Troy Taylor wrote:

> Specifically I am trying to get more information about a Melville
> Clark player piano that my father restored that has an unusual dual
> tracker-bar that enables it to play 58, 65, and 88 note rolls, with
> a lever to control which set of holes are in use.

The Apollo Grand player played 58, 65, 70, 82 and 88 notes, and
featured the spring-wound spoolbox motor. According to the ads, the
device "saves you work". See? There is such a thing as a free lunch!

They also mention in their ads of a "... telescopic arrangement whereby
65 note rolls may be played ...". I bet this is the same setup you're
piano has, Troy.

According to Reblitz (Piano Player Servicing and Rebuilding, 1985),
"Melville Clark ... was a great experimenter and innovator, and it is
unusual to find any two Melville Clark Apollo player pianos which have
the same exact features. All varieties of unusual expression
mechanisms, pumps, stacks, tracker bars and spool boxes which play odd
music rolls, spring-wound roll motors, and other curiosities are the
norm rather than the exception in these early players.

So I wonder how difficult it will be to get specific technical
information on these units.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I have an unrelated question about the DeLUXE Reproducing Roll Corp. I
have rolls under this name and they seem to be priced around $1.25, and
Welte rolls that are also produced by them and retailed for about
$2.00. Were Welte rolls exclusively made by DeLUXE, or were there other
manufacturers producing them as well?

- K a r l   B.   E l l i s o n
  Ashland, Massachusetts  U.S.A.
  KBEllison@aol.com
  http://members.aol.com/kbellison/kbe.html