Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > December 1998 > 1998.12.03 > 13Prev  Next


New Ampicos
By Larry Norman

Saw Doug Henderson's item on the new Duo-Arts and noticed the remark
on the "rest of the players being frozen in time".

The good and bad news is that in the 1980's, when Universal Piano Co.
in Los Angeles was making 88-note players, I walked into Carty Piano
Co.  one day and Universal Piano had brought in a new prototype Ampico
to demonstrate.  It was in the same standard spinet case that their
88-note piano's were in.

I was enthused and was hoping that they were going into production.
I am not sure whether they felt the market was not there or the cost
of mass production was too much but only the one unit was produced.
I am not sure where it is today, but there is a newer 1980's Ampico
out in California someplace.

Larry Norman

 [ Sometime after the demise of Don Barr's Universal Piano Co.,
 [ player tech Randy Cox obtained the goodwill from Universal Piano
 [ and the tooling to produce the Ampico action.  I think 12 or 14
 [ small vertical pianos with the Ampico player were sold in the late
 [ 1980s, as the Randall player.  -- Robbie


(Message sent Thu 3 Dec 1998, 12:46:06 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Ampicos, New

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page