I just returned from the Miles auction.  It was a great time for all
attending.  Many of the items were purchased by dealers so you can assume
that there were some real bargains there.  I did not make notes on the
prices but remember a few.

I believe the bargain of the auction was the Coinola "X" that sold in the
12,000 dollar range plus the 10 percent and 6 percent state tax.  In
several of the articles that have been written about Coinola nickelodeon
pianos it is said that they were cheaply made.  I do not believe this is
the case.

The Coinola machines that play the excellent "O" roll have been a
favorite for many years.  The music is arranged to allow the xylophone or
pipes to play a solo with the piano playing accompaniment.  These
instruments typically play around eighty of the notes on a keyboard style
piano versus the 58 notes of the "A" roll piano or the 65 notes of the
"G" roll piano.  Since the Coinola needs more pneumatics for the extended
playing range then it probably cost more to produce.

The Coinola stack is made of maple with individual pneumatics that screw
on so repairs can be made with ease similar to a Simplex stack.  The
xylophone pneumatics have a curve on the moving part with a nice metal
cover.  Other coin piano makers used a simple straight sawn board.  The
piano case is extremely heavy and massive with thicker sides than other
pianos.  There are models such as the "CX" with very pretty art glass
outlined by nice wood post.  I just believe that these pianos have been
unjustly criticized.

Don Teach,  Shreveport Music Co
1610 E. Bert Kouns
Shreveport,  LA  71105
dat-smc@juno.com