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MMD > Archives > March 2012 > 2012.03.18 > 09Prev  Next


Operation of Story & Clark Classic Console Player
By John A. Tuttle

Hi All,  From the Classic Player Piano manual with regards to operating
the player:

  BASIC OPERATION OPERATING THE PLAYER - AUTOMATIC MODE

(A) Be certain that the piano is plugged into a standard 120V household
A/C outlet.  Set the power switch to one of the "ON" positions, choose
either the "Sing-A-Long" or the "Panel Lights" position.

(B) Inserting the paper music roll: The tab of the music roll should
hang over the top and down the front of the roll.  The left end plastic
flange on the music roll is cupped so that it will seat nicely over the
spring-loaded, cone-shaped shaft end in the upper left corner of the
Spool Frame.  The right end plastic flange is machined to match the
shape of the knurled, brass shaft end in the upper right corner of the
Spool Frame.  To install the music roll, first place the left end of
the roll onto the cone shaped shaft end.  Then, allow the right end
plastic flange to seat down onto the knurled, brass shaft end.  (It may
be necessary to roll a bit forward or backward to allow the flange to
seat properly.)  With the roll in place, pull the paper down over the
Tracker Bar so that the hole in the tab of the paper roll fits over one
of the brass pins on the Take Up Spool.

(C) With the roll in place, and the hole in the tab of the paper roll
over one of the brass pins on the Take Up Spool, use the "ROLL FORWARD"
switch to put a turn or two of the paper onto the Take Up Spool.  (As
long as you hold the "ROLL FORWARD" switch forward, it will continue to
roll.  It is spring-loaded though, so you need only release the switch
and it will quit rolling forward.)

(D) Set the Tempo Control at the number indicated at the start of the
roll.  This number is only a recommended tempo.  You may prefer a tempo
that is faster or slower.  You can adjust the tempo at any time you
wish.

(E) Adjust the Volume Control to a medium setting.  If you set the
volume to low to start out, the piano will have difficulty building
enough vacuum to begin playing.  Setting it at a medium volume will
help the player mechanism get started, and then you can adjust the
volume to the desired level.

(F) Push the Pump ON/OFF switch to activate the vacuum motor.  Once
the vacuum motor begins to run, it will build up vacuum in the system
and tell the player mechanism to begin playing the piano.  It will
take a few seconds for the vacuum to build up, so do not be alarmed
when the piano does not begin to play immediately.  Since this is a
spring-loaded switch, you need only push it forward momentarily and
release it to activate the motor.  Once the motor is running, pushing
the switch again will turn off the motor.  When you do turn off the
motor in the middle of a roll, the vacuum in the system will slowly be
used up and the system will tell the player mechanism to stop turning
the roll.  You may start and stop the player at any time during normal
play of a roll without harming the piano.

(G) If you wish to stop the song before it would normally end, simply
push the reroll switch forward momentarily and release it.  The piano
will then reroll.  Now just sit back and enjoy.  The piano will do the
rest.  When the song ends, the piano will automatically reroll.  If it
doesn't, or if you have any other problem, consult the Trouble Shooting
Guide.

  FOOT-PUMPING THE PLAYER

Follow steps (A) through (D) above.  Then, slide the foot-pump access
door all the way to the right, and fold out the foot pumps.  Begin an
easy, steady pumping action.  Once you've built up a bit of vacuum in
the system, the music roll will begin to roll forward.  Before the
holes in the roll begin to travel over the Tracker Bar, pumping will be
a bit labored because there is no escape for the built up vacuum.  You
won't need to pump very hard at all until the holes in the roll appear
and the song begins to play.  Even then, you shouldn't need to pump as
vigorously as you may have on other player pianos.  A medium paced,
steady pump should do it.  Once the piano does start to play, you will
find that the harder you pump, the louder it will play, the easier you
pump the softer it will play.  The volume control on the control panel
has no function when you are foot pumping the piano.  Once again, when
the song comes to an end, the piano will automatically reroll.  You
need not continue to pump for it to reroll - in fact, the piano will
shut off all vacuum when it begins to reroll.

If, while you are operating the piano electrically/ automatically,
you decide to foot-pump it, simply push the pump ON/OFF switch.  The
vacuum motor will turn off and the reserve vacuum will begin to die
out.  Begin to foot-pump the piano any time.  By the same token, if
you decide you'd like to operate the piano electrically while your are
foot-pumping, simply press the pump ON/OFF switch.  The vacuum motor
will turn on and begin to come up to speed.  You can quit foot-pumping
at any time.

The reroll switch will work in both the electric/automatic and the foot
pumping modes.  The Tempo Control will also work in both modes.  However,
the Volume Control has no function when you're foot-pumping (just pump
harder or easier).

Musically,
John A Tuttle
Player-Care.com
Brick, New Jersey, USA


(Message sent Sun 18 Mar 2012, 18:12:55 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Clark, Classic, Console, Operation, Player, Story

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