Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > August 1997 > 1997.08.17 > 04Prev  Next


Race Horse Pianos
By Dick Bueschel

An aside to Don Teach's great notes about race horse pianos.  The idea
was to add value to the money for a play of the piano, and the race horse
tracks allowed patrons to bet on the outcome while the music played.
Great speakeasy piece.

Other tricks were tried.  H. C. Evans and Rock-Ola took Operators pianos
and added A.B.T. gun games to shoot for score.  Only one of these exists
to my knowledge, and it is in a Southern California collection.

Jimmy Johnson, the last CEO of Western, took the race horse component
and made it into a trade stimulator as well as a payout console
slot machine on legs as WESTERN SWEEPSTAKES.  (Western had a patent on
the game, and its connection to the piano.  Seeburg, who owned Western,
used the patent on their later GREYHOUND piano.)  Johnson did so much
better with the console than he did with pianos, that he bought Western
and turned it into a slot machine -- and later pinball machine --
company.

Dick Bueschel

( Robbie: Painstakingly double-spaced.  But for you -- anything! )

[ You're a prince, Dick!  :)


(Message sent Sun 17 Aug 1997, 20:14:39 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Horse, Pianos, Race

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page