"Story by Clark"

Ken Noto wanted impressions of the quality of modern players versus old
restorable players.  As a retired technician, I will be very blunt and
say I have never seen a modern player built by men who took pride in
their workmanship.  I have been out of the player business for nearly 15
years, and can not comment on players recently manufactured.  Most modern
players of 15 or 20 years ago that I recall, are a horror story.

I have seen gears made of plastic or pot metal, bellows supported only by
supply hoses, air motors poorly slapped together, plastic parts that were
glued with permanent cement.  Rubber valves turning to a sticky mess,
electric roll drives burning up, stacks so poorly built that they sagged
in the middle and would hardly play notes, tracking systems hooked up
backwards, incorrect adjustments, pedals bent out of shape.  Worst of all
is the vacuum cleaner-like humming, that accompanies the music.  Tonally,
most modern small players produce a tone that resembles a cigar box with
strings!   My advice is to stay away from them.

Money spent upon a good restoration of a good old upright player is an
investment.  Not only in a better quality piano, but the piano will most
likely appreciate in value.  Once it is carefully restored, take good care
of it.  If and when you sell it, you will have made a profit.

Find a knowledgeable and reputable player technician, and seek his advice
you when you find an old player that you might purchase and wish to
restore.  Some are very difficult to rebuild, some were very poorly
designed, but some are very worthwhile.

If we search a bit farther to the reason we select a particular piano.  Is
the reason: How it looks? or How is the quality of the inside of the
piano and player mechanism ?   Most buyers of pianos are concerned with
how it will look in their living room and are influenced by clever
advertising that is geared to make us feel inferior if we have a big old
upright and  do not have a more diminutive modern piano that matches our
end tables.  Give me an upright or grand, but I would not take a modern
player if you paid me!

Bruce Clark

P.S.  Robbie, if you think my writing is too opinionated delete it;
I won't be offended.  I've seen too many horrible examples of modern
players to write very tactfully.

 [ Bruce, our forum _exists_ for opinions and information, whether right 
 [ or wrong.  "Tell it as you see it!"  Tactfulness sometimes doesn't
 [ convey the message.  Other opinions are welcome too.  (And I would
 [ like to hear how the group feels about the aluminum-stack Universal
 [ Piano, which I somewhat admired as generally well-engineered for
 [ production.)  -- Robbie