In MMD 980615 Robbie wrote:

>[ Try this experiment: Place a long strip of Scotch tape along the
>[ length of the tracker bar so that it reduces the height of the
>[ tracker bar hole to one-half, and see how it plays!

I'm anxious to try this experiment, but alas, my 65-note Pianola
push-up is still a semi-basket case and is in no mood for experimen-
tation.  I can only speculate that by reducing the height of the
65-note tracker bar hole with Scotch tape this will simulate the use of
an 88-note tracker bar with its smaller hole size.  Robbie do you have
first-hand knowledge and would know the outcome of this experiment?

 [ "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Learned"  ;)   The experiment is to
 [ determine how much port area is really needed to pass the air.
 [ Use thin tape.  It may not work every time, but it's worked for me
 [ on 9/inch tracker bars (Ampico and Aeolian), which have tall holes
 [ to accommodate thick webs in the chain pattern of rolls.  I put
 [ tape over the tracker bar to see if the valves will repeat when
 [ the web passes over the shortened hole.  They do!   -- Robbie

This day I've had a private e-mail response from Robert & Sonja Lemon
(Lemon's Player Piano Service, Sacramento, CA.) stating that a fellow
Californian has done a beautiful conversion of an Aeolian 65-note
push-up to a full 88-note.  I'll contact this person, drain his brain,
and with his permission will report to MMD my findings or even better
yet urge him to share his experiences with MMD first-hand.

Anxious in Ardmore,

Bill Shirley
Ardmore, Oklahoma  73401  U.S.A.
bshirley@ardmore.com