattachment!rivet on the barrel may come loose

during play ~d cause further damage. Check theside of the barre~ nearer the comb. Is the Geneva stop

work there? (both ~ale and female components?) If not,it can usually be replafed.

Other gears: The same considerations hold. People whoplay musical boxes with broken or missing gear teeth probablyalso enjoy Russian Roulette. A single fractured tooth on a gearmay be a result of poor original machining, but more often

occurs as a symptom of severe injury tothf; mechanism. Look closely!

The case: Inspect t~e wood for evidence of woodwormdamage. This can be tre~ted and the case restored (usually atconsiderable expense). tf the case is scratched, bruised orshows signs of water damage (i.e., loose veneer), try to decideif it can be cleaned, touched up, or reglued. Or, will it have tobe partially or completely refinished? If the case has alreadybeen refinished, was it done appropriately? Is the soundingboard (case bottom) intact? If it is split, it will have to berestored. Is the tune card present? If so, is it original?

DISC BOXESThe general approach to evaluating disc boxes is pretty

much the same as for cylinder machines. Inspect the instru­ment carefully, part by part. Listen critically to several discs.Standardization of manufacture makes the evaluation of discboxes a bit easier in contrast to the earlier cylinder machineswhich were all hand-made and, thereby, very much one-of-a-kind. Disc boxes were factory-produced in large numbers, thus .~

some replacement parts (when needed) may be less difficult to J'_ Lobtain. (note: not easy, just less difficult) --

Most of the disc musical boxes were of German manufac­ture or were made by German immigrants in the USA, specifi­cally in New Jersey. The "big three" of the trade were the

"People who can'tmake ti_mely

decisions or takereasoned and

reasonable risksusually have verysmall collections."

cautious if the slender treble teeth are affect­ed. Enough metal may have been lost that itcould be difficult, if not impossible, toreturn the teeth to their proper pitches.Then, replacement would be necessary.

Check the tuning leads beneath theteeth. If they are disintegrating into awhitish gray powder, they will need to bereplaced. Make certain the leads are in factpresent, especially if the music "soundsfunny". If the comb and cylinder are in reg­ister, but the machine is still playing "non­sense music", it's possible that someoneremoved a batch of degenerating leads toclean up the box and make it more visuallysaleable.

Repetitive squeaks, chirps and groans (from the box, notfrom an over eager dealer) most likely represent missing ormisaligned dampers or bent cylinder pins. Replacing dampersis usually not a major problem in restoration. Try to imaginehearing the music as it would be when "cleaned up".

The cylinder: Shine a good light source across the cylin­der and look with a magnifying loupe. If there is severe pindamage, the cylinder will probably have tobe repinned to make the box playas originallyintended. Remember, the pins are usually ofhardened wire and usually do not bend veryfar without breaking. Don't be concerned ifthe pins appear to be "raked" or bentslightly forward. The cylinder pinswere purposely set up in thisfashion to improve the soundquality and damper operation.

If the music plays alternatelyloud then soft and then loud again in aregularly recurring fashion (and it is not apiano forte box), it may be that the musical boxwas stored in a hot environment and the cement-filled cylinderhas warped, causing it to become out-of-round. This requires,at the least, re-cementing the cylinder by spinning on a lathewhile applying heat. This should only be done by an experi­enced repairman. Sometimes the cylinder will come back intoround. This problem can also be an indication of are-pinnedand poorly ground cylinder, or of a bent cylinder shaft.

Using a good light source and a magnifying loupe, inspectthe snail cam which is set on the inner surface of the greatwheel, where it can interface with the register peg. Make cer­tain that a hack repairman hasn't compensated for a run byselectively filing down some of the snail faces allowing anyintact tune(s) to be played twice-in-a-row so that any destroyedtune(s) can be skipped-over.

While inspecting, listen closely as well. If thechange/repeat lever is set to change and any particular tunealways plays twice (especially if you can see the change leverrotate the snail between plays), be highly suspicious. Repair ofa mutilated snail is not easy due to the precise demands of reg­istration. If the box in question has interchangeable cylinders,

62

German Polyphon and Sympho­nion Manufactorie (a branch ofthis company was established inNew Jersey and called Imperial

~ Symphonion), and the AmericanRegina. The different brands real­ly do have different, characteristicsound qualities. Before buying,you should listen with a critical earto several different machineswhich are playing properly. Withfew exceptions, all disc box manu­facturers made good machinesthough, every now and again,you'll come upon a particular boxin a good state of preservation thatjust plain "sounds bad". Maybethe "Friday-afternoon/Monday­morning" syndrome occurred asfar back as the 1890s. The bottomline: If you like the sound of a par­ticular box, all else being accept­able, buy it. If you don't, keeplooking ... and listening.

If you're looking for one andonly one disc box for your collection, I'd say your best bet is a15 1/2" Regina. These were made in a large number of casestyles and in very large numbers. Plus, discs are readily avail­able. You should have no trouble accumulating a library ofo several hundred good discs.

,~ Beware of the rare disc musical box with a small number ofdiscs. For most Reginas, Polyphons, Symphonions, Mirasand SteJlas, additional discs (both original and reproduction)can be found relatively easily. Locating discs for other brandsmay be more difficult.

Several individuals can supply many sizes and makes oforiginal and reproduction discs. One even keeps a computer­ized inventory and can tell you immediately whether or notdiscs of the brand and size you need are in stock. A more com­prehensive list of suppliers follows this article. If none of themcan help you with a particular musical box, it's fair to figurethat additional discs for your machine won't be easy to locate.You can also advertise in the AMICA or MRSI Bulletins. Youjust might get lucky.

Check the condition of the discs. Cleaning off dirt is not aproblem and neither is light rust removal. Moderate to severerust, though, can flake off the disc and clog the operating mech­anism. It is difficult to remove severe rust without eradicatingthe printed title and brand name information on the disc as well.

Badly creased discs do not play well. They snap, crackleand pop as they go over the star wheels. With care andpatience, bent projections can often be straightened, butreplacement of missing projections is a tedious job that fewpeople would want to do.

V' Disc boxes come in a variety of horizontal and table top"V styles, and in a variety of vertical formats. Many of the former

are designed to stand on a disc-storage base cabinet or anotherpiece of furniture. Some of the latter are designed to be hung ona wall. The sound of the vertical machines is generally louder

and richer since the bedplate is usually attached directly to theback of the case (sounding board). The contact of the back of themusical box with the wall augments and enriches the sound.

It is too bad that fewer disc boxes than cylinder machineshave bell accompaniments because the more robust tone pro­duced by disc boxes is far better suited to bell accompaniment.Kalliopes with bells were produced in many sizes and casestyles. So were Lochmann Originals. Polyphons with bellsare not too uncommon although Regina bell boxes are rare. Alldisc boxes with bells command a major price premium. Onrare occasions, disc boxes can be found with drums, triangle,cymbal, or even reed organs as part of their mechanisms.Zither bar attachments were available for almost all disc boxesfor an extra charge. They did occur as standard equipment oncertain late Reginas.

Disc boxes were made with single, double, duplex or multi­ple combs. In general, the music from double comb boxes islouder because of the use of broader teeth. Duplex combs arecombs in which a tooth on the upper comb and one on thelower comb are struck simultaneously by a common star wheel.Such combs are often tuned slightly "celeste" producing a"Sublime harmony" effect. Even though single comb boxescan sound quite beautiful, they usually always command a pricemuch lower than that of a double or a duplex comb machine.The sound is a matter of personal taste and you can make upyour own mind as to which you prefer.

SPECIFIC MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS:Keep in mind that music is produced a bit differently in

disc boxes than in cylinder boxes. In the cylinder mechanisms,the pins pluck the comb teeth directly while disc boxes utilizean intermediary. In almost all disc boxes, projections on thedisc turn star wheels as the disc rotates. These, in tum, pluckthe teeth to produce the musical sounds. In the Stella and other

63

uPeople who playmusical boxeswith broken or. .

mIssIng gearteeth probably

also enjoyRussian Roulette."

1. Nancy Fratti - PANCHRONIAANTIQUITIESRt. 4, P.O. Box 210,Whitehall, NY 12887-0210

Keeps a computerized inventory of many makes and sizes {Iof original discs for sale. Can also obtain recuts for you.

/"1

SOME SUPPLIERS OF DISCSFOR MUSICAL BOXES

2. Barry Johnson -

BARRY JOHNSON MUSIC BOX CO.2423-F Old Middlefield WayMountain View, CA 94043

Specializes in new discs for Stella and Miras, and alsomakes many sizes of Olympia, Criterion, Symphonion,Polyphon, Regina, Kalliope, etc.

3. Dwight Porter - Porter Music Box Co.P.o. Box 424, U.S. Route 66Randolph, VT 05060

Makes new discs including many new arrangements for II,12 1/4 and IS 1/2 inch ReginaIPolyphon/Porter boxes. Hastemporarily discontinued 20 3/4 and 27 inch Reginas.

snugly between the disc and the rollers ofthe pressure bar representing a clearance of ,,­.004-.007". Often the pressure bar rollers j

and/or the gantry rollers have become wornwith use so that there is too much space.between them and the disc. When this hap­pens, the disc projections will not rotate thestar wheels properly, causing the music tosound "thin" with missing notes (mostly inthe heavier bass teeth). This is oftenaccompanied with frequent popping orbanging noises. Worn pressure bar organtry rollers must be replaced.

Here the non-running governor, thegears, and the spring barrel should be given the same respect asin the cylinder boxes.

That's about it. I hope this information will help you findsome nice musical boxes to enjoy, meet some nice people, and,in the process, make new friends. The rewards of collecting,restoring, and preserving these beautiful antiques only beginwith their purchase.

4. Wade Jenkins103 Grove StreetHanover, MS 02339

Makes fine quality discs for 19 5/8, 22 and 24 inchPolyphons.

5. Clive and Lester Jones - RENAISSANCE DISCSChurch Road PortfieldChichester, West SussexGreat Britain, P 019 4 H N

Large list of reproduction discs available for many makesand sizes and can reproduce almost any size and make ifyou provide the original.

rarer disc boxes, there are no projectionson the discs. Rather, narrow rectangularperforations permit spring loaded starwheels to pop up through the discs and berotated, thereby plucking the teeth andsounding the notes. Always be certain thatthe star wheels rotate freely and are notrusted or otherwise fixed in place.Jammed star wheels must be freed, other­wise they can break disc projections andcan themselves become worn.

Disc box dampers (which are usually acompletely separate assembly) are differ­ent than those in cylinder boxes. They areusually strips of steel or German silver that are moved by therotating star wheels to touch the sides (or less commonly theends) of the teeth in order to silence them. Release of thedamper is accomplished just in time for the tooth to be plucked.In many boxes, the damper assembly additionally contains asecond component. This is a snubbing-brake (drag-brake) thatassures that the star wheel rotation will not be excessive. As adisc box plays, be sure to listen for the telltale squeaks, chirps,and groans of misaligned dampers and the clicks of unsnubbedstar wheels. Generally speaking, individual disc box dampersare easier to adjust than those on cylinder boxes. However,some disc boxes can be found with the damper rails removed.Keep in mind that if the dampers have been removed, then(sometimes) so have the star wheel brakes. Without brakes toensure continued proper star wheel alignment, the machine mayhave suffered considerable damage to the teeth, the discs, andthe star wheels. For this reason (and because replacementdamper rails are, at best, expensive and, at worst, impossible toobtain) a damperless disc box should only be bought with greatcaution and consideration.

Watch out for the uncommon (usually early) disc boxes withdampering systems that depend upon felt or other soft materials.These dampers are usually troublesome and not very durable.

Inspect the comb or combs as in cylinder boxes. In somedisc box combs there is no narrowing at the ends of the teeth toform well defined tips. Except for a gradual tapering of thetreble teeth, these disc box teeth are of uniform width. Doublecomb boxes and boxes with side dampers have tips which fur­nish room for the star wheels that pluck the teeth on the otherside of the gantry and for the movement of the dampers respec­tively. Since the tuning scales of most disc boxes are known,tooth replacement is a bit easier in this regard. Because of heavyuse, coin-operated disc boxes oftentimes have deep groovesworn in the tooth tips by the star wheels. If so, these tips shouldbe honed flat, the combs tuned, and carefully placed closer to thestar wheels. Occasionally, the tips are already too short to allowthis. Notice, by the way, that there are a few small, round, steeldisc roller wheels set in the gantry among the star wheels.Comb "teeth" opposite these wheels usually have their tipsclipped off and are dummies, not broken playing teeth.

Inspect the pressure bar which holds the discs to the starwheels during play. It should press the disc firmly, but not tootightly. With a disc in place, (and only at those points where thepressure bar roller on top of the disc is paired with a correspond­ing gantry roller underneath the disc) a piece of paper should fit

64

Restoration of the 1915 SteinwayDuo-Art XR, #172139

By Shawn Hoar, New AMICA Member

Part IIThe Making ofthe Sounding Board

Old & new damper tray assembly

Go-Bars (90+) press glued ribsin position on soundboard

Using Go-Bars to press gluednew bridges into place on soundboard

heated and vented specifically for dehydration of the spruce.The soundboard is always held in the hot box between eachphase of its construction and multiple fittings until the day it ispermanently glued into the piano. The temperature averages100 degrees Fahrenheit with an actual moisture content of 41/2-6%. The conditioning time will vary depending upon thetime of year, humidity variations, etc.

I developed aunique approach tofitting the newsoundboard to theinner rim of thepiano. After allmeasurements aresatisfied, I removethe old board andclean the inner rimof debris. Then Imake a templateusing 1/4" birch ply­wood. I designedand had machinedspecial accuraterouter bases for mysystem.

The template iscut using a router.This allows me topattern the inner rimwith great accuracy.

The biggest question asked: "Will changing the soundingboard effect the value of the instrument?" The answer is yes!It will increase the value of the instrument if fashioned proper­

• ,_ ly. The value is in the augmented performance of the instru­-".J ment. The tOpiC of the soundmg board is a performance issue.

The soundboard acts as a spring in one way, a diaphragm inanother and also as a completely engineered support system.The soundboard, made of wood and special glue joints, isformed under incredible stresses and pressures. The sound­board will blossom (crown) at first, perform, then fatigue slow­ly over time. The stresses it must endure are built in and too

great to survive long term.A soundboard does notimprove with age.

Any approach torestoration must be anopinion or interpretationof the craftsman's viewsand intuitions. Theseprocesses are unique andquite complex, know yourrebuilder!

The making of thesounding board is a reciperequiring specially hand­made fixtures, forms, andequipment. These form asystem resulting fromexperience and time-test­ed methods.

The specially dried'spruce sounding boardblank is put into a "hotbox". The hot box is asmall conditioning room

New action with hammers installed.

65

Hand notching soundboard bridges

Every inner rim is unique in shape. The template will bemechanically used to set grain direction (46 degrees to the bellyrail) and profile an exact silhouette cut onto the new board.

The rib stock is carefully selected and grain oriented. Iselect wider grain for ribs used near the bass and tighter grainas they near the treble.

The ribs are carefully positioned and glued down on thebelly overnight. Go-bars are used to hold the ribs in place dur­ing this process.(see photo) The belly deck is sphericallydished and forces the board to set a curve up along the length ofthe ribs. The ambient temperature of the glue press area duringgluing is set at 90-100 degrees. This helps the glue set, reducescure time, and gives optimum moisture content for the soundingboard process.

While installing and gluing ribs, the soundboard is workedon in an upsidedown position. Next the soundboard will beturned right side up. But first, the belly deck is removed andthe duck boards (convex in shape to compliment the concaveshape of the belly deck) are positioned between the ribs underthe soundboard to shape and support the soundboard for form­ing bridge, and/or capping, and final bridge gluedown.

'-rt'-, ~ ""'!!

Router in action "reading" plate suspended above

This capping and bridging over form is a very importantpart of crowning which is sometimes overlooked. This curvesthe sounding board along the length of the bridge. The crownwill be influenced by ribbing in one direction and bridging inanother. When the soundboard is permanently installed in thepiano, the glueing-in process influences the crown by the effectof the shape of the inner rim and, finally, promotes rehydrationof the spruce... bringing about the blossoming of the sound­board.

THE MAKING OF THE PINBLOCK

Making the replacement pinblock in a Steinway true toform is like making a 54" denture. The top flange and the front~ ,flange of the pinblock are highly carved and form-fitted to. '­match the irregular shapes of each unique casting (piano plate).I use an identical type replacement material consisting of fivelayers of quarter-sawn hard rock maple. The top layer ofmaple is for carving the top flange fit. The next three layers areresponsible for tuning pin torque and the last layer stabilizes theunit design in the rules of laminations (always odd numbers).Each layer is made up of quarter-sawn maple laid up at rightangles to itself every other layer. This is designed for structuralstrength and stability.

66

=

........'

" '...\.",_.•.'~ l•.~.. " '• .'. I -r~,~~( ~.~ ." __...1>'f . __ . ~

"'("~~_' __ '''''~:''''-.'':--."~'''-....~..~...,.. '.~.~'';'...~,-=_.

. .~·,:iftm.:~. _ ,_ ~m,~ "';i'~_.,'- .JAM-~· , \

1 ,; :~~-

/i~'.~:~~~_... ....--

F,' " .. ",- , ,'~ ,~ - ) 1,· ~.\'J"-/f!........!. LJ' ~

-",~ .....~

Piano platesuspended oversoundboard duringpinblock fitting.

Jt...

I developed a special tracer routersystem to profile the casting for thisreplacement. This system for retro­fitting the pinblock is unique to myshop. The process begins with carefulmeasurements and removal of the pin­block. In a Steinway, the pinblockholds and importantly beds, bolts andsupports the front of the piano casting,thus holding the whole front of thepiano together. A rough cut replace­ment block is installed in the piano.The piano plate is precisely positionedabove the piano, then I set up the routerwhich moves vertically on linear bear­ings and horizontally on skis, thereforemoving freely in any direction. Thefollower traces and patterns the shapeof the plate to the top of the new pin­block. The rest is all special hand workand detailed fitting. New soundboard glued and clamped into case

LJ./

Before "faux" graining

EDITOR'S NOTE:The methods and opinions expressed in this

article are those of the authors. There are manyequally valid approaches to this complex

subject. Publication of this article in no wayimplies AMICA 's endorsement. Close-up view of "faux" graining on legs.

67

Restoration of the 1915 SteinwayDllo-Art XR, #172139

By Herb Lindahl

Part IIRebuilding and Reassembly

J)

The StackThe Duo-Art pneumatic stack installed in this instrument

is the early full 88-note type. It was originally equippedwith high-flow cross-type valve plates.

The stack pnuematics are three different sizes in separatesections. The largest pneumatics are in the bass, the mediumin the tenor, and the smallest in the treble. The stack has theusual three tiers with approximately 29 pneumatics per deck.

Detailed notes were taken of all existing measurementsbefore disassembly including pneumatic location and gener­al positioning of the original leather nuts on the stack pneu­matics pushrods. The brass pushrods were soaked in ammo­nia overnight. The following day they were rinsed, driedand polished on a fine wire wheel.

The stack pneumatics, valve plates, valves, poucheswere all removed from the decks. One of the most importantprocedures in the valve work on any stack is the completeremoval of all old shellac sealer under the valve plates. Ifnot removed, it can flake off and cause valves to not seatcorrectly.

Once the decks are stripped completely, the valve andpouch wells are resealed with fresh orange shellac.

New valve facings were punched from high quality kidskin, paying close attention to thickness. All the woodenvalve buttons were cleaned of their old leather facings andtrued up using sandpaper mounted on a flat surface withholes in it. This allowed the wooden valve stems to passthru while sanding. New pouches were made from thethinnest pouch leather and installed using a vacuum operated

Beautifully cleaned and freshly shellacked deck boards

68

pouch setter and cold fish glue. It has been found that fishglue is excellent for this purpose as it takes longer to set upthan hot hide glue. Like hide glue, it is completelyreversible.

The pouches were then sealed with two coats of thinnedrubber cement and dusted with talc. Each pouch was testedfor airtightness. I have had good luck with this procedure,although I have read much about other sealants used for thispurpose.

The long sides of the stack pneumatics were minimallycleaned using a 4" jointer. This produces very clean, square,and straight edges. The ends of the pneumatics were sandedon a stationary disc and belt sander using a miter gauge tokeep them square. The pneumatics were rehinged, recov­ered and reinstalled on the decks using pouch leather gasketsand hot hide glue.

The 88 rebushed wooden pneumatic fingers were thenreattached using hide glue and the two small screws. Theinside (bottom) valve plates were then permanently installed I)and the releathered valves were inserted in the shellackedvalve wells. The pouch buttons were threaded onto thevalve stems to an approximate depth position. The outside(top) valve plates were installed using blotter paper gaskets(shims). A dial indicator was used to keep valve travel con­sistant and precise.

The pneumatic stack decks are assembled one at a time.This is followed by pouch to button adjustment. Next, 2"wide clear tape is used to temporarily seal each deck, so thatthe action of each valve can be observed before coveringthe deck access openings and joints with new pneumaticcloth seals like the original.

A neatly coveredand trimmed

stack pneumatic

":t.

Three different sizes of recovered pneumatics

New stack pouches

Glueing & screwing on pneumatic fingers

One ofthe rebushed poppet guide rails

The completed stack is then final-assembled. Thepushrod guide-rail bushings are replaced with high qualitybushing cloth and the brass pushrods are installed using newleather nuts. These are adjusted using the measurementstaken at disassembly as a guide.

The bleed board cloth cover is removed. The bleeds are() -inspected and cleaned as are the nipples. A new heavy pump .

/-

cloth seal cover is applied after the bleed board well is- -sealed.

The completed stack is then bench tested again to insureall notes are functioning properly at very low suction levels.

The Remote PumpThe remote pump is the early six bellows (steamboat)

type. This type operates from an electric motor via a seriesof reduction and idler pulleys which operate the maincamshaft. This arrangement is needed to reduce the speed ofthe camshaft. This camshaft operates the six feeders viarollers attached to each feeder. The original pulleys weremade of pot metal, and were in terrible condition or missing.The leather covered wooden rollers were poorly releatheredat one time. The person who did it then put brass brads thruthe leather into the wood. The brass had a predictablereaction with the leather and subsequently, large clumps ofvertigree formed under the surface of the leather.

Cleaned and prepped pump feeders

Rollers and drive shaft

New pulleys were found thru industrial suppliers and,with some machining, proved to be excellent replacements.The six feeder locations were carefully noted. The feederswere removed and their edges cleaned on the joiner. Theywere then rehinged, had their inside surfaces shellacked,new flap valves installed, and finally recovered with blackcowhide. The feeders were then glued back to the mountingboard and tested for airtightness. A new black finish wassprayed on the bellows and all accompanying hardware. Thewooden rollers were individually mounted on a mandrel andthen each was mounted in a drill press. This way the dam­aged outer surfaces of the rollers could be "trued-up".

69

(1

-(1

Accordians before

Early unrestored expression mechanism photographed fromabove

Intensity valves unit disassembled and cleaned

were removed from the box. They were cleaned and recov­ered with high quality motor cloth. Knife valves and theirassociated hardware were carefully drawn or photographed

. -to document parts location and then removed. The knife rII..valves and their seats were sanded with 320 grit paper'; ~

stretched over a piece of 1/4" plate glass to make sure they'were perfectly flat and to insure an air-tight mating surface.The valve seats were then graphited and reinstalled with newleather gaskets.

The body of the expression box and all other relatedcomponents were refinished with spray black lacquer.

As with the pneumatic stack valves (and all others in theplayer unit), the intensity valves were rebuilt with new valvefacings, new sealed pouches, and new leather gaskets. Theentire expression box/accord ian unit system was benchtested and set-up regulated on the bench.

The rollers were then covered with leather as they wereoriginally. The electric motor was sent to a service shop andoverhauled. The pump was then mounted and installed in aclear plexiglass case to show its operation at the PianoTechnicians Conventions.

Completed pump in plexiglas case for demonstration

The Expression BoxThe early Duo-Art expression box is actually two sepa­

rate components. The first section contains the regulatorbellows, knife valves, stack cut-out, accordian pneumatics,spill valve, etc. The second section contains the bass/trebletheme secondary valves. This two-piece unit proved to beeasier to dissassem­ble and allowedeasier access to thesecondary themepouches and valvesfor replacement.

The accordianpneumatics wereextremely deterio­rated. They weredissassembled,edges sanded /trued,and recovered withthin pneumaticcloth. Woodenspacer blocks wereused to set the cor­rect gap between

the boards. The Early unrestored expressionregulator bellows mechanism photographed from below

Single completed feeder - one ofsix

70

Intensity valvesunit repouched and

valves installed

Accordians during

Thbing Connector Board(Keyframe Junction Blocks):

These components pennit the tubing to pass through thekeybed to the player system below. Both these units, for­merly attached to the keyframe under the keys, had beenripped from their original positions and discarded! Any ofyou who have had to fabricate and fit important parts, knowhow much work is involved here.

To remanufacture these necessary units, 1 first planeddown some multi-ply pinblock material to the correct thick­ness. The junction block rail (the part to which the junctionblocks are attached) was marked for the dado at locationswhere it is affixed to the keyframe. The rail was thenscribed with two lines denoting the location of the two rowsof nipples that pass between the keys for the tubing leadingto the tracker bar. These scribed lines are also used to mar~ .the postions for drilling the holes for the nipples. The rail isnext installed temporarily with screws only. The keys areplaced on the keyframe.

Using a transfer punch in the original slots cut outbetween the keys, the centers of the new holes are impressedalong the previously scribed lines. The rail is then removedand the mating halves (the removable junction blocks) of theunit are temporarily attached. Then all of the holes (includ­ing screw holes) are drilled at once to insure proper align­ment. The rail is now ready to be screwed and glued ontothe keyframe. The most challenging part is the point wherethe rail meets with the keyframe. Wooden plugs are neededto insure an airtight passage for the brass tubing. (I neverknew why these plugs were there until now. The accompa­nying photos show these plugs.) New metal screw insertsare then installed in the rail to accept the 20 or so machinescrews that hold the two junction blocks to it. New, longerbrass nipples were then made from 12" pieces of tubing.The two removable junction blocks were then gasketed withleather and the new nipples installed. One of the junctionblocks also has the soft pedal lever push block attached to itso this important component also had to be made, felted andinstalled. The long tubes above the keybed then need to bebent slightly backwards so that the keys can move up anddown without the slightest interference.

Uppersection ofjunction block

fitted (temporarily)into key frame.

Marking punch impressions with pen for visibility when

71

Dowels glued in place New brass nipples

..'1

Sucker! Actually, it's a pouch on the suction operatedpouch setter

Completed junction blocks

Using suction operated pouch setter, one...

-fl

Two...

72

Three!

<l

Nipples and elbows being installed in the bleed strip

Spoolbox before...

Hardware, Linkages, Etc.The metal hardware on this particular unit was in very

poor condition. With rare exception, almost all of the link­age and mounting brackets, etc. were heavily corroded.Under normal circumstances, the hardware can either becleaned and/or polished to an acceptable appearance. Thiswas not the case. Early on it was decided to have all abovekeyboard hardware newly plated. This still left an enormousamount of pitted and corroded metal parts.

A local metal finishing company was contacted and theyshowed us an acceptable two-step process. The first step

during ...

was a course grit blasting. This removed all corrosion, butleft the surface rough and uneven. The second step was afine glass bead blasting process which evened out the colorand left a beautifull satin finish on the hardware. Finally, allhardware was clear-coated to prevent further corrosion. Thisprocess will be used again in future restorations when suchheavy corrosion exists.

All slotted wood screws in the entire player system weremeasured and new ones obtained. There are many differentsizes of screws used in the Aeolian Duo-Art mechanism!

and after!

73

Electric switch

Linkage!

,.-'

-f)

-fl

Duo-Art PlayerSystem Installation

The piano was placed on its side on a raised padded It. _platform to simplify the installation of the underside compo- ~ ­. nents. First, a new tubing harness was installed. This har-

ness contains the signal tubing for the eight intensity pneu- .matics, the loud pedal, theme valves, etc. Next, many of thesmall valve boxes and bellows were installed and tubed. Thelinkages for these parts were installed in reverse order oftheir removal. (Careful notes and teardown photos wereextremely helpful at this point!)

Pedal hardware and trapwork are installed next. Thetwo-part expression box is mounted and tubed. Wheneverything under the rim has been installed, the pneumaticstack is next. The keyframe with its new junction blocks isput in place without the action and keys. This allows thestack to be tubed to the new junction blocks. Thereroillrepeat pneumatic unit and its valve box completes theunderside installation. .

The piano is stood up and the upper player system ismounted above the keys and tubing of the upper actionbegins. There is no space to spare here, especially when onehas to deal with the tubing for the 88-note stack, expressioncontrols, and two sixteen-tube cutout blocks.

On padded platform to simplify installation

Spoolbox

Airmotor Governor

Motor, Governor,Misc. Valves, Etc.

The spoolbox was so heavily deteriorated that it wasnecessary to fully strip all the wood surfaces. The woodassembly was sanded smooth and repairs made. Then sand­ing sealer was applied followed by several finish coats ofblack lacquer. New ladder chain was installed.

All miscellaneous bellows, valve boxes, the windmotorand its governor, the pedal regulator, etc., were rebuilt usingthe same techniques described earlier. All black-finishedwork was refinished. The windmotor crankshaft bushingswere, of course, replaced. New custom punched leathergaskets, valve facings, pouches, and valve seats, etc. wereinstalled in all components. Each component was fullybench tested for operation prior to installation.

74

Grand modulator and electricalconnection box

Expression unit in place

Pneumatic stack

Stack covers on Stack tubed to junction blocks in keybed

75

CD ReviewBy Marion Roehl

Historic Carousel Music (Volume 2) in both CD and audiocassette fonnats has just been released by Marion RoehlRecordings of Vestal, New York.

What make this one special is that it's a re-recording ofCarousel Music produced by the Allan Herschell Company onlO-inch 78-rpm records. The traditional music of the carouselis produced by an automatically-operated band organ located atthe center of the ride; it operates from paper music rolls muchlike those used by a player piano.

These instruments always required plenty of maintenanceand tender loving care. To get around this problem and reducecosts to park management and carousel owners, in the 1940'sthe Allan Herschell firm brought out what they called a"Merri-Org". It was a record player inside an art-deco-styledwood case.

John Wendler, President of Allan Herschell in 1948,distributed a letter in which he stated "these records are actualrecordings of band organ music, made here in our plant from alarge band organ which we had built expressly for the purposeof making records."

Modern technology permits the typical surface noisesounds of 78's to be minimized so that a recording ofreasonable quality can be produced. This new release ofHistoric Carousel Music features such traditional favorites asArtist's Life, Italian Nights, Stars and Stripes Forever, Heaven'sArtillery, and 14 more tunes of similar character.

-!l

Historic Carousel Organ Musk Vol. 2Re-recordings of Allan Herschell

78-rpm 10-inch records from the 1940's

f)

.....Historic Carousel Music Vol. 2 is

available through many gift shops andcatalogs, or directly by mail fromMarion Roehl Recordings. The addressis 3533 Stratford Drive, Vestal, NY13850. It's $14.95 in CD format, or$9.95 in cassette. Add $3 for mail, and8% sales tax for New York stateresidents.

1. Heaven's Artillery "2. Helena Polka ~3. santiago Waltz I4. Sharpshooter ~

5. Kiss Waltz I6. The Diplomat .7. Tesoro MloB. Artist's Ufe •9. The Thunderer ~

10. The Fight Is On ~11. Through the Line I12. Southern Nights ~

13. Sabers and Spurs ~

14. Nation's Awakening ~15. With Trumpet and Drums ~16. Stars and Stripes Forever \17. Italian NightslB. Felecla

1111111111111111111111111111117 0218-51044-2 8

Allan fferschell ..Uttle Beauty" model

All selections on this album are in the public domain

Produced and marketed by Marion Roehl Recordings3533 Stratford Drive. Vestal NY 13850 USA

Fax. write or call for a complele catalog.Phone 607-797-9062 • Fax 607-797-2624

®1997 by Marion Roehl Recordings.All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication

is a violalion of Federal copyright laws

76

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77

A TRIP TO NIAGARAMARCH and-TWO STEP

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AMICA 1998 Niagara falls, CanadaI

-~

Don't Miss It!

81

AMICA 1998 Niagara falls, Canada

Max Morath, the Ragtime Man, will appear at the 1998

AMICA Convention in Niagara Falls, July 8th - 12th. The pop­

ular entertainer presents a musical glance at an earlier Ameri­

ca, blending music, humor, and satire in a bright and affection­

ate look at another era. Morath takes his audiences on a rol­

licking musical tour from the Naughty Nineties to the Roaring

Twenties, with plenty of stops along the way - stops that reveal

the Fads and Foibles of the time.

MaxKollaTHTHE RAGTIME MAN

What the Critics Say:

Max Moroth has ashow that crackles with wit and wisdom. He is aphilosopherof Americon Popular culture with Mark Twoin's gift of gob. In its seamlessblending of vintage pop music, interwoven with artfully chosen tidbits ofAmericana and the performer's pithy, homespun philosophy, the show is abrovura exercise in cosual profundity.Stephen Holden, New York Times

Marath mixes rogtime, vaudeville and theater with his usual mix of charm, wit,and deft musicianship. When it comes to virtuoso pieces, Morath, who seemsageless, become ... "The Entertainer."Michael Anthony, Star·Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul

It's all rogtime -snappy and sad, boisterous and bluesy, happy and heartbreak- :.~

ing, the sort of music that makes two hours seem to melt away. And when pre-sented with the style and wit of Max Morath, it's completely captivating.James D. Watt), Jr., Tulsa World

Morath is a natural-born showman who walks the wobbly wire of history withthe greatest of ease, the undisputed"greatest living expert on the ragtime era."Paul Wellborn, Tampa Tribune

"Living A Ragtime Life", Morath's Off-Broadway show of a

Few years back, brought unanimous acclaim from the New

York critics. The show "crackles with wit and wisdom," said

the New York Times. Another critic has dubbed Max Morath

"the greatest living expert on the ragtime era."

The music in the repertory of the Ragtime Man ranges as wide

as the contents of his many recordings - From piano rags to

show tunes, from vaudeville novelties to the blues, giving new

liFe to the words, music, and spirit of such pop music immortals

as Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, May Irwin,

and Bert Williams. On-stage, Max Morath delivers an exciting

perFormance that blends vintage and virtuoso American music

with savvy observations of the American scene, past and pre­

sent. "This isn't a 'nostalgia' show," one critic commented. "It

is more of a way to reacquaint us with a living part of our his­

tory. A great show, as welcome and invigorating as a cool

breeze on a hot summer night."

82

Morath not only gives ragtime its life, he gives it back itsyouth. He shows ragtime was also protest, highsatire, and bittersweet romance -the sameelements that made jazz and rock thesoundtrack of later ages. Morathcaptures not only what theragtime age heard but what itfelt and thought as well. It isatribute without tears andavirtuoso performance byaman and an era.Michael Phillips, Ft.Worth StarTelegram

~1~Jmr[l[1 '

r-".

Don't Miss the Excitement!

~AMICA 1998

• Opening Breakfast in the Grand Ball­room

• U.S. Tour and Mart

of the Falls. Reservations can bemade from your room phone, if youchoose to do so.)

• The Hospitality Room will be open allday, as well as the Registration Desk.

THURSDAY:

This will include all of the following:

Tour of the Herschell-SpillmanCarousel Museum, where carousels hadbeen made for many years. At the muse­um, the mart will be held. There will bea sufficient amount of time for vendors aswell as others to browse around andmake purchases. The museum will alsobe selling Wurlitzer 125 and 150 BandOrgan Rolls, made from the original mas­ters on the original perforators. The per­forator should be operating during ourvisit to the museum. Arrangements willbe made to send your purchases directlyto your home while you are at the mart.

Yellow and red tulips across the gorgefrom the American Observation Tower.

• AMICA International Board Meeting ­all day with a break for lunch on yourown. (There are approximately 30 to40 restaurants in the Niagara Falls"downtown" area. The vast majorityof them are located in walking dis­tance to the hotel. There is also awonderful restaurant that is located onone of the upper floors of the SkylineBrock, with a beautiful view of both

with Horseshoe Falls being a short dis­tance away. City view rooms have a lessdramatic vista, but the accommodations,nonetheless, are in keeping with tradi­tions of a four star rating.

The Convention schedule will followthis basic outline. Some changes maytake place as programs develop.

WEDNESDAY:

.' .

~E Convention will be held at

the Skyline Brock Hotel, inNiagara Falls, Canada, on July

8th through 12th, 1998. The SkylineBrock is a wonderful Four Star Hotel atthe edge of the Niagara Gorge, overlook­ing the Niagara Falls. Built many yearsago, it is the epitome of elegance witha flavor of the 1920s in it's decor.Uniformed doormen will greet you asyou enter the main lobby. Two curved,marble staircases or an elevator willtransport you to the main reception desk

J where their cheerful staff will registeryou for a memorable event, not soon tobe forgotten.

Rooms for I, 2, 3, or 4 persons areavailable in the hotel, with two viewsavailable. Falls-view rooms face theNiagara Gorge, and every room on thisside has a view of the American Falls,

\1closer view of the Canadian "Maid of the Mist" dock. Four boats on rotation regu­rarly make trips to the base of the falls.

\

Niagara Falls, Canada

83

AMICA 1998 Niagara falls, Canada

r

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FRIDAY:

• Refinishing tips and tricks

• Music from the Internetwith Terry Smythe

• Q.R.S. Pianomation - Howit works

• Breakfast on your own

• Workshops: These willinclude the following -

• Harold Hodgkins' HelpfulHandy Tools that you canmake and fix your pianoquicker with.

• Lunch on your own

• Bob Taylor's Ampico A to B roll I

coding conversion method

• Liz Barnhart's Cross Stitch

• Dinner on your own

• Bob Berkman's Q.R.S.-capades. Backby popular demand (and a quick talk­ing lawyer), Bob has reached into hisbag of old pUSh-Up parts, and come upwith a superlative program of never­beforeheard witticisms and entertain­ing musical snippets.

• Pumper Contest

Do you have a favorite roll with nobox and no leader, and you don'tknow the title of it because somebodycut it off fifty years ago? Here's yourchance to identify it!!! Bring yourunknown roll to the Convention andour team of experts (Dan Wilke fromQ.R.S. Old Roll Auction, and others[including you]) will try to identifythese wonderful tunes from long ago.It should be a lot of fun!

A view of the Casino Niagara on the left and the Skyline Brock Hotelon the right as viewed from one of the many gardens near the gorge.

• Dinner will be on your own at one ofthe many fine restaurants in the area.

"Name That Tune" is the regularlyscheduled program for the evening.

The next stop will be atthe Riviera Theatre in NorthTonawanda. The RivieraTheatre has been undergoingrenovations for the past eightyears or so, and is just aboutcompleted. Tours of the the­atre will be given, includingthe opportunity to play "TheMighty Wurlitzer" for thosewho are interested as well asclimb up into the organchambers. An accompaniedsilent movie is also planned.

Next on the tour is a visitto mecca, or the Q.R.S.Music Roll Factory, where aslide presentation on the history of thecompany is given, and a walk throughthe factory lets you get a feel of what theroll business was really about. New andold rolls will be available for purchase.

Another spot that can not be forgot­ten is the Darwin Martin house. Built inthe early part of the century by FrankLloyd Wright, it has been the home formany families over the years. Mostrecently it has been purchased by theState University of New York. They arein the process of restoring the building toits original glory. We have the uniqueopportunity to have a guided tour of thebuilding and grounds before it is openedto the public later in the year.

• Lunch will be served during the day toall.

A cable car travels over a whirlpoool in the lower gorge.

84

AMICA 1998 Niagara Falls, Canada

with children. The servicewill come to your hotel roomto watch your children, or ifthere is a sufficient numberof children being cared for,a specific room for all thechildren will be set up by thehotel. To speak with themdirectly, please call "Confer­ence Childcare Services" tollfree at 1-888-871-8152 orfax 1-905-871-9262 and askfor Wendy Sturgeon, theService advisor.

• We will be offering t-shirtsfor sale at the convention.They will have a slightly

modified version of the cover of "ATrip to Niagara" sheet music. Pleaserefer to the registration form for moreinformation.

More information will be forthcom­ing in the future. If you have any ques­tions, please call us at 716-656-9583 orE-mail meatmikew@freewwweb.com.

Thanks very much! Mike & HollyWalter, Convention Coordinators

AMICA Convention. They havegiven us discount rates from July 3rdthrough July 15th. To make reserva­tions, please call A & B Travel at1-800-992-5868, and ask for DianeSommer. She will arrange alltransportation from your airport to theSkyline Brock Hotel and return. Ifyou are a senior citizen, please let herknow, for additional discounts willprobably be available to you.

• A Babysitting Service, "ConferenceChildcare Services" will be availablefor those attending the convention

The Skylon Tower offers a unique view of the Falls andsurrounding area ifyou choose to dine there.

Business

• Fireworks - Every Fridaynight during the summerseason, there are fire­works over Niagara Falls.The Falls are also lit upevery night during thesummertime.

• Canadian Tours Day:Nothing is carved instone as of yet, but thereare plans to visit the But­terfly Conservatory,where thousands of but-terflies are flitting about,from flower to flower, in a very natur­al setting; a stop at Niagara on theLake, a period town filled with won­derful shops and things to see and do;and a stop at a winery (there are anumber of them in the area, so youmay have a choice of which wineryyou choose).

• Banquet with entertainment

• Farewell Breakfast andMeeting

• Checkout

• That is an out­line of whatis tentativelyplanned.

• For those whowill be travel­ing by air, Deltais the officialairline for the

SATURDAY:

SUNDAY:

A map ofthe extensive gardens throughout Niagara Falls, Canada

85

20 THE MUSICAL CROSS WORD PUZZLE BOOK......__ -----_ _-----_ _---..-_ - __ ---_ _-------------------_ _.__._._..- .

PUZZLE NUMBER SEVEN

Somewhat intemational in character.

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HORIZONTAL

86

2. A composition written for a body of singers.(abbr.)

4. Relating to melody.9. Initials of an eminent American composer; wrote

the syplphonic prologue "Francesca di Rimini"and many songs; bom 1853.

11. Initials of the composer of the opera "LesHuguenots."

12. An octave. (abbr.)14. First, fourth and third letters of the musical

alphabet.IS. First three letters of an Italian word meaning "a

slow and solemn movement."17. First note of the scale.18. First five letters of an Italian word meaning

"with tender feeling or emotion."19. Festival; celebration. (German.)23. A line drawn perpendicularly across the staff.14. The bow of a violin. (German.)

26. Full initials of a famous pianist, now conductorof the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. (See page 95.)

28. A musical composition calculated to improvethe technic of the performer. (First two letters.)

29. Sweetly. (abbr.)30. First and last initials of composer of "My Old

Kentucky Home." (See page 98.)31. First three letters of a German word meaning

"fervor, ardor."33. Plural form o~ a Latin word meaning "middle."34. English organist and composer of the sixteenth

century; composer of much church music.35. Upon.36. At, to, by, for. (Latin.)37. Abbreviation of a word meaning "an association."38. Place. (abbr.)39. Initials of two Italian words meaning "with·

out the pedals."41. Initials of the composer of the opera "Nerone"

produced in Milan in 1924. (1842·1918.)

,,-

THE MUSICAL CROSS WORD PUZZLE BOOK

HORIZONTAL

21

42.43.

45.47.

48.

50.51.

53.

54.55.

56.

57.

59.

Above; upon.First two lellers of a word meaning "a characterto contradict a sharp or flat."Third note of the scale.One of the greatest living violin teachers, hornin Hungary, now living in Chicago. (See page104.)Full initials of the composer of "The WellTempered Clavichord." (See page 89.)The end.The seventh and fourth letters of the musicalalphabet.Initials of an eminent French musical writer;author of "Jean Christophe."Name of an opera hy Delihes.First two letters of a word meaning "a piece ofmusic played or sung hy one person."Initials of the most famous soprano of the nine·teenth century.Initials of two Italian words meaning "withoutpiano."Initials of an American teacher, writer and com.poser. A distinguished theorist, horn 1853.

61.63.

64.

66.68.70.72.74.

76.79.

81.

87.

88.89.

A temporary solo in a concerted work. (abhr.)Initials of composer of the song "The Ed King."(See page 90.)Initials of the composer of the opera "The Queenof Sheha;" horn in Hungary 1830.Unit.With expression. (abbr.)The note "E sharp." (German.)The fifth note of the scale.First three letters of an Italian word meaning"gradually slower."Second note of the ~cale.

Initials of the composer of the opera "Salome."(See page 94.)Composer of the opera "The Daughter of theRegiment." (See page 92.)Noted Belgian violinist and conductor; horn in1358. (See page 104.)Composer of the opera "Fra Diavolo."Noted American pianist, teacher, composer andmusical writer; author of Touch & Technic."(1829·1908.)

VERTICAL1. American Guild of Organists; initials.3. A famous Polish pianist now living in America;

born 1876. (See page 100.)4. First four letters of the name of the inventor of

the metronome.5. Sixth note of the scale.6. A lyric poem.7. From the heginning. (abbr.)8. A character used to distinguish the pitch of the

notes on the staff.9. Celebrated Russian composer for the piano;

born 1862.10. A mark placed after a note to increase its value

one half.13. V. F.16. To the; in the style of. (Latin.)20. A particular system or constitution of sound's hy

which the octave is divided into certain intervals.21. Delicately, smoothly. (abbr.)22. A mechanical lever for controlling the tone on

keyboard instruments. (abbr.)25. A celehrated living pianist and composer born

in Russian Poland in 1870. (See page 100.)27. With moderate force. (abbr.)31. Into.32. Eminent pianist horn near London, England, in

1873. (See page 101.)34. Tone. (German.)35. A wind' instrument having a double reed. (abhr.)40. Initials of the cqmposer of the opera "Iris."

(See page 94.)41. Half step added. (abbr.)42. On; upon; over.44. One form of abbreviation of Italian word mean·

ing "slow."46. Full initials of one of the greatest living pianists;

composer of the opera "Manru." (See page 100.)48. Initials of a well known 'cellist born in Warsaw;

member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,teacher of 'cello at New England Conservatory;born 1862.

49. Initials of two Italian words meanin~ "wellmarked, in a distinct and strongly accentedmanner."

52. From the sign. (abbr.)56. First two letters of a word meaning "expression

in time."58. Name given to symphony orchestra concerts, at

which the music is of a comparatively popularnatore.

59. For, hy, through.60. Name of a celebrated, blind, American pianist.

(1855·1924.)62. First two letters of a word indicating the mark·

ing of time.63. Initials of the composer of the "Unfinished Sym.

phony." (See page 90.)65. Eminent Italian cqmposer, conductor and

pianist; hom 1843.66. First half of a word meaning "a miscellaneous

collection of musical pieces."67. American musician, teacher, critic and author;

hom in Boston. (1848-1920.)69. As; if.71. Italian suffix meaning "very small."73. First three letters of a word meaning "from any

key to the next key of the same name, either upor down."

75. Initials of one of the greatest pianists; died 1894.(See page 91.)

77. More.78. Born. (French.)80. Fourth note of the scale.81. First two letters of an Italian word meaning "to

diminish in toue."82. First two letters of a word meaning "a character

to contradict a sharp or flat."83. Z. B.84. A succession of rapid and even alternations of a

principal tone with an auxiliary. (abhr.)85. Initials of piano virtuoso, composer and teacher;

hom in Prague 1794, died 1870.86. Initials of the composer of the opera "Poet and

Peasant;" born 1820.

87

~ TECH TIPS lJ5f 4~ I I""

AMP/CO Modification SystemsBy Jeffrey Morgan

System ~ Production Period MFR. Misc. Equipment Modifier +Stoddard-Ampico 1A late 1912-very early 1913 APA None(all three no amplifier) lB early 1913-mid 1913 APA Pneumatically assisted hammer rail lock. None

early 2A mid 1913-mid 1915[?] APA Pneumatically assisted hammer rail lock. SNL

Early Ampico late 2A mid 1915[?]-late 1915 APA HR lock; amplifier appears SNL2B late 1915-mid 1917 APA HR lock; amplifier SNL3 mid 1917-early 1920 A HR lock phased-out; amplifier remains SNL

Model A Ampico 4 early 1920-early 1922 A All five equipped with amplifier 5MB5 early 1922-early 1923 APC 5MB6 early 1923-mid 1924 APC 5MB7 mid 1924-mid 1925 APC 5MB8 late 1925-early 1929* APC 5MB

Model B Ampico N/A early 1929-late 1941 APC to May 8, 1930, thenAC to Sept., 1932, then SN

AAC after Sept., 1932

* Some Model A components used beyond 1929 on a selective basis.+ See text below for elaboration

Key: A = Amphion Piano Player CompanyAC = Ampico CorporationAAC = Aeolian American CorporationAPA = Auto Pneumatic Action CompanyAPC = American Piano Company

N/A = not applicableSNL = Soft-Normal-Loud (three variations)5MB = Subdued-Medium-BrilliantSN = Subdued-Normal

While the dates above areapproximate, they are believedto be reasonably accurate.They are based on examina­tion of surviving instrumentsand literature. This is furthersupported by the Werolin note­book and recent research.Some overlap does occur.

/-

There are three modification systems utilized by theAmpico. The three systems are as follows:

The early Ampico modification system uses the terms:Soft - Normal - Loud. It was employed from mid-1913through 1919. During this period it underwent two significantrevisions. In this system:

1. Soft - denotes employment of two (bass and treble) "re­regulator pneumatics" (peak limiters in technical terms). Theseare throttling devices. Operation in this mode limits, to a largeextent, the loud effects indicated by coding on the roll.

2. Normal - denotes unfettered operation with the amplifi­er active (exception, early 2As with no amplifier). In thismode, one can hear the widest possible dynamic range of theearly Ampico.

3. Loud - denotes employment, in addition to the amplifi­er, of "loudening pneumatics" (bass and treble "bootstrap-style"dynamic expanders). These devices expand volume levelsbeyond those indicated by coding on the roll. However, in thismode, maximum suction available to the stack does NOTexceed that available in the "Normal" mode. The effect issomewhat similar to the "Dance" position on a Duo-Art.

The Ampico Model A modification system uses the terms:Subdued - Medium - Brilliant. It was employed exclusively

88

from 1920 through 1928 and beyond 1928, on a selective basis.In this system:

1. Subdued - denotes employment of "re-regulator pneu­matics." Operation in this mode limits, to a large extent, theloud effects indicated by coding on the roll.

2. Medium - denotes operation without benefit of theamplifier. Such operation limits, to a certain extent, the loudeffects indicated by coding on the roll.

3. Brilliant - denotes unfettered operation with the amplifi­er active. In this mode, one can hear the widest possibledynamic range of the Ampico Model A.

Many Ampico Model Bs were equipped with a modifica­tion system; some were not. The Model B modification systemuses the terms: Subdued - Normal. This system wasemployed from 1929 to 1941. In this system:

1. Subdued - denotes employment of two (bass and treble)solid-state (i.e., no moving parts) pneumatic peak limiters. rOperation in this mode limits, to a large extent, the loud effects ­indicated by coding on the roll.

2. Normal - denotes unfettered operation. In this mode,one can hear the widest possible dynamic range of the AmpicoModel B.

AMICA People

Kreiselman or Sims?Submitted by Tom Kimble

In 1964, I purchased an Ampico roll recut by Larry Givens in which he had combined 208703("So Blue") with 209223 ("Broken Hearted"). On the label, Larry attributed both performances toLee Sims.

Lee Sims fans are familiar with his distinctive harmonies, phrasing and rhythms, and "So Blue"fits his style. For years I didn't give it a thought, until in scanning Obenchain's book, I noticed thatthe roll is credited to Gertrude Kreiselman. (Gertrude's address in the 1920's: 1613 Harvard St.,N.W., Adams 5753, Washington, D.C.) The roll was issued in May 1927, just a few months beforethe first rolls attributed to Sims.

Then, referring to the Ampico Artists Record, there is no mention of Gertrude Kreiselman, noris there mention of the tune in the listing of Lee Sims recordings.

I'm convinced that "So Blue" was played by Lee Sims, based on stylistic evidence. I discussedthe matter with Larry Givens, but he doesn't remember what prompted him to credit Sims with theroll. My speculation is that "So Blue" might have been credited to a "nom de papier" because ofSims' contractual obligations to either Brunswick Records, or to Republic Player Roll Co. A differ­ent speculation might be that "So Blue" was a trial to determine if Sims was satisfied with Ampico,or vice versa.

Perhaps a reader can shed light on this.

Tom Kimble

KEYSTONE COMPANY, INC.

Dear Robin,

This is in response to the article: Kreiselman or Sims? by Tom Kimble.

In searching through the archives here at Keystone Music Roll Company, I found this entryfrom the May 1927 Ampico Magazine concerning the initial release of Ampico 208703 "So Blue".It appears that Miss Kreiselman did in fact exist. I will admit after listening to this recording, herstyle is very much influenced by Lee Sims. Also, here is the article about Mr. Sims (and RoyBargy) signing an exclusive contract with the American Piano Company from the August 1927Ampico Magazine.

Richard GromanKeystone Music Roll Company

89

AMP leo MAGAZINE 9

.,

I '\"'«~' ..

. ,,'" !"'~

'" rank musicians who record for itexclusi vely.. - Lee Sims is, like Bargy, an artist ofinternational fame in the playing ofthe music of the day. Radio fanslove Lee Sims. His original style haswon for him the affections of themillions who listen in whenever heis on the air. The acquisition of LeeSims as an exclusive artist by theAmpico Corporation is a matter formore than usual congratulation, forthere is no more brilliant pianist inhis chosen line of musical endeavorthan this gifted young man who is atthe head of his own school of pianoinstruction in Chicago. His first re­cord ing, a sympathetic interpretationof ..Me and My Shadow," is offeredin this bulletin. Those of Roy Bargywill come later.

90

Lee Sims has just rccorded. "Me and My Shadow"

Headliners Sign witheAmpico EXcluJively

LEE SIMS AND Roy BARGY TO RECORD

Both are in Limelight of PopularApproval

T HE lists of popular artists record­ing for the Ampico are enrichedwith the glowing names of Lee

Sims and Roy Bargy. Mr. Bargy haswon for himself a wide popularity,and is one of the most prominentfigures in the school of younger musi­cians who are bringing popular musicto a place where it must be considereda real contribution to the art. Hisown orchestra at the Hotel Stevens,Chicago, is one of those superlati veorganizations that mark the highspots in the interpretation of today'scolorful current favorites. Bargy's per­sonal playing is of dazzling brilliancyand, in his recordings for the Ampico,a name of international renown isadded to the imposing array of iiI'S t

Roy Bargy ready to begin adisplay of pianistic fireworks

.•+~~++.

TEACHER: Givc a sentence using the wordspinach.

PUPIL: r ~Ot a mosquito bitc last night andspinach in mc cver since.

"-

=---- M•••••••••••••••••••••~ ~..~~ -:

". ..:: ' A"''''.-M:it~),ji:~h!!<''''',·,.'''',~'·,.'#i."n"'· ·>,,··,·~,JV....~...#:41;p~~~,.,".. ::.. ..". ..". ..~ ..". ..". ..~ ::~ ..". ..:: ..~ ...,. ..:: ~.. .... ...,. ...,. ...,. ...,. Sccnc frolll THE DESERT SONG at thc Casino Theatre, New York ..:: ..". ..~ 1\[,ew 'Popular .Jl1usic ~.. ..:: FOR SINGING Played by FERDIE GROFE ::

:: Played by FRANK BLACK 208611E Crazy Words-Crazy Tune, ...... 208633F At Sundown, Song, G Flat- Fox-Trot, G Major Ager 1.2.5 ..:: DOl/aldson 1.5° THE present vogue when singing popular songs ..". AN inspired melody for the setting of unusually of substituting unmeaning syllables for the -.". pleasing verses makes this brilliant Donald- words of the song is delightfully burlesqued in :::: son number conspicuous even amongst the Ollt- this number which has met with an enthusiasm ....". standing contemporary popularsucccsses. Equally accorded only to the choicest hits. ..:: notable is Me lllack's fine in terpretation of it. I b d ....P ayed ry FERDIE GROFE, Assiste". ~ ..". ~ 208621E Shanghai Dream Man, Fox- ..~ Played by GERTRUDE KREISELMAN Trot, E Flat Davis-Ak.rt 1.2.5 ::• ACOLORFUL oriental song enriched with a ..~ 208703F So Blue, Song, E Flat- melody inspired by the color and movement ....• De Sylva-Brown-Henderson 1.5° of life in old Shanghai.:: GERTRUDE KREISELMAN, the youthful ~ ::~ . pianist who has won many laurels in her PI d b R P ::• natIve city, Washington, makes her Ampico debut aye ry AY ERKINS ..~ with this engaging waltz ballad, a country-wide 208641E That's My Hap-Hap-Happi- .... favorite. -.ness, Fox-Trot, E Flat. ShermtJ.1l 1.1.)

:: <!' THAT Ray Perkins felt quite happy about ::.. FOR DANCING recording this tuneful number is evident :::: Played by ADAM CARROLL from the captivating manner he has attacked ..-: lyric and melody to achieve a perfect fox-trot. ....• 208671E Muddy Water, Fox-Trot, E Flat.. De Rose-Richmall I. 2.5 ~ ..

:: NoRA BAYES and Harry Richman are fcatur- Played by VINCENT LOPEZ, Assisted ::~ ing and delighting their audiences with 208651E A Lane in Spain, Fox-Trot, F ....• this bltte number commonly known as a "slow:: drag." Major Lewis-Lombardo 1·2.5 ::". THE song to which all America is dancing and ..". 208681E Ain't She Sweet? Fox-Trot, E which Vincent Lopez picks because of its ..:: Flat Ager I. 2.5 comple:teness; for, as he says, "its engaging ::". ASUGARY number bound to please, especially melody stamps it as a good song." Its measures ..'$a so in Adam Carroll's spirited playing. are infectiously adaptable: to his inimitable style ::.. 208691E Sunny Disposish, "Americana," in playing it in the fox-trot rhythm. __:: Fox-Trot, E Flat. Charig 1.2.5 20866lE Idolizing, Fox-Trot, G Flat ::". ONE of the best tunes from AMERICANA for-·· Messenheimer-Abrahamson-West 1·2.5 -.:: which endless repetitions were insistently AH1T from out of the Golden West and finding ::". demanded. a warm reception wherever heard. ..". ..". " =-• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • & • • a _ • • • • ••• .-. • • • _ _t. .-.-.

91

News Frolll The Chapters

FOUND}NG ••CHAPTERSAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Reporter: John and Nadine Motto-Ros.

President: 10hn Motto..Ros... Phone: 707-642-8792 Ed Sprankle, George Cunningham and Joan Sprankle.

Christmas MeetingA happy and prosperous New Year to all AMICA members

from the Founding Chapter. Our Christmas meeting was heldSaturday, December 13, at Richard Reutlinger's beautiful Vic­torian home in San Francisco. Richard goes all-out decoratingfor the holiday season. Throughout the evening, the 1928 KnabeAmpico A played Christmas music. A tradition at Richard's is asilent movie 'shown in the ballroom. Richard accompanies themovie with music from his 1911 American Photoplayer. Otherinstruments in the ballroom are the 1920's Mills Violano, 1918Coinola X, 1908 Seeburg E, Regina music box, and more. Afterthe movie, Richard served a sumptuous buffet dinner. It isalways great to see a big turnout - more fun. Thank you,Richard, for opening your home to all of us.

Our host of all trades: Chief cook and player of Photoplayer,Richard Reutlinger.

John and Dianne Field at the Coinola X.

Bernice Carnes with friend Gerard Hurley, Roger Johnson andhis mother in front of the Steinway.

~. ,

George Cunningham, Joan Sprankle, Denis McMenamy andSharyn Cunningham at the punch bowl.92

Chara Morgan, Don and Joann Dusenbury, Bruce Carnes, TerryHove, and Gerald Wagner in the ballroom.

r

Sharon Beaucage and Founding Member Dale Lawrence.

Host Richard and Bill Chapman discussing Duo-Art rolls.

February Meeting

,.. The Founding Chapter February meeting was at Don~ Ellison's well-appointed 1905 craftsman bungalow in Palo Alto.

What a great turnout! The theme was Valentine's Day; and,since it was the 14th, many members wore red. Don has a won­derful collection of automatic musical instruments - a Farrandupright pumper with Piano Disc, a 1907 Schaeffer upright withPianocorder, and a 1921 Knabe Ampico grand. He also has a1946 Hammond organ, and Bill McCoy entertained us with alive performance - see photo. Roger Johnson joined in playingthe Farrand piano; what a duet! The foot pumper got a goodworkout with sing-alongs. We reminisced a bit viewing Don'svideo of the 1995 London Convention. Two favorite parts wereEarl Scheelar winning the Pumper Contest playing the cornetand piano at the same time, and Dan Stone playing a streetorgan in Holland. What a lot of good memories. Thanks Donand Dan; we had a great time.

~.

Susan Kranich with her mother; Mary Jo Vitek.

Richard Reutlinger and co-host Dan Stofle.

Pat "Ragtime" Clemens and Jack Edwards.

Host Don Ellison - Thanks!

Sandy Swirsky and Lyle Merithew, Chapter Secretary, andDianne Edwards.

93

Chicago Area Chapter Christmas Party

Simon Zivin, Mike Schwimmer, Joe Pekarek (Treasurer), ElsaPekarek, Wolfgang Schweppe, Mabel Zivin (Secretary), CurtClifford.

Gabby Hartnett (Chicago Cubs catcher 1921-1940). Uponarrival, some lingered outside taking a better look at the Rockola(Chicago based Jukebox family) mansion just behind Carol's .

. All had been readied for the event. Sporting a new belly'cloth, the Steinway Duo-Art OR Italian Renaissance art-easelwas properly attired for the occasion. The restoration of Carol'sthree disc Symphonion music box had been completed just daysearlier. The Seeburg G, the Regina music boxes, and phono­graphs including the Wurlitzer 1015 jukebox were all loadedwith Christmas classics.

Carol prepared the main course and everyone brought theirspecial side dish so there was an abundance of delicious food.There was music everywhere, instruments, records, books, etc.The eyeballs of some of the audiophiles got very large whenthey went downstairs and saw the advanced hi-fi collection ofpremier vacuum tube equipment. The annual grab-bag eventhad its usual laughs as well as some fine rolls and other goodies.

At the business meeting, the last year's officers wereunanimously re-elected. A poll taken showed that half of theattendees plan to attend the 2001 Australia meeting. The nextChapter meeting in March at Susan and Al Choffnes wasannounced, and the Mid-Am MBSI October 3rd meeting in the.area was also mentioned.

Reporter: Marty PerskyPresident: Margaret Bisberg ", Phone: 847-318-7310

Long-time members Alice Scheelar, Phyllis McCoy and Earl"New Orleans" Scheelar.

Bill McCoy at the Hammond.

Bernice Carnes and Bing Gibbs enjoying the fireplace.

While Chicago Area Chapter meets in the area, it almostnever meets in Chicago. For our Christmas Party meeting, wefinally got into the city. Some forty members arrived on Satur­day evening, December 7th at the home of Carol (Dupon)Veome. The house was the longtime residence of baseball great,

94

President Margaret Bisberg, presiding over business meeting.

Host Carol Veome, Reporter Marty Persky, Vice President SandyPersky post by the Steinway Duo-Art.

The "Kitchen Crowd"

SIERRA NEVADA CHAPTERReporter: Lori Deal

President: Becky Kane Phone: 916-448-9559

On December 14th, we met at Becky Kane's home for ourChristmas Party. Becky provided some great hors d'oeuvresand others added to the fare. Her apartment is full of postersand other memorabilia from Laurel and Hardy, etc. The Christ­mas lights shone bright (and boy, was I hungry) when sheannounced: "Let's have a business meeting first, then eat anddo a gift exchange." Well, we talked and talked had rousingconversation about the convention, web-sites, etc while I ateand snacked and well ... finally we thought the meeting wasover. Let's get to the eats. We had our gift exchange and a wel­come round of thanks to our host Becky for a great afternoon.

Becky Kane's home, I love this place!

Carol poses at her26" Stella console.

To our host Becky, many thanks!

95

TEXAS CHAPTERReporter: Bryan Cather

President: Larry Williams Phone: 817-485-3727

First Meeting of 1998 A Winner

The weather was perfect, the cookies and coffee were ready,but how many would come? Our chapter secretary had the flu,and several people had said they couldn't make it. As it turnedout, our worries were for naught. We had a good crowd: elevenpeople, and everyone had a great time at the Texas Chapter ofAMICA's first meeting of 1998. Larry and Jean Williams

96

opened both their home and piano to us on Sunday, February 8,1998 for a really enjoyable afternoon. Larry and Jean havea Knabe Ampico A grand, as well as several organettes,phonographs, musical birds, automata, musical boxes, and an

'. Interesting collection of Ampico ads.

Haden Vandiver and his 1953 Packard. He drove this car about50 miles to our meeting from his home in Joshua, Texas. "Askthe man who owns one. "

Our guest speaker was our own Bill Flynt, who showed ushow, about 25 years ago, he arranged several new Ampico rolls.Among these is the "Warsaw Concerto," which is now beingre-issued by Leedy Brothers. He also told us of a problem incoding this same roll for the Duo-Art. It seems that one of theexpression code holes in the Duo-Art system was also needed asa playing note in the opening chord. To facilitate this, the entirepiece was transposed up one pitch! Apparently it worked, andno one seemed to mind (or even notice!).

After Bill's presentation, we descended upon the refresh­ments and mingled for a good long time, enjoying each other'sconversation and trading stories and information. As most of uswere preparing to leave, we were met with a surprise: Chaptermember Haden Vandiver had driven up from his home inJoshua in a 1953 Packard Mayfair. I wanted to take a ride in it,and to take a picture of it. I accomplished this by asking Hadento move it to where the light was better. It rode like a dream.Those who had been planning a short trip to their cars stoppeddead in their tracks when they saw the Packard, and probablytacked another 20 minutes or so on to the meeting while weooohed and aaahed.

All in all, the meeting was true delight, and had some real(and good!) surprises.

Texas Chapter hosts Jean and Larry Williams in their livingroom with their Knabe Ampico A.

Bill Flynt's rollarranging apparatusused to makeAmpico rolls about25 years ago.

During the business meeting approximately ten chapternames were suggested. The list was narrowed to three namesand a vote resulted in the name Southern Skies. The membersin attendance graciously accepted Roger Anderson's offer todraw up the bylaws as approved by those present. Chapter dueswas debated and voted at $10.00 per year. The businessmeeting adjourned for refreshments and time to explore the2800 sq. ft. shop.

All three instruments mentioned above got a good workout.Many guests also took time to check out the other nine grands,including a Mason and Hamlin Ampico A, six upright players,three uprights, and two pump organs waiting for restoration.

The chapter plans to meet again in mid-May in northeastFlorida and in October, hopefully in Savannah, Georgia coincid­ing with the Tom Turpin Ragtime Festival.

Many thanks to all who made our initial meeting successful.

Larry Williams demonstrating an organette while members lookon with interest. L-R: Elaine Mele, Chuck Hield, JeanWilliams, Sal Mele, Bill Flynt (behind Sal).

Host Debra Legg at the Price and Teeple player.

The first meeting of the Southern Skies Chapter was at ThePiano Co., Clearwater, Florida, on Saturday, January 24, co­hosted by Ferdinand Pointer and Debra Legg. The hosts

~; spent many hours finishing the work on a Weber Duo-Art grand,a Price and Teeple player, and a Kawai grand wlPianoDisc in.preparation for the meeting. Twenty-one members and guestS .attended and all were enthused about again having a chapter inthe southeast. Host Ferd Pointer at the Weber Duo-Art.

97

Southern Skies Chapter - Welcome!

Attending were (standing l-r):Conrad Mueller, Karla Hosterman,Robert Shogren, Jeanne Heberling,Larry Heberling, Robert Hill, BarbaraDaly, Howard HYman, Roger Anderson,Dorie Pilkey, Bill Pilkey, Dixie Leis,Dick Leis, Earl Mueller.

(seated l-r): Bill and Becky Shrive withgrandchildren, Debra Legg, John Daly,Ferdinand Pointer.

PACIFIC CAN-AM CHAPTERReporter: Dan Brown

President: Ron Babb Phone: 253~759-1588

Our winter holiday meeting was held December 13th at theKent, Washington home of Mary Lou and Jack Becvar. Newsince last time was a 3-manual console for the over 20 rankWurlitzer theatre pipe organ. This console originally wasinstalled in the Branford Theatre in Newark, New Jersey in 1920and was the first model 235 manufactured. The new consolewill allow all ranks of pipes to be employed by the keyboard andeither the Moeller Artiste or Marque Ampico roll players. TheAmpico can be played from the organ console, operate as anAmpico alone, or can play the various ranks of pipes, quite aclever instrument indeed.

Thirty-four members and guests attended the meeting,including Jim Heyworth, who has been absent for some timedue to health concerns and Ina Spady's guest, Mary JoBorman. Jim is now sporting a new pump (heart) and is doingwell and looking great. In keeping with the holidays, membersbrought special rolls to be played on the organ. A highlight wasthe Ampico version of "Sleigh Ride" arranged by Dave Junchena number of years ago. Show and Tell items included MikeWallace demonstrating his 20-key Pell "busker organ," andCarl Kehret playing the "Dulcimer Organette" which herestored for the Kent Museum. Jack Becvar brought this to ourOctober meeting and Carl volunteered his time and effort torebuild the organette to be demonstrated to school students.Paul Johnson shared a copy of the Staffnote roll "Keen Kut­Ups," written and recorded by Armand Muth, which he has recutfor sale. There had been only one copy of this role known and itwas unavailable for recutting, but another copy was located inTasmania and the owner loaned it to Paul to be recut.

98

Hosts Mary Lou and Jack Becvar at the new 3-manual console.

Jim Heyworth and Fran Willyard examine a holiday treasure.

There was discussion of concerns about advertising in theBulletin by companies or individuals with whom there had beencomplaints or dissatisfaction. It was recommended that theseconcerns be submitted for discussion at the 1998 AMICA Board

. Meeting. Chapter members also discussed ways they had madethe public aware of the hobby. Fran and Maury Willyard hadhosted a group of 30 students to their home and Paul and CindyJohnson had shared their collection with an enthusiastic groupof piano teachers, who showed great interest in composer-playedroUs. The Chapter continues to investigate ways to educate thepublic about automatic music.

This year's gift exchange was the best ever (when yournumber came up you could either open a wrapped gift or stealsomething someone else had already opened) with a number ofitems hotly contested. Several boxes of chocolates had manytemporary owners, but a Coca Cola music box was exchanged atleast nine times until ultimately won by Carl Kehret. Thepotluck dinner included many holiday specialties, and we evenfound time for a mart, in which a number of rolls changedhands. Our next meeting will be March 21st at Fran and MauryWillyard's in Silverdale, Washington. They have Ampico,Welte, and Duo-Art reproducing pianos, Recordo, Telectra, and58/65/88 note players, an Aeolian Orchestrelle, music boxes andclocks, Lincoln automobiles, and other treasures to share.

The happy group enjoying the business meeting.

Jack Becvar demonstrating the organette restored by CarlKehret (at his side). President Ron Babb shows his approval.

Ron Babb and Ward Folsom enjoy Mike Wallace:Sdemonstration ofhis Pell organ.

Peg Kehret, Mark Smithberg, and Carl Kehret at the mart.

Dan Brown played Santa for the gift exchange.

Carl Kehret with hisgift exchange treasure.

99

(Rev. 7-96)

ADVERTISING INFORMATIONAU items for publication must be submitted directly to thepublisher for consideration.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: 20¢ per word, $5.00 mini­mum for members. Non-members may advertise at 40¢ perword ($10.00 minimum) Because of the low cost of classi­fieds, we are unable to provide proof copies.

PAYMENT: in U.S. funds must accompany order. Makechecks payable to AMICA INTERNATIONAL.

DEADLINES: 1st day of the odd months: January, March,May, July, September, November. The Bulletin will bemailed the 1st week of the even months.

AMICA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT,REJECT, OR EDIT ANY AND ALL SUBMITTEDARTICLES AND ADVERTISING.

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

Full Page - 7'/2" x 10" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. $150.00

Half Page - 7'/2" x 4'/<" $ 80.00

Quarter Page -3'/," x 4'/<" $ 45.00

Business Card - 3'/2" x 2" $ 30.00Special 6 for 5 Ad OtTer· Place any ad, with no changes, fora full year (6 issues), and pay for only 5 issues. Full paymentmust be received in advance.

Non-member rates are double for all advertising.

Each photograph orhalftone $10.00

Loose Sheet Insert Advertising: Call for quote.

We recommend that display advertisers supply camera-readycopy. Copy that is oversized or undersized will be changed tocorrect size at your cost. We can prepare an advertisementfrom your suggested layout at cost.

PAYMENT: in U.S. funds, must accompany order. Typeset­ting, layout size alteration charges will be billed separately.Make check payable to AMICA INTERNATIONAL.

DEADLINES: 1st day of the odd months: January, March,May, July, September, November. The Bulletin will bemailed the 1st week of the even months.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUTALL ADVERTISING IN THEAMICA BULLETIN

All advertising should be directed to:Robin Pratt515 Scott StreetSandusky, Ohio 44870-3736Phone (419) 626-1903 Fax (419) 624-9454e-mail: pianola@aol.com

Publication of business advertising in no way impliesAMICA's endorsement of any commercial operation. Howev­er, AMICA reserves the right to refuse any ad that is not inkeeping with AMICA's general standards.

The BULLETIN accepts advertising without any endorse­ment, implied or otherwise, of the products or services beingoffered. Ad copy must contain text directly related to theproduct/service being offered. Extraneous text will be deletedat the Publisher's discretion.

ADVERTISEMENTS: All advertising must be accompaniedby payment. No phone ads or written ads without paymentwill be accepted. This policy was established by a unanimousvote of the Board of AMICA at the 1991 Board Meeting andreaffirmed at the 1992 meeting. AMICA reserves the right toedit or to reject any ad that we deem inappropriate.

100

FOR SALE

Moving - no room for 1928 WEBER GRAND PLAYER piano,90% original equipment, 91 rolls. Best offer, Philadelphia delivery. ~

'. lnspection by appointment. Mr. Butcher, 215-242-6529. (2-98)

WEBER upright piano #75316 (1919) style 59P with an AeolianDuo-Art player mechanism. Complete professional restoration ofpiano and player. Price $9500. A.L. Price, 860 Sugar Hill Road,Hopkinton, NH 03229; 603-746-3065; E-mail:aprice@totalnetnh.net. Fax 603-746-6956. (2-98)

Operators Piano Co. REPRODUCO (piano, mandolin with flute,quintadena and organ pipes) with 17 rolls, $5500. Jerry Cuda(303) 693-7576. CO (2-98)

AMPICO A Mechanism for Mason & Hamlin, 6'2" grand piano,$1,000. Mel Septon (847) 679-3455. IL (2-98)

MONKEY ORGAN - O.G.M. computerized 41-64; 85 tunes; beauti­ful cabinet; excellent sound; easy to crank; with pneumatic tired cart,$6,300 0.8.0. K.C.MO. Paul Morgenroth, 816-229-1255. (2-98)

CmCKERING 5'8" Ampico A #144395. Player mechanism rebuilt1979 by Sonja Lemon - Sacramento; English walnut case refinished atsame time; soundboard perfect; ivory keyboard; new bass strings;plays beautifully, $16,000. STEINWAY L #253656, non-player,rebuilt and refinished in satin Ebony, $18,000. Call Randy Jensen,702-329-8088, NY. (2-98)

STEINWAY Duo-Art XR 6' 1" walnut, serial #262226. Meticulouslyrestored 1995; mint original condition, magnificent sound, perfectworking order. Includes 300 select rolls (mostly classical; approxi­mately 35 Audiographic); Firm at $30,000. Bob Bowers (212) 873­9584, NY. (2-98)

WURLITZER 125 Band Organ, all original, restored, estate sale,$14,900. Anita Johnson, 740 Wedge Dr., Grand Junction, CO 81506(970) 242-6331. CO. Must sell. Make offer. (2-98) r-.PIANO ROLL AUCTIONS, reproducing, 88-Note, and literature bymail auction. Serving collectors since 1970. Bennet Leedy Rolls -The Piano Roll Center, 4660 Hagar Shore Road, Coloma, MI 49038;phone 616-468-5986, Fax 616-468-0019. (1-99)

AEOLIAN THEMODIST VORSETZER, 88/65 note (logo insidelid, "CSK"?), original black finish, unrestored, best offer over$500.00 plus shipping. Dean SUM, Tucson, (520) 825-9244. (3-98)

SEEBURG H reproduction with statues and stained glass. No instru­ments, has Pianocorder system installed with 160 tapes. Call JimBlanchard, (915) 445-5150 office, (915) 445-2800 home. (2-98)

1920 GEORGE STECK upright Duo-Art, newly restored and refin­ished, $12,000. Carl 440-593-2155 OH. (4-98)

AMPICO ROLLS, 85 big rolls, 20 small rolls; DUO-ART ROLLS,24 big, 14 small, and 13 Henderson rolls. Carl 440-593-2155 OH.(4-98)

1925 KNABE AMPICO, Louis XV, walnut, single leg, rollcollection, Bulletins, catalogues, matching bench, original family,refinished and rebuilt, price negotiable. Call Bill 510-482-2221 CA.(2-98)

TWO LYON and HEALY HARPS - concert models, need completerebuilding, fire damaged, $800 total; MARSHALL & WENDELL,cathedral oak, four legged ex-player upright, beautiful panels, $600;STEINWAY XR 1926, completely original, all intact complete,$6200. We will trade for standard grand pianos, any size. Also, oddsets of legs for: Steinway, Knabe, Chickering players. Jay-MartPiano Wholesalers, call 1-800-411-2363, P.O. Box 21148, Cleveland,Ohio 44121. "The piano store for piano stores" ... "still under old j''''''',management!" (4-98)

Player Pump piano, Baffles, Newby & Even Co., New York, NewYork Est. 1832. Approx. age 50 years #21021. Connie Gayda, phoneand Fax 765-825-2248. IN (2-98)

MARSHALL & WENDELL AMPICO, 5 1/2 ft., w/matchingbench; newly refinished; player needs attention. Norman Bevan,626-447-2942. CA (2-98)

. ART-ECHO Reproducing mechanism in a Lyon & Healy 5'2"- -r.grand; pneumatics recovered; plays well; tubing and pneumatic func­

tion chart; regulation sequence and intensity setting instruction sheet;test and set up roll; 81 rolls (I5 large). Piano case needs work andrefinishing. Total package of enjoyment for $3,800. Located inAustin, Texas. E-mail: to-and-fro@msn.com; Voice 512-246-6952.Jerry Raymond. (2-98)1932 MARSHALL & WENDELL Ampico B, 4'8" grand, Williamand Mary Art Case w/matching bench. Original ivory keyboard EC,brown mahogany sprayed lacquer, hand rubbed finish; piano andmechanism meticulously rebuilt by RPT; sounds great, plays great;showroom condition. Includes 50 Ampico rolls, some new recuts,some jumbos. $13,900. Info? Pics? Call David Charrier, RPT,evenings 215-342-1074 or E-mail: Pianoguy@erols.com (2-98)STEINWAY Model OR stack with Steck Duo-Art parts, $800.CHICKERING 5'4" Ampico parts, $500. All excellent condition.David Swanger, 704-327-2181. (2-98)

ORANGE COAST PIANO - Must move Inventory to make roomfor new consignments and player piano rolls. December/January wasa very good turnover of nearly all of our Nickelodeon and Orchestri­on stock. March's inventory is mostly from the famed "Knott'sBerry Farm Original Collection": NELSON & WIGGINS style 7piano with xylophone, $17,500 obo; LINK style 2E original casetiger oak, needs xylophone and new spoolframe, make offer; SEE­BURG Model A with violin pipes, tiger oak case, original beveledglass front, make offer; NICKELODEON parts for Model "L's" 4­stacks unrestored, spoolframe, 4-piano actions; IMHOF & MUKLEBand Organ parts: 15 note wood trumpet, partial bass 20 violinpipes, 52 note flute pipes, one small chest, two topboards, lock andcancel, timpani beaters, long brass feeder line, remote coin boxes;

'-..../"CREMONA "G" pump; COINOLA spoolframe and pump restored;NATIONAL parts; REPRODUCO back rank and chest; make offeron all items listed above! CHAUTANQUA roller organ w/9 cobs,$750; 1914 WURLITZER "BX" Orchestrion, restored to 100 point,I-rank of dopple flutes, piano/mandolin Bass and Snare Drums Tri­angle, 6-roll changer, original artglass, tiger oak case with 30-65 noteAPP rolls, $35,000; 1917 ENGLEHARDT tiger oak Nickelodeon alloriginal condition never touched by anyone, a real find, $3,900;WESTERN ELECTRIC Keyboard Nickelodeon tiger oak case with4-"A" rolls, looks and works great, $7,500; STEINWAY Duo-Artupright fiddleback mahogany works beautifully, $7,500 obo;GEORGE STECK 5'8" Duo-Art walnut refurbished, $7,400;WEBER Japanese art painted and gold guilt, 5'7" Duo-Art with 200roll library, a wonderful player and show piece, $12,500 obo. Callfor more information, Kim or John (714) 836-7368, 9-5 pm P.S.T.Also can ship anywhere in U.S and Canada at very low rates. Mas­terCard and Visa accepted or Fax Orders at (714) 543-0835, E-mail:ocpiano@pacbell.net (2-98)

Move'em out sale! Bring a truck and some cash. We bought by themile so you can save by the yard! 1912 MELVILLE CLARKAPOLLOPHONE (crank phonograph model) red mahogany, bench,orig. ivory, complete and in good condition, $1500; KIMBALLplayer organ, good condition, $600; remanufactured make-shiftAPOLLO player piano that plays 65 and 58-note rolls, best offer;STROUD Duo-Art upright, all orig. and still plays some, best offer;reconditioned 1950's HARDMAN·DUO console, shaded mahoganycase, bench, rolls and cabinet, best offer; pumps and electric motors,actions, parts, parts, parts; JUNIOR SEEBURG pump, recovered in

~-leather, $250; 15 mandolin rails, make offer; 25 good old player~pianos, $250 and up; PADEREWSKI piano, gift to the Paderewski

Club of Chicago 1907, plaque and autograph of Paderewski on plateand story of instrument on inside of lid, single valve Standard playeraction, clean original condition, pictures available; need benches?We got'em! Frank Trotta (Chicago) 773-581-0684 eves. (2-98)

STEINWAY PEDAL "0", 88/65 excellent condition, $20,000.Geoffrey Kaiser, 215-234-8424. (2-98)1923 J & C FISCHER AMPICO A, piano original and good condi­tion, Ampico partially restored complete. Ampico A complete withextra pump, $2000 for everything. Call 605-665-1739 or E-maildadam@willinet.net (2-98)

88·NOTE PIANO ROLLS. Hundreds of used rolls, fox trots,waltzes, marches, hymns, song ballads, classicals - $3.00 each plusshipping. Nice clean playable rolls. Will furnish lists on request.Dave Caldwell, 400 Lincoln Lk. Rd., Lowell, MI 49331; Phone616-897-5609. (3-98)Needs work. LEONARD PLAYER PIANO, bench, 22 rolls, $600;EDISON DISC PHONOGRAPH, upright, 53 records, $600. Both$1000. Texas 409-690-0098. (2-98)STELLA disc music box, duplex music comb, quartered oak case,base drawer w/31 steel 17-114" tune sheets, 1897 patent, customstand, $9,500. Call 512-869-8008. (2-98)19265' FISCHER AMPICO A Grand, old Ampico restoration,plays, $1800. R. Olsen, 612-535-6662 late evenings. (2-98)39 KEY MONKEY ORGAN w/exposed brass pipes, $5595; Origi­nal Ampricron, $2500 - Trades - OBO. Fortune, 3711 Center Rd.,Ashtabula, Ohio 44004, phone 440-969-1869. (2-98)5 Reproducing Player Grand Pianos (STEINWAY, CHICKERING,WEBER, KNABE) fully restored, $9,000 and up; 4 Nickelodeons(SEEBURG, WURLITZER and COINOLA) fully restored,$9,000 and up; SEEBURG G Orchestrion, $78,000. Ask for 2-pagefull-descriptive list. Buying Music Boxes and other automaticmusical instruments. Wayne Edmonston, 2177 Bishop Estates Rd.,Jacksonville, Florida 32259; phone (904) 287-5996 or FAX (904)287-4131. (2-98)AMPICO PIANO ROLLS, also QRS, 88-NOTE, etc. Originalsready to play. Send large S.A.S.E. for list. Peter Manno(512-869-8008),204 Esparada Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628. (2-98)ROLLS, ROLLS AND MORE ROLLS: When you add our cata­log of authentic recuts with the original rolls in our auctions, WEOFFER OVER 2500 TITLES per year to the collector. Our catalogfeatures faithful reproductions of original AMPICO, DUO-ART andWELTE performances. We also feature the best of RAGTIME,JAZZ and BLUES in 88 note rolls. These include our exclusive lineof HOT PIANO CLASSICS as well as recuts of the peppiest originalrolls. Our auctions feature hard-to-find vintage reproducing and 88note rolls, selling for a mere $4.00 and up. For more information,contact The Piano Roll Shop, 26390 Big Valley Rd., Poulsbo, WA98370; phone 360-697-2422, FAX 360-697-2522 or e-mail:pianoroll@compuserve.com. Catalogs e-mailed on request. (2-98)

WANTEDDUO·ART Stack - with expression box (tiny) valves, GeoffreyKaiser, 215-234-8424. (2-98)AMPICO roll 68153H: Chat et la Souris, (The Cat and Mouse).Bob Muylaert (248) 477-0731 or RAMuylaert@AOL.COM. (2-98)Original STEINWAY 1920s mahogany piano bench, finish can bein any condition-please! I know there must be one out there! CurtBrohard, 510-521-4299, ctbro@aol.com. CA (2-98)AEOLIAN "Two Manual and Pedal" Orchestrelle, see page 779,Bowers Enc. Plays 58 and 116 note rolls. Any condition, restoredor not. Contact Bruce Rolland at 310-376-5985, or E-mail at(bruceandem@earthlink.net) (2-98)ARTRIO-ANGELUS REPRODUCING ROLLS and CATALOGSWANTED. David Krall, 4218 Torrence Ave., Hammond, IN 46327;(219) 932-2322. (4-98)MUSIC BOXES WANTED in any condition, uprights, changers,consoles, table models, disk and cylinder. Also interested in musicbox parts and disks. Arnold Levin, 2634 Woodlawn Road,Northbrook, IL 60092; phone/Fax 847-564-2893; E-mailmusical@flash.net. (2-98)

101

ANNOUNCEMENTMARION AND HARVEY ROEHL'S COMPACT DISC ANDAUDIO CASSETTE business is for sale. This is a profitablehome-based business. Call or write for a basic information sheet.607-797-9062 I 3533 Stratford Drive, Vestal, New York 13850.(2-98)

NEW CHAPTER In Southwestern Pennsylvania including: Penn­sylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and, of course, anyoneelse who wants to be in the new Chapter from the ground up! Pleasecontact: Mamie Lauffer, P.O. Box 205, Ruffs Dale, PA 15679 ortelephone her at: (412) 696-3949.

NEW CHAPTER (Southern Skies Chapter) In Sunny Florida!

All AMICA members from the neighboring Southeastern States (aswell as anyone else) are welcome. Please contact: Debra Legg,327 Rowena Lane, Dunedin, FL 34698, (813) 734-3353 or E-mailher at: DLLegg@aol.com.

Qe~S ployel" PieinG S\) e."v·IeEl

A pneumatic restoration service for reproducing

pianos, nickelodeons and player pianos. Factory

new restoration techniques will insure many yearsof trouble free operation. UPS shipping cartons

furnished for any style action.

464 Dugan Rd. • Richfield Springs, NY 13439

315-858-2164

(1-99)

I,~

NEW CHAPTER In Merry Old England! Brian Chesters says peo­ple in England and Europe are tired of seeing all of us having funover here so they want to form a Chapter to have fun too. He is ten­tatively planning a meeting to get organized in August of 1998.Please contact: Brian Chesters, 43 Raikes Parade, Blackpool, FYI4EY, United Kingdom or E-mail himat:brian@blackpool.net.

LEATHER SUPPLY HOUSEQUALITY LEATHERS

for Musical Instruments-Clocks-Organs

Ray & Marilyn McLeland412 W. Marion St.

South Bend, IN 46601

Phone: 219-234-8990Fax: 219-234-9880

, LEATHERMUS@aol.com I ~

Always in the market for better quality disc and cylin­der music boxes, musical clocks, singing birds, bandorgans, player organs, monkey organs, Wurlitzer 78 rpmjukeboxes, slot machines. Any condition.

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WANTED TO BUY

MUSIO BOXESMUSIOAL OLOOKS

MEOIUNIOAL ORGANS

MARTIN ROENIGK26 Barton Hill

East Hampton, Connecticut 06424

(800) 671-6333 • Fax (860) 267-1120

www.mechantique.com.mroenigk@aol.com(4-98)

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Breathtaking Circassian Walnut CaseHighly Figured 1915 Steinway XR Duo-Art wlremote pump

r-

C ayer SystemRestoration Including:

• Recover all bellows, and replace all tubing.

• Replace all leather valves and pouches.

• Replace valve seats and gaskets.

• Refinish all black components, nickel plateor refinish all hardware.

Price: $75,000Please contact:

Shawn HoarShawn's Piano

P.O. Box 330476 • West Hartford, CT 06133-0476(860) 953-8885

This piano was featured

at three Piano Technicians

Guild Conventions in 1997,

including The Intemation 1

Convention i

Color photos and detailed specification lists ofmaterials available.

103

NEW AMICABrochures available

for your eventCall or write for as many as

you may need!Robin Pratt

515 Scott Street • Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3736

Phone: (419) 626-1903

Fax: (419) 624-9454

e-mail: pianola@ao1.com

Chapter officers are encouraged to order immediately fordistribution at your regularly scheduled chapter meetings!

.~ ...

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USED PLAYER ROLLSOrange Coast Piano Presents:

The Largest Collection of USED player piano rolls ever assembledunder any roof anywhere. Thousands of titles to choose from.

1. All of our rolls have been checked for any damage and if found, noted and graded fromA+ being in perfect shape both roll and box to C- no box and small amount of tatteringonly in the beginning of the roll.

2. Value is determined by: Grade, Quality and Type ONLY!

3. On large number of roll purchases over ten, discounts range from 10 to 30% off.Shipping cost is determined by weight of rolls sold only.

4. Here is a sample of used roll types we have: Ampico, ArtEcho, Duo-Art, Deluxe,Empico (German), Welte-Mignon and Red Paper, 58 note, 65 note, 88 note and 116 note.

88 note type: SingA, Simplex, Rythmodic, Perfection,old and newer Q.R.S./Playrite, Vaudevillian, Vocalstyle

Nickelodeons and Orchestrions: M.R.S., H rolls, G rolls

Wurlitzer Original 65 note, A rolls, 0 rolls

Specialty rolls: 191 Military Band, Blessing 52 note roll, Cob Organ rollers,and many more!!!

Send $6.95 for shipping and handling for our current Catalogue.We also accept Visa/MasterCard.

ORANGE COAST PIANO1251 South Wright Street • Santa Ana, CA 92705

Or Call (714) 836-7368 ask for Kim

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104

Winter Wonders From Mechantiques

February 1998

Well- it's not much ofa Winter here, but it is that time ofyear. Wah the Holidays past and theweather mixed, we thought we ought to get another sales list out since we haven't done one since lastNovember. We have been busy buying lots ofneat things, but with ourfocus on other activities (ourpublic company, CompuDyne, CDCY ifyou want to buy some stock, and our two historic hotels) wehaven't been selling as much as usuaL So we thought we would get a list out and see what happens! Afew ofthe especially wondrous additions are a cylinder box with organ and bird automata. Thisspectacular piece has pipes (not reeds) in the organ and the bird movements are actuated offofthecylinderfor realismI There is also a Symphonion Chimes, an already rare machine in the particularlyr:are case that is really massive. And be sure to note the 18" interchangeable cylinder Mermod FreresSublime Harmonie Piccolo with the spectacular carved case. A very sweet 25" Symphonion. Last andperhaps most important, the unique 27" Olympia.

The hardestpart ofour business is buying additional itemsfor inventory. We urge you to think ofusifyou are planning on selling one item or a collection. We have been doing this for over 25 years now,we are always in the market, and we can always manage an outright purchase on short notice - in factthat is our only way ofdoing business, we will not ask you to hand over your precious machines onconsignment, we will not offer you inflatedpromises, and we will not ask you to risk your pieces in ourpossession when anything might happen to them prior to resale. We simply agree or disagree with you onprice, and then we proceed to purchase and a"ange pick-up or shipping immediately. Call us, we'll makethe transaction pleasant and easy.

Following are abbrevioted descriptions ofwhat we have in stock at the moment By the time thisadvertisement gets into print we will undoubtedly have sold a number ofthese pieces andpurchased someothers - sofeel free to call and see what we have in stock. Also - we have a long list of"wanted" requestsfrom our many goodfriends. As a result, many items are sold shortly after they arrive, without everhaving been advertised. Ifthere is something special you are lookingfor, give us a call or drop a line - wewill add it to our list

18-3. North Tonawanda Military Band Organ Style 173. See Bower's page 910 - really neatstyle, similar to a Wurlitzer 150 only with drums and cymbal on top. This has lots more brass pipesand musical capability than the Wurlitzer 125. Recently mechanically restored and converted to thegenerally available Wurlitzer 150 rolls. A strong, popular organ. $26,000.

28-1. Heavily Carved Mermod Freres Sublime Harmonie Piccolo This Mermod with four18" cylinders is really outstanding. It is the most extensively carved mahogany case that we haveever had on a Mermod of any size - front, sides and top are all extensively carved. This fine musicbox was in a New York City home since it was new. Fine original condition but needing fullmechanical restoration plus two teeth and a repair to the governor. Plays but has damper noise. Finecombs. Everything is original and this will be a fabulous sounding and really stunning lookingmusic box when done. $15,500.

Mechantiques26 Barton Hill, East Hampton, CT 06424

Phone: 866-267-8682 or 806-671-6333. Fax: 866-267-1120Website: www.Mechantiques.com Email: mroenigk@aol.com

105

106

18-4. Important Cylinder Music Box with Bin!Autonuda. I doubt that you will see anotherone of these for sale ever. This is the finest type available of a very scarce genre of cylinder musicboxes. Has a 15" cylinder and perfect combs. Uses pipes instead of reeds for the bird music. Thebird (in an oval glass opening in front of the music box) has all of the movements - head, ivorybeak, wings, body - and the movements are directed from the cylinder so that it appears it ismoving along with the song! The case is ofvery high quality, it has brass and pewter inlay bandingand decorations along with some other inlays in the center. A few pieces of banding are missing.The musical format is Mandoline Bass, which means it has the attributes of an Organocliede. Sixtunes, really wonderful arrangements. Truly an outstanding museum piece, the only one we haveever had. $27,000.

58-6. Wurlitzer Style 153 Band Organ. This one is complete with a custom well-made opentrailer with tarp, generator, etc. A regular at Mid-America Band Organ Rallies in prior years.Plays great, older partial restoration. Front repainted but now needs some touch-up. This isundoubtedly the popular favorite of all of the Wurlitzer band organs.. It's all ready to go to organrallies or out earning money for you or the local 4th of July parade! Very reasonable at $42,000.

18-5. Cylinder Music Box with Dock in Front This was once a very nice music box(Langdorf, 8-tune), however an amateur restorer has been at it and it will need serious work. It has5 or 6 broken teeth, part of the mechanism (including the comb) has silver paint on it, and it willneed repinning. Eight tunes. Nice case. Lots of potential, it is highly unusual to find a music boxwith a clock in it, but a handyman special. $2300.

28-2. Fine Early Cylinder Box With Organ. This is a lovely early organ box. The 17-noteorgan is positioned at the end of the comb as opposed to the later format where the organ wastypically placed in the center. The case has very nice inlays, comers are cut ala Bremond. The comband 13 112" cylinder are fine. Organ fingers need adjusting. $3200.

18-6. uSymphonion Chimes" Rare Imperial Symphonion 27" Upright with Bells. It isamazing that in 25 years of collecting and dealing in music boxes, we had only been able topurchase one of these rare 27" Symphonions (and that one we kept for our collection), and nowwithin the past 12 months we have purchased two ofthem! We know ofless than 10 anywhere inthe world. These are truly wonderful machines. This example has the rarer case style - oak, highlydecorative with curved comers, and massively large! Probably the largest music box we have had,even though it is missing the 18" Gallery and pediment! Fine original condition. Three brokenteeth. With ten discs. $30,000.

18-8. Wurlitzer Style 150 Military Band Organ. These are great band organs, lots of brasstrumpets and piccolos and clarinets. Big strong sounding machines when restored. We have justpurchased this and it is currently stored in Houston, Texas. This is a late example with the morereliable roll mechanism and very fine pipes. Natural oak finish. Takes the popular 150 rolls.$28,000.

Mechantiques (860) 267-8682

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107-3C North Tonawanda Pianolin. This is a machine that we had intended to keep, but-.,; with the move we don't have room. Beautiful original condition, with two ranks of pipes, very

pretty cabinet style oak case. Needs mechanical restoration. $11,000.

28-3. Heavily Carved Regina 15112" Style 9. See Bowers page 188, top center. Thesebeautiful ornately decorated Reginas are very difficult to find, and especially in the exceptionallyfine original condition this case is in. Double comb. One inner board is missing. Mechanism shouldhave the normal cleaning. With 12 discs. $6600.

18-9. The Only 27" Olympia Known to Exist. This truly seems to be a unique example - thelargest size music box ever made by the F.G. Otto Company (by a wide margin, the next largestwas the Olympia/Criterion 20 3/4" size). This large (6'2"), handsome mahogany music box hasduplex style combs with 140 teeth per comb! Combs are perfect except for four expertly repairedteeth. There is an inlaid eagle at the top, emblematic of the F.G. Otto Company. This music boxwas purchased by American International Galleries with the Bernard Kaufman Collection in 1977.We have just purchased it from the AIG customer. Dave Bowers' description reads, in part: "FromThe Kaufman Collection comes this prize; the largest disc size Olympia music box we've ever seen,and possibly the largest pure American style disc box known. The instrument is in a large verticalmahogany cabinet with ornate trim. It is a double comb model. The tone is deep, resonant, and veryexcellent. There are 4 broken teeth, but these are not tonally noticeable". This music box will bearriving shortly and we can describe it more carefully then, but we understand from a qualifiedrepresentative that it is beautiful sounding and very impressive. Another, truly unique, opportunity.

77-7. Capitol CuffBox Early Style A. All of the Capitol Cuff Boxes are very scarce, havingbeen made for only a short period by the F.G. Otto Company. This style, which is the earliest of themodels made, is the scarcest and most decorative mechanically. Has the unusual coil spring drivewith a very decorative tri-corner casting. This is currently being restored, and should beexceptionally nice when done. With six cuffs. $4650.

111-1. Regina 15 112" Disc Bowfront Autochanger in Mahogany. Beautiful curved frontStyle 35/36. This is complete with original crown, and was probably mechanically restored andrefinished some 10-20 years ago. This is the later style mechanism with the lifting arms rather thanthe lifting straps (which are more troublesome). Both coin-operated and manually operated, both ofwhich look very original. Plays well, sounds fine. A very good example of an extremely popularRegina model. With 12 discs. $19,500.

107-4. Rare Pianista Mechanism We have never had one of these before. This is a bookoperated piano mechanism with bells (the actual bells are missing but the mechanism is there).Missing the large upright case it would have been in, and the hot air motor which would probablyhave driven it. Complete one in the Columbia exhibit. With books. $3400.

18-11. Three Toy Harp Like Instruments with Music Boxes. Nicely made toys, althoughsome have represented they were made for Masonic events. $400 for the three.

Mechantiques - (860) 267-8682

107

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107-5. Regina 20 314" Short Bedplate. These are truly wonderful music boxes, with the finaltechnical development of the short bedplate movement, and the wonderful arrangements of the 203/4" size. This one will be exceptional, but it does need refinishing and a mechanical cleaning alongwith three broken teeth. Square case with cupola lid. Don't hesitate. $6400.

18-10. Ariosa Organette, Incomplete. Handyman special. $150.

18-13. Stella 17114" Electrified Handyman SpeciaL This table model Stella with drawer(actually only the front of the drawer is there) has had a difficult life. It has been electrified andthere are 8 or 10 broken teeth on the upper comb (I haven't looked at the lower comb). We paid alot more for this but found it had been misrepresented when we received it. We couldn't return it sosome handyman out there will benefit from our special "get..it out of my sight" price. $1500

107-7. Hardman Welte Reproducing Grand. Still on the way in, reportedly about 5'10", andin nice original condition with bench. How can you go wrong at $1600?

28-4. Early Topwind Typewriter & Gramophone Disc Phonograph. Beautiful originalcondition, complete. $2400.

28-5. Caille New Century Detroit Upright Slot Machine. This is the first one of these beautifulVictorian style upright slot machines we have had in years. This one is in beautiful condition, was I J""....on the cover of "Loose Change" magazine in 1984. Has an original musical mechanism with it butis not hooked up and may not be original to this machine. $12,500.

107-8. Reginaphone Style 240 with Lions Heads. This is the one everyone seems to belooking for. This one is mahogany, refinished, with a restored mechanism. However there is aproblem with the spring which we have not gotten to. The phonograph arm may be original, theflange is not. Missing the dividers inside the case to hold discs and records. As is $10,500.

107-9. Possibly Unique Style 901 Reginaphone. Talk about rare, we don't know of anyonewho has ever seen this model Reginaphone before. Looks like a regular console phonograph thatRegina sold under the "Princess" name, with pretty case with applied decorations and curved front.15 112" double comb short bedplate. Missing tone arm, but has original turntable. Good combs andmechanism. Needs refinishing and restoration. You will be the only one with one of these!! $7,000.

77-3. Large 9-Cylintler Interchangeable with Organ and Matching Table. Very large andimpressive organ box with matching table and two drawers to store the nine 17 118" cylinders.Large 24-note organ section which has been recently repaired. Plays well. $16,000.

08

107-11. Rococo Symphonion Double Comb 11 718". One of the prettiest of all table modelmusic boxes, this Style 25C (Encyclopedia page 220 upper right) needs a full mechanical overhaul,but the case is in very fine condition. $6500.

Mechantiques - (860) 267-8682

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107-12. Art Nouvetlll Style Odeon Phonograph with Brass Horn. I can't describe thisphonograph - it has the most outrageous case I have ever seen. Heavily art nouveau styling, brassspun horn, art nouveau brass decorations, fabulous! Replaced mechanism because the originalOdeon mechanisms were very poor, but the real story is the fabulous case. $3,850.

86-6. John Manger Interchangeable Bell Box. This large box has eight 14" cylinders and sixbells. Early example with brass bedplate. No table. Mechanically restored, plain case, somecylinders need repinning. $8500.

97-1. Yale Wonder aock. This is the first of these extremely rare machines that we have everhad. This one came out of a gambling club right here in Connecticut, where it had been for over 80years. Excellent unrestored condition, missing a few parts - call for details. Excellent finish. Thesehave 15 1/2" Regina mechanisms, plus gambling and advertising. You will never have anotherchance for one of these. $18,000.

105-1. Goodale Celluloid Phonograph. Literally one of a kind patent/prototype model of this1908 invention. Floor model, two horns, fabulous. $18,500 fully restored.

76-7. Impressive Allard Interchangeable. Very high quality case with brass banding and brassormolu, mirror on inner lid. Six 15 1/2" cylinders, missing all of original matching table except fordrawers. Exceptional sound and appearance. $10,000.

77-6. Early Orchestral Cylinder Music Box. 16" cylinder, extensive metal inlays, partiallyhidden drum and bells and wood block. High quality. $6250.

17-5. Cylinder Music Box, 100tune. 13" cylinder, needs tuning. $1250

16-27. Mernwd Freres 11" Interchangeable. Carved oak case, one cylinder, needs work.$2200

97-2. Mills Cast Iron Operator's Bell Slot Machine. Very fine all original. $6250.

37-9. Betllltiful Bisque Head Marotte. It has a tiny crack in the head, so $550.

126-7. Heavily Carved Cylinder Base Cabinet. Probably a reproduction. $1650.

97-4. AMPICO Roll Cabinet $200

37-15. 13" Orchestral Cylinder Music Box. With six bells, drum and wood block. Needsrepinning, otherwise very nice. $2800

77-4. Stella 17 114" Mahogany Carved Table Model. Older restoration. $5400.

Mechantiques - (860) 267-8682

109

106-4. Very Rare 21 114" Imperator with FoUl' Full Combs and Bells. These fabulous music I ."'""boxes are rarely found, and this one sounds the best of the few that I have heard. Very strong, hasfelt dampers which will have to be worked on. Has had light restoration. $18,000.

6-10. Wurlitzer Qdiola Carousel Organ. Good older restoration, looks & sounds good.$13,500

87-15. Lochnumn Original 24 112" With Bells. The very best of all disc boxes, this camefrom the lim Caterina collection. We watched Jim buy this at a New York City auction some 15-20years ago. A fine opportunity, with saucer bells, plays very well. Two original discs and sixreproduction discs. These don't come on the market very often. $18,000.

107-12. Regina MISsion Style Chime Clock. Oak, very fine original condition, mechanicallyreconditioned. Beautiful example of this popular furniture style. Bowers page 211. $7200.

66-1. The Legendary Wurlitzer Mammoth. The largest of all Wurlitzer military band organs,only two known in the world. In process of restoration. Price increased to $115,000 plus restorationcost.

87-6. Street Barrel Piano with Drums and Cymbal. Very unusual, needs restoration. $1500.

110

37-1. Mernwd Fredes Carved Oak with Four 18" Cylinders. Fully Restored. $13,500.

87-9. Approximately 7" Symphonion Disc Music Box. Fine condition. $550.

87-7. Won.detfuI25" Disc Symphonion Upright Home model, about 7' tall, tremendousoriginal condition, one broken tooth, very little wear. Perhaps the sweetest disc music box I haveever heard. lust arrived. 20 discs. $15,000.

87-8. Victor IVPhonograph With Mahogany Horn. Fine original condition. $2900.

The Encydopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments by Q. David Bowers. This great 1000page hardcover book is finally back in print! The "bible" of the mechanical music collecting hobbyand a must for every enthusiast. Only $80 postpaid, two for $150.

MechantiquesMarty & Elise Roenigk

26 Barton Hill, East Hampton, CT 06424Phone 860-267-8682 or 800-671-6333 Fax 860-267-1120Website: www.Mechantiques.com Email: mroenigk@aol.com

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ANGELUS O~CHEST~AL

PIANO PLAYE~A new and ,vonderful invention that instantly con­verts any piano into a self-playing instrulnent. Inevery house where there is a piano the ANGELUSORCHESTRAL PIANO PLAYER is needed.

No Inusical talent on the part of theperformer is required. A child thathas never before seen a piano can, withthe aid of the ANGELUS ORCHESTRALPIANO PLAYER, render the most diffi­cult compositions in a manner possibleto oniy the most accolnplished andpractised of pianists. Contains (in ad­dition to the piano-playing- mechanism)two full sets of organ reeds. which maybe played separately or in cOlllpanywith the piano.

The above is a very brIef and incomplete account ofthe ANGELUS ORCHESTRAL PIANO PLAYER.Send your name and address on a postal card and ,vewill mail you descriptive catalogue.

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THE BEST MUSIC BOXES MADE

!REGINA MUSIC BOXESII PLAY 1000 TUNES.I Their brilliancy and tone can not be equaled by any box on the I

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