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MMD > Archives > November 2004 > 2004.11.16 > 06Prev  Next


Ampico Symphonique Roll Tracking Problem
By Eliyahu Shahar

Hi Chris,  Congratulations on your Ampico Symphonique.  Symphonique,
to my knowledge, was a no-name brand for Ampicos.  (The common brand
names being Knabe, Mason & Hamlin, Chickering, Marshall & Wendell,
Franklin and ???.)

First question: do you have a tubing diagram for your piano?
It's important to be able to understand what's going on.

Tracking on an Ampico is often a problem and the way I would work
on it is as follows:

1.  Verify if the tracking mechanism is working at all:

a.  First, tape the tracker bar and turn the machine on.  Put on
a roll but do not feed it to the take-up spool.

b.  With the cover on the right side removed, push on the right and
left side tracking fingers one at a time.  You should see the tracking
mechanism move the roll to the right if you push the left finger, and
move to the left if you push the right finger, and no change if you
push both fingers simultaneously.

2.  Assuming that it does that, you have to adjust the position of the
tracking fingers:

a.  Take a perfect roll, preferably an original Ampico roll.  Hand wind
it onto the take-up spool until the music starts.

b.  The notes should be centered over the holes in the tracker bar and
the tracking pneumatic should be exactly in the center position.  If it
is not, adjust the position by loosening the screws holding the double
bar in the right side of the drawer, the one that pushes the roll right
or left.

If that solves your problem, you're done, but to now know how good the
tracking will be, take the tubes off the tracking pneumatic and gently
suck on them.  In the centered position, they should both be closed.
Move the roll slightly to the right or left and one of them should
open.  (I believe that in this case, moving the roll to the left should
open the tube connected to the left side pneumatic, but I don't have my
schematics here!)

It's a bit of a job to adjust them: you need to take a few of the
underside panels off the drawer and I'll leave my description at that
for now.

Good luck!
Eli Shahar


(Message sent Tue 16 Nov 2004, 11:42:51 GMT, from time zone GMT+0200.)

Key Words in Subject:  Ampico, Problem, Roll, Symphonique, Tracking

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