Robbie said:

>[ Now -- could one of our UK reporters please determine the amount
>[ of presence which Higel had in England?  A sales agent, perhaps?

Almost nothing has been written about the Higel presence in the UK and I
can only guess, going from the player-pianos which turn up here, that
Higel managed to interest some resident piano makers in the Higel action
so they could offer a player which had a good chance of competing with
the Aeolian range.

From the look of them, these actions were a well-made variety of the
American Standard action with button controls on the keyslip and
five-unit motor.  Dates are 1923-1929.  All have "Solodant" actions,
which used Themodist style rolls but only gave you one level of subduing
instead of the Aeolian graduated system with sliding levers.

The well-known make Chappell used Higel actions, but there were some
suspiciously similar ones with other names which I imagine must have been
Chappell down-market badge pianos.

(Some very cheap and horrible versions of the Standard action were also
made, but I've learnt I'm not meant to mention those as it might upset
present-day owners -- names of makes on request.  My sister had one and I
was meant to service it once a year ... really put a damper on
Christmas.)

There are also Higel rolls, which are Themodist with a stylish Canadian
label, cut in (nowadays) sweet-smelling paper which mice go totally crazy
about, and which tears like wet rice paper.  As with Aeolian New York
after about 1921, Higel in Toronto bought all their classical rolls from
Universal Music in Hayes, Middlesex and put little stickers over the
London (England) name showing their own instead.  Some of these turn up
here which have presumably come back over with Canadian-sold pianos.

I believe Sherlock-Manning had a connection with Cramer, and my parents
had a 1923 Cramer with a so-so Standard action from new which was very
like a Higel if not actually one.  (It was one of my father's wedding
presents to my mother and I still have all the rolls.)

So maybe yes, this could well be a British piano with a Canadian-made,
American-designed player action in it.

Dan Wilson