Switched-Off Keys and Keytop Players
By Damon Atchison
I think every player piano has a switch under the keybed to lock the keys. Why? I love to see the keys move, that's what got me interested in them in the first place, and also, I think people used to hide the roll while it was playing, as do some band organs and big orchestration cabinets.
Speaking of orchestration cabinets, does anyone have one who is reading this? I am referring to the giant Wurlitzer-like orchestration cabinets over six feet high with trumpets, drums, pianos, the works!
I have seen the advertisements for the keytop players of the post-war player industry, and I was wondering if they were noisy due to possible crevices in their construction sucking in air from the outside environment.
Also, how popular were they? Weren't they similar to selling record players in 2010? Hi-Fi was in the 50's which gave Elvis and the Penguins a much better voice on the vinyl!
Damon Atchison
Damon66@aol.com
[ When I first saw a plastic-case keytop player I couldn't resist asking
[ the salesman, "Does it have an attachment for cleaning draperies?"
[ He didn't appreciate my remark, but none of the bystanders heard it:
[ the turbine pump was too loud! -- Robbie |
(Message sent Fri 24 Jan 1997, 22:38:37 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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