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Converting Orchestrelle to Play 88-Note Rolls
By Kevin McElhone

I have waited to hear a selection of replies before giving mine,
although I have replied in detail to Randolph Herr as to the problems
and short-comings involved.  I would simply suggest that, before any
conversion is done to any instrument, you go to listen, or buy an audio
recording of, an instrument playing in the way suggested.

There is a Mustel 88-note roll playing reed organ in the Reed organ
museum at Saltaire, Yorks, U.K.  It plays Mustel organ rolls (9 holes
to the inch) and also normal 88-note piano rolls.  There are also
several Phoneon reed organs and Aeolian pushup piano players here in
UK that were originally made to play both 58- and 65-note rolls.  In
fact, some 65-note rolls were cut from 58-note masters and do not use
all 65-notes on the scale.

There is a model "V" Orchestrelle for sale here in UK that used to be
mine 12 years ago; it worked well then.  The new owner robbed it of the
tracker bar and spool box to fix a larger model.  It is now for sale at
a very low price of around =L=450 (under US$700).

There are several machines like this here in UK; they are the kind of
machine to experiment with as they may appear beyond redemption to
some.

Merry Christmas to all MMD friends,
Kevin McElhone, England


(Message sent Mon 24 Dec 2001, 08:09:53 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  88-Note, Converting, Orchestrelle, Play, Rolls

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