Hello again.  I've had to postpone the monkey organ project (hard time
making pipes) in favor of getting some clocks (yes, I restore antique
clocks) and my grandmother's Lehmann H. C. Bay player running.  We now
have a wealth of rolls (at least 40; I didn't count them), and will
order the parts from PPCo.

I really don't like the idea of incinerating, destroying, or just plain
throwing out players.  I have to feel some sympathy for the rebuilders
who have a lot, but have to sell or even give away their stock (don't
forget Mr. Pebworth's free players) because they don't have enough
room and the public wants to buy restored players, not unrestored ones.

I also frown upon the author on a well-known book on pianos saying
rebuilding players was not for the general public.  Mr. Reblitz's book,
Rebuilding the Player Piano, is strictly for that purpose, not as a
reference book on the subject.  Also, the reason at least some of the
general public should rebuild their players is this: most of the
rebuilders are up to their ears in projects coming in already, and
sadly there are just a few who do top-quality work.  Usually, the local
piano tuner says he knows what he's doing, but is really just doing a
"patch-up job" and not a full restoration.

As to the Cecilian action, I have never actually seen one of these in
person, but from the description in Rebuiding the Player Piano, it is
a double hernia (triple, even! :-) and is virtually unrestorable.
But let's hear from the other MMD'ers and see what they think.

sincerely,
Andrew Barrett