The Universal, unlike other players built in this era, is actually a
very nice player.  They pump easily, and the piano is above average. I
can tell that whoever designed the stack gave it a lot of thought. The
worst thing that usually happens to these is that the pouches time out.

I believe the Universal is well worth preserving.  New striker boards
can be made of either wood or plastic.  If plastic is used, "Aleens
tacky glue" (plastic glue) works well.  If heat is used to remove the
strikers, be very careful.  Aluminum absorbs heat quite easily, and
could warp the deck.

I rebuilt one of these stacks a few years ago, and installed it in a 52-
inch Jesse French upright.  It was one of the few non-player conversions
I ever did that actually worked right, and the stack looked like it
belonged  there.  I wouldn't mind finding another Universal player
system to install in my 1919 Schubert upright.  Does anyone have one in
a forgotten corner?

Andy Taylor