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Angelus Mechanism
By David Evans

Steve Loft wrote about his Marshall & Rose/Angelus piano and requested
info.  No 1528 would suggest about 1914, No 2031 would be 1915, both
of which are quite possible. Many of those Wilcox & White actions
played 65, 88 and special Angelus 65-note rolls that play bottom to top
and have the instructions printed on the inside. Could it be one of
those? The tell-tale sign would be two tracker bars and a rubber-cloth
flap which covers the one not in use. These earlier actions use leather
diaphragm pouches instead of rubber-cloth covered pneumatics, operating
the strikers via bent wire levers.  When restored they work beautifully
and are very sensitive, giving a splendid range of dynamics with just
minor changes in pedalling technique. You can also crash chords with
great accuracy! If it is that kind of action, we could probably make a
few helpful suggestions, as there is a knack to dismantling them!
Angelus actions never (well, as far as I know!) had automatic tracking,
with the exception of the Angelus Simplex, which used a rather
ingenious cotton thread which winds and unwinds as the need arises...

Best wishes!

David Evans in Hampshire, UK.


(Message sent Fri 31 May 2002, 20:22:31 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

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