Okay, so I've been a lurker here for a while...  Christmas Day,
I and two other guys dragged (literally) an old Gulbransen player
piano out of a house that had been sold and was going to be gutted.
The piano was probably going to be broken up to be removed, so I got
it for the proper price.

It's complete, with some cosmetic damage mostly from our ham-handed
attempts to wrestle it out of the carpeted room where it has sat for
years, into the truck and then into my house.  We were prepared, or
so we thought.

It is serial number 261752 and looks to be entirely complete.  I wanted
it as a companion to my grand piano on which I enjoy banging the keys
but really have not learned how to play.  I have a few questions that
some here might be able to answer.

- This thing was heavy, much heavier than the 6-octave pump organ I
have with it's ornate mirrored top.  Any ideas on how much it weighs?

- I have some veneer to repair; it looks a lot like walnut under the
alligatored original finish.  Or is it mahogany?  I'm assuming the
pianos were pretty much the same.

- Where might I download or purchase a proper instruction manual for it?

- It has a mousey pee kinda smell inside of it, though any critters
would have probably been scared off by the move, and my two cats show
no interest whatsoever in it.  Any comments on how to eliminate the
smell?

I found a card taped inside it of a fairly reputable tuner in the
Chicago area, Pat Roak.  He has a nice website; I'll contact him to
see if he has any records on the piano.  Anyone know of him?

Thanks!

Vince Strazzabosco
Big Rock, Illinois
vstrazzabosco@yahoo.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]