I read with interest the comments made by Randolph Herr regarding
tubing length and valve response.  I have worked on probably two to
three hundred player actions over the years, and it seems that the
manufacturers of the player units had that whole problem solved when
they built the systems.

Uprights always seem to have about the same length of tracker tubing no
matter whose system.  Player grands like Ampico, Welte, and Recordo
often have much longer tube lengths because of the drawer.  Newer
Aeolian players use very long lengths of tubing because of the way
their player actions were installed.  You have to figure that most of
these companies had the bleed-to-hose ratio figured out, with the ex-
ception of the newer Aeolian units.  They didn't particularly care; as
long as the note sounded, it was okay.

I guess the one thing that got me going was Randolph's statement that
only double-valve player actions should be considered top notch.  I beg
to differ.  I'll put a single-valve Standard action up against any
double.  Or a good Simplex or Cable.  How about the Duo-Art (single
valve!)?  There were a great many single-valve actions built back then,
and most are just as responsive as a double, if correctly restored.

Jim Jelinek