Much of the information Erik York wants regarding the Tel-Electric and
Telektra systems is contained in Volume 6 of the Billings Rollography,
available in PDF format from AMICA.  When we were researching information
for the Rollography we visited the seller of the Tel-Electric system
mentioned in the recent MMD and have included the catalog of those
rolls in the Rollography.

In the twelve years the company was in the player business they created
a remarkable number of rolls, possibly as many as 8,000.  We have
managed to collect about 1,000 of them.  From 1907, when they began
issuing rolls in volume, to 1912 the rolls were all arranged.  They
had rudimentary expression: three levels plus soft and sustain pedals.
Later versions included an accent function.

In 1912 they began using a recording piano which gathered expression
as well as notes.  This was for use with the Telektra, which was an
88-note system with a sophisticated split stack expression system.
The Telektra was not very reliable and used a lot of white metal in the
player console.  Few Telektra consoles survive today, mostly in poor
shape due to deterioration of the white metal.  Some of the hand-played
rolls were adapted for the 65-note Tel-Electric.

The Tel-Electric and Telektra systems were all installed "after market"
in pianos, with one exception we know of -- our Tel-Electric has the
words "Tel-Electric" and "1907" cast in the plate.  There might be
a dozen operating Tel-Electric systems in the US, and two or three
Telektras.  There are possibly another half dozen Telektra systems
that are unrestored, and quite a few Tel-Electric consoles without the
magnet bank.  The consoles are useless without the matching magnet
bank.

We (briefly) considered recording the Tel-Electric music, both in audio
and digital format, but frankly most of the music is not worth it.  The
exception is the rags.  And the probability of anyone making copies of
the original rolls is vanishingly small.

Bob Billings
Reno, Nevada