Jonathan Holmes is enquiring about these very well made reproducing
pianos in MMD 000705.  I had an upright Roenisch (1918) which I found,
in the nick of time, outside a house covered in a piece of carpet since
its owner could not get it through his doorway.  I say in the nick of
time as it had only been there for three days, and no rain!  It
originally ran on a DC motor with an enormous pump sited in a box as
big as a coffin.  I changed the motor to AC.

The restoration was not easy; I have restored many reproducing pianos
and straight players, but this was difficult.  In fact, I never managed
to get the reproducing part to work.  With the help of many friends far
more capable than I, it failed.  And I honestly think it had never
worked correctly.

I had many wonderful documents including the original invoice, mostly
written in German, and when I asked a friend to translate them for me,
I discovered a letter from the factory dated 1921 trying to suggest
ways of getting the instrument to work properly, so a problem existed
then.  Blueprints were sent but to no avail.

I eventually sold the instrument on to a collector who, having known
there was a problem, endeavoured to discover exactly what it was.  He
surmised that the piano was fitted with the incorrect set of valves at
the factory.  I do not know whether he ever got it to work.

The rolls are superb.  The classical selections were usually played by
first-class pianists -- Bachaus, Cortot, etc. -- though the lighter
music, i.e., foxtrots, are not very good.

If Mr. Holmes would like any further info I could put him in touch with
my friend (with his permission) who presumably still has all the
drawings, etc.

Robbie mentions the Triphonola as though it is an expression piano.
I consider it to be a reproducing piano similar to Ampico, Duo-Art,
Welte.

The Solophonola was a straightforward 88-note player, the Duophonola
was an electric-only reproducing player, and the Triphonola was both
pedal and electric.  As a pedaller with expression they are superb.
As a reproducing piano -- well, perhaps Mr. Holmes will let us know --
the only other Triphonola I ever listened to was in the Musical Museum
in Brentford and was not perfect.

Alan Whytock

 [ I am still learning the terms.  I thought that a "reproducing
 [ piano" is entirely automatic and electric powered, hence the
 [ performance is invariant, whereas the "expression piano" use
 [ internal commands from the note sheet in conjunction with
 [ interpretation commands from the operator.  -- Robbie