RE: Monograph: Player Pianos - draft
By Jim Canavan
Robbie, A great start on the monograph. Suggestions:
1. Re your comment:
> Note that a pumper piano fitted with an electric pump is not in
> this category. In fact, the whole thing should be in the trash!
I take exception: although I LOVE pumping my York Standard Action upright (and always show it off it "newbies" in this fashion), I also am glad that it's restorer added a vacuum motor. It's awful nice sometimes to sit back and read, while the piano plays me a nice long medley roll (such as the wonderful QRS "Automatic" recuts from Rob DeLand!).
While I agree that an electric pump should never be added at the expense of removing/harming the foot pumping capability, I fail to see how adding this harmless li'l removable 8-inch square box is such a mortal sin!
[ Good point. The sin occurs when an electric pump is installed as a
[ "quick fix" instead of properly repairing a dilapidated foot-pumper.
[ The roll recuts you mention were arranged for this situation, too.
[ But, Jim, are other 88-note rolls pleasant at constant volume?
[ -- Robbie
2. Under Player Organ, you list:
> Reed Organ (roll, barrel)
> Roller Organ (roll)
A better term for these two might be "organettes," at least for the home-sized instruments. Gem, Concert, and Chautauqua organettes called themselves "roller organs" yet use wooden pinned cobs.
Jim Canavan
CYBRFLASH@aol.com
Alexandria, VA
[ Author's note:
[
[ Thanks, Jim, I'll use "Organette" for the table-top organs.
[ I believe the term "roller organ", like "roller piano", results
[ from the pinned wooden roller which resembles a biscuit roller
[ ("rolling pin"), and not from the rolled music sheet.
[
[ Peter Neilson also wrote asking if I'd forgotten "Band Organs"
[ (yes!), and correcting my spelling of "Telelectric."
[
[ -- Robbie |
(Message sent Fri 13 Dec 1996, 14:04:32 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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