Since I've seen the last few digests, I know to put this part first:

    Bill Wilkinson
    Snohomish, Washington (about 30 miles from Seattle)
    8/44 (52)
    No guess as to average, but I know I'm close.

What got me started here was that just this month I was given an
Aeolian Orchestrelle that *looks* to be in restorable condition,
though not without a lot of work.

I should note that vigorous pumping on the pedals does reward me with
a lot of ciphers, but only if one or more stops are open (in other
words, the mutes are working).  (Why is a cipher "zero" in writing,
but an "on" reed in organs?)

Perhaps a third of the keys will produce notes.  Others are presumably
trying to turn on ciphers, still others have hoses missing, problems
with the pneumatics, etc.  (I can't see both sides at once!)  The
crankshaft bellows do turn the roll mechanism, at least a little.
In other words, it *tries* to work, even though it doesn't quite make
it --  it doesn't *want* to die!

I have a non-automatic organ I want to tackle first (to get
experience), so if and when I finish restoring the other, I will try
to turn my attentions to this beast.  Is it worth it?  I saw one for
sale for only $2500.

Also, I have six ranks of reeds (minus 12 at low end of one rank)
still in their cells, torn out of some unknown works.  I'm not trying
to be stingy with these -- I'll be glad to swap for miscellany at some
time in the future -- but first I want to make sure I don't need some
for my own restorations.

One of these days, I'd love to be able to afford a nickelodeon or
similar instrument, and my wife is ga-ga over Regina machines.  I
think our interested in mechanical players started years ago with a
visit to the collection that Knotts' Berry Farm had.   (Is it still
there?)

It'll be a couple of years before it matters, but I would also
be interested in a 58-hole test roll.

Any comments on the Aeolian are welcome.  Feel free to email me
directly if there's no point in the whole group seeing them.

Bill Wilkinson¶
Billw@Asymetrix.com

P.S.  Speaking of rolls, anybody want to enlighten me on the
availability and cost of suitable ones?  Again, private email is fine.