RE: Gulbransen¶
TO: Joyce Brite

I had found a Gulbransen that was purchased in the late 'twenties by a minister
who only played it by hand.  It was a real gem;  all I had to do was recover
the pneumatics and replace the bellows cloth and external flap valve leather.
The interior valve leather was still in "like new" condition.  After
removing the screws from the glued-deck stack, I carefully removed the
pneumatic decks with a radial arm sw using a fine-toothed blade and a jig
to hold the stack.  When the pneumatics were recovered and glued back on,
I made gasket leather strips and then screwed the decks back on the board.
The piano pumped with only one pedal and was the easiest pumper I ever owned.

They are well designed, highly efficient systems.  With a little skillful
rebuilding, they can be made "as new" to again delight the present
generation.

S.K.Goodman