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MMD > Archives > May 1999 > 1999.05.01 > 09Prev  Next


Seek Melville Clark Apollo Action
By D. L. Bullock

I got this message and thought I would pass it on for someone who
might have this stack.

> From: Den9140@aol.com <Den9140@aol.com>
>
> Hello, D.L. Bullock, I found your site on the Used Parts Database.
> I am in need of the entire player mechanism for an Apollo, Melville-
> Clark.  Any such luck?   Dennis

Dear Dennis,  There were three player systems (that I have seen) that
were used in the Apollo Melville Clark.  The earliest one (1906-7) used
a valve box directly under the spool box with pillow pouches attached
to what look like popsicle sticks with a valve stem of a round head
wood screw.  It has the three decks of pneumatics that pull up on a
wire that connects to a lever that is about 10 inches long.  This goes
all the way under the stack to press the key about one inch behind the
fallboard which looks just like that of a grand.

The next system (possibly 1908+) is identical except the pneumatics
are upside down from most players and they face the front of the piano
and push down so they press the key in the same position that the lever
in the first action did without the use of the lever.

The third and later action used a more traditional three deck stack
and uses round pouches and normal valves.  The pneumatics push up in
the normal way on the wippen.

All three of these systems used a spring motor roll drive wound by
pedal pushed rods that go up the right side of the piano.  I do not
have a spare of any of these systems, however, I am restoring one of
the second system for a customer right now.

D. L. Bullock    Piano World    St. Louis


Key Words in Subject:  Action, Apollo, Clark, Melville, Seek

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