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MMD > Archives > August 2003 > 2003.08.29 > 04Prev  Next


Adding Organ Pipes to a Nickelodeon
By John Rutoskey

In response to Herb Lindahl's request for information regarding
installing flute pipes in a piano:  You don't say whether the intention
here is to replace the pipes that are missing, or to add pipes to
a piano that never had them.  You also don't say whether the piano is
an original or not, however from some of the wording in your request
I am assuming it is an original machine that never had pipes.

If this is the case, I'd first ask why you wanted to add pipes at all.
This is a more labor intensive and also intrusive procedure to do on
a coin piano that was built originally with vacuum only.  Generally,
adding a xylophone would be easier, otherwise you'll have to find a way
to add a pressure system to blow the pipes.  Aside from the amount of
work involved, you aren't going to add anything to the value of the
instrument, and it would more than likely decrease it.

If you absolutely had to add pipes to an original machine, I'd attempt
to find the correct pump type that produces vacuum and pressure.  This
may involve an electric motor upgrade also.  Next, I would find or
duplicate the pipes, chest, and associated devices from an existing
machine of the same brand.  Any other way, I wouldn't do it to an
original instrument.

If you are building from scratch or adding to a contemporary instrument
using a blower, you still have more to be concerned with than just note
ranges.  Before you find or build pipes you need to know the wind
pressure that the pump puts out so the pipes can be built accordingly.
You also need to determine how loud the pipes need to be.  Are they
going to be inside the case? Will they be in the top or in the bottom,
or mounted across the back? How big and hard is the room going to be
where the piano will be playing? How are you going to control the pipe
chest from the player action, and turn the pipes on and off?

A lot of this can be figured out, but it comes from experience also.
Bear in mind that any piano with excessively loud pipes sounds
terrible.  The pipes should compliment the piano, not overpower it.
As far as note range and octaves, many pianos originally had flutes
that played the same note as the piano.  Others, the flutes play an
octave higher.  The number of pipes can vary between 22 to low 30's
usually, starting at the highest playing note of the piano and
extending down.  With an A roll, the highest note is A, but in the
case of a piano with slipped pitch, it might be better to make it G#.
Remember also that a higher the number of pipes and a larger the scale
of pipes may need a larger pressure reserve.

Let me know more about your project, and I'll try to help if I can.

John D. Rutoskey
Automatic Music Machines
Baltimore, Maryland


(Message sent Fri 29 Aug 2003, 19:53:15 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Adding, Nickelodeon, Organ, Pipes

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