My continuing adventure in scanning piano rolls has encountered a
collection of very wide rolls, all thought to be Solo Apollo.  Indeed,
a few indeed are clearly labelled as such, others are labelled "88
Note".  All the rolls are 15-1/4 inches wide, same width as Duo-Art
176-channel reproducing pipe organ rolls.

The 15-1/4-inch rolls labelled "88 Note" (all by QRS) have been
perforated at 6/inch, same hole size as for conventional 65-note rolls,
and mating to a tracker bar that is 16 inches wide and containing 88
ports.  They play on a Melville Clark 88-note Vorsetzer that really
does have 88 "fingers" to mate with a conventional piano.  Alan Turner
locally has found this instrument, so I have had my hands on it.

The 15-1/4-inch rolls labelled "Solo Apollo" (all by QRS) are a mystery
to me.  They have been perforated at 9/inch, suggesting there could be
as many as 135 tracks, with 88 for melody, the rest for ??.  I have
been unable to find a definition of its tracker bar layout, how many
tracks, and what is the function of each track.

I would appreciate hearing from somebody with one of these pianos,
and who can provide a pencil rubbing off its tracker bar, along with
a clear, sharp photograph of the tracker bar, and its specs for track
function.

Regards,
Terry Smythe
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
http://members.shaw.ca/smythe/rebirth.htm

 [ I searched MMDigest for data but found only tantalizing hints.
 [ Rob DeLand wrote in 961228 MMDigest:
 [
 [> Your piano sounds like a Solo Art Apollo, which I've always wanted
 [> to see.  The two stacks is what gives it away: they used a huge roll
 [> (15 inches or so wide?) with 9-to-the-inch spacing by which, in
 [> addition to the standard note range being available and played on
 [> one stack, a second range of SOLO notes was perforated and played on
 [> the second stack, presumably at an increased pressure level.  Have
 [> I guessed right?  I believe Durrell Armstrong, of Player Piano Co.,
 [> is also restoring one of these.
 [
 [ Ed Sprankle wrote in 020217 MMDigest:
 [
 [> It's a Melville Clark, vintage 1910, which can play at least three
 [> different kinds of rolls: 88, 65 and 58 note.  It also plays the
 [> 15-1/4" wide Solo Apollo rolls and has the spring motor roll rewind
 [> feature.
 [
 [ -- Robbie