[ Ref: 080813 MMDigest, Marshall & Wendell Ampico

In regard to the "ratchet spring motor" in a Marshall & Wendell Ampico,
I assume this means a clockwork motor rather like what is more common
in the Melville Clark Apollo pianos.  If this is what is meant then,
yes, there _are_ some of these Ampicos out there, and they're very,
very strange.  Here in Saint Louis, though they're not at all common,
we occasionally do see them and they are completely contrary to most
everything commonly known about the Ampico.

The few we've seen (three or four at most) are treadle-operated,
which in and of itself isn't too odd, but the player action in these
pianos is not the usual Amphion action but a Standard.  Likewise, all
of the expression components, while performing the same functions, look
totally different.  Not unexpectedly, the usual information you find
published about restoring an Ampico is of little use with these pianos.

I'd not suggest gutting one, or replacing the player action with
a more normal Ampico action, for these machines are marvelously unique
and quite rare.  What I would suggest, however, is that restoring one
of these, if indeed you have one, would be far more difficult than
restoring a normal Ampico. In every facet of the restoration you'd
be very much on your own, since there's no information, technical or
otherwise, that seems to have been published about them.  In fact,
most folks I've run into don't even know they exist.

Bryan Cather - Piano World
Alton, Illinois