MMDers,  I have yet to be impressed with the Mills Violano Virtuoso,
single or double.  This is just my honest opinion -- every time
I hear one, I think, "Ouch; screeching, unreal violin; just stop!"

There is only one [recorded] tune that ever really impressed me from
the Violano, which is "Nobody's Sweetheart", played on Paul Eakin's
Mills Double Violano.  I have collected all the available recordings
of Mills Violanos, and I have not really been impressed with any.
There are some early arrangements of ragtime tunes that are interesting.

The designer of the 44-note symmetrical piano for the Mills Violano
was a genius in the piano world.  The piano part of Mills rolls always
sounds great, but I just can't get past that screeching violin.

The Hupfeld Phonolist Violina sounds okay, sometimes impressive.  The
curved bow in the top around the violins seems to do a pretty good job.
That's understating Hupfeld's musical arrangements.

Sorry, any MMDers who like Mills Violanos.  I just prefer the sound of
a _real_ coin piano like a Seeburg keyboardless automatic piano above
any Mills Violano, hands down, no contest.  I don't understand the
fascination with the Mills screeching Violanos.

Brian Smith
Redlands, California

 [ The instrument can be difficult to record.  I can imagine that
 [ the violin might sound overly harsh on some recordings.  -- Robbie