Well, Robbie has sure taken some heat on this issue of "electrified"
pumpers.  [ I guess I asked for it, John.   ;-)  -- Robbie ]

The fact is, Aeolian Corp. produced a huge line of electrified pumpers
that have a very crude vacuum regulator which helps reduce "drop-off"
during heavy passages and regulates the vacuum at three different volume
levels, namely Low, Medium and High, via a "user-controlled" volume switch
in the spool box.

Professionally, I electrify at least ten units every year at the customers
request.  However, realizing the need to maintain originality, I have
"engineered" all sorts of configurations which do not "damage" the
integrity of the unit and actually add one other feature beyond the
"self-playing" aspect.

I call this feature "Pump Assist".  It's really pretty simple.  The
vacuum pump system that I install utilizes an electronic controller to
vary the speed of the pump and hence the volume of the music.  However,
if the speed (volume) is reduced to the point where the piano just barely
plays, the pump is effectively compensating for all the leakage of the
"less-than-perfect" valves, air-motor and pneumatics.  At that point,
foot-pumping the unit becomes quite easy, even enjoyable.  Further,
adding accents is almost effortless.  I also think, although I have no
proof, that utilizing the system in this manner actually increases the
life span of the exhaust bellows since they will not have to be worked
so vigorously.

The point I'm trying to make is that I believe there is a time and a
place and a procedure for almost any modification.

I have been told a number of times by cardiac patients and heart
specialists that "pumping" the player piano is excellent exercise.
But if the unit is worn to the point where pumping it is more like
running-in-place, the "assist" feature can easily "fill the gap" for
a lot less money than rebuilding the piano.  Furthermore, when the
patients recover and return to work, they'll be in a more favorable
economic position to have the piano rebuilt and they'll remember all the
fun they had getting better health.  I've experienced this particular
scenario at least half-a-dozen times in my career.

On the other side of the coin, I've seen dozens, perhaps hundreds, of
poorly-electrified players which utilize a constant speed vacuum pump
with a "bleeder" to control the vacuum level, and a one inch hole is cut
in the reservoir where the vacuum supply is attached.  In some cases,
cutting a hole in the reservoir is virtually unavoidable.  In those
instances, a new spring access panel can be fabricated and modified as
necessary and the original put away for the future.

In my opinion, the only real down-side to electrifying an aging player,
besides those considerations already mentioned, is that some customers
insist on playing the unit _very loud_.  This will literally beat the
piano to death in relatively short order, and effectively destroy dry-
rotted (or rotting) valve facings.

John Tuttle

P.S.  To the list of manufacturers who make or have made electrified
pumpers I should have added Baldwin, Wurlitzer, Universal, National,
Classic and Story & Clark (and perhaps others I can't recall at the
moment).  However, to the best of my recollection, Aeolian is the only
one that has a vacuum regulator built-in which reacts to changing loads.
The others have a variable speed pump very similar to the one I explained
earlier that rely on the reservoir's capabilities during heavy passages.
Kimballs also have an in-line regulator but they're not "pumpers".
•
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John A Tuttle "Self-Playing Pianos"   E-mail:tuttleja@concentric.net
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