Hello MMD readers,  In recent issues I've seen a string of postings
about making-up a list of Duo-Art owners.

One consideration here is that the Duo-Art (over all other types of
so-called 'reproducing' pianos) is "Alive and Active", _just like_
the 88-Note pedal player.

In other words, _new_ instruments have been built in Europe as a craft
industry (akin to harpsichords and pipe organs), a number of them by
Douglas Heffer dba 'Pneumatique Contemporaine' in Paris, also the
Artcraft Music Rolls representative for France.  Others have been
made from scratch, often from looking at reprint service manuals or
by duplicating actual parts, and then retrofitting a standard pedal
player.  E.g., one of my customers in the Southwest has a Cunningham
Duo-Art upright with a Standard Pneumatic action!  Monsieur Heffer
makes similar conversions as well as instruments from scratch, in
addition to console (push-up) players for the Duo-Art format.

Thus, the pool of Duo-Art owners is _growing_ all the time, albeit in
small steps.  The "Themodist/intensity" design makes it applicable for
today's more demanding piano solos, something the 'slide up/down'
divided scales have troubles with, such as the Ampico or Welte-Mignon.

Just thought I'd add these lines since the Duo-Art is _not_ "frozen
in history" like the other expression players.

In the international market, the 88-Note player and the Duo-Art are
where the 'action' is.  However, I do expect to release some snappy
Ampico rolls this Winter, after my rebuilt upright is delivered to
Wiscasset.  This will be a secondary market since most of the Ampico
players were in the States, and not as international in scope as were
the 88-Note and Duo-Art instruments.)

Regards from Maine,
Douglas Henderson