•Robbie commented in 000111 MMDigest >[ An antique auto is worth less if it has replica components instead >[ of rebuilt or reconditioned components. Some customers might prefer >[ such a piano, but I would rather have a useful, working instrument. >[ The piano is my tool for making music; I don't w...

•Congratulations on finding a _working_ Orchestrelle. Too many of these fine instruments stand mute in collections because of the tremendous amount of work required to restore them. My informed guess on your keyboard ciphering problem is this: I suspect that on an Orchestrelle, unlike a regular reed...

•Craig Brougher wrote in 020612 MMDigest in reply to Ray Finch, "Why not buy it from the proper sources and get the stuff designed for player pianos?" Although I understand the basic principle behind the statement I'd like to put my hat in the ring (with my head still in it). We all know (or should ...

•Hi Robbie, Thanks for your interest in my system, details of which I'm please to give. Here goes... I've never told this story, which I hope readers find interesting. It's about how I solved a major dilemma: getting lots of music for my Ampico without spending much money. In 1976 I met Denis Condon...

•Dan Wilson wrote: >> I'm not sure I've ever heard one restorer say of another, >> "I really admire his/her work, it's just how it should be done >> and reasonably priced too". Most seem to characterize the others >> -- especially when both are really good, from my perspective as >> a user -- as dan...

•Dick Twichell in Rochester, New York writes in 040813 MMDigest: >> Tony Greer's nostalgic post evoked some nostalgic memories of my own. >> In the 1970s I bought several items from a firm in Lubbock, Texas, no >> doubt the one he worked for, for a build-up "O" roll machine I built >> here in Roches...

•I think I did a posting on this a few years ago, but the excellent link to the various formats is a good excuse to mention it again. The Wurlitzer Style RJ residence organ roll was 12 inches wide, 105 notes, spaced 9 per inch exactly like an 88-note piano roll. From the left, #1 is pedal octave key...

•I have been in the player rebuilding business since 1961 and thought I had seen all the bad restorations I needed to see. I received a call from a young woman who inherited her grandmother's player and wanted it restored because she grew up with and wants to keep it in the family. The last so calle...

•A project to recut some of the most rare player pipe organ rolls is in progress now, and a suitable medium was needed that was potentially better than paper. The scarcity of good player roll paper seems to be a most serious matter today. Thus an investigation to see if there was a better material t...

•Reading Spencer Chase's post on attaching pneumatics was an intelligent breath of fresh air! Like Spencer, I put restoration notes inside instruments I work on. It makes good sense to attach pneumatics with screws. Broadwoods used this approach in their beautifully made unit valve/pneumatics 100 ye...

•Having silently observed the brouhaha about glues and leather, etc., I'm going to stick my neck out, knowing that I'll be roundly chastised for what I did. In 1985 I rebuilt the famous Mitsukoshi Wurlitzer organ, Opus 2099. No problem on the organ proper but, as it was originally a residence organ...

•Hi John Tuttle and MMD, Thanks for everyone's interest and help. I will answer John's questions in order where I can. Bob Stout can probably answer the ones I can't as he worked for a company years ago that was a dealer for these instruments. 1. This instrument plays half "O" rolls, i.e., regular P...

•Several days ago I posted an article announcing my current project to rebuild the stack on my Mason & Hamlin RBB Ampico A. I did not fully explain that this piano has been my test bed for experimentation. Several modifications to the Ampico have been made, none that cannot be reversed. I devised a ...

•In my last posting under this topic heading I omitted information that I had planned to include [121021 MMDigest]. No harm done. Since my posting I have heard publicly and privately from several other collectors. As this discussion proceeds, it is important to note that the intended function of a v...

•[ Ref. http://www.mmdigest.com/ForSaleOnTheInternet.html [ for 161109 MMDigest] Quite a few free ones, a number of 1970s-80s spinets, too, and some piano rolls -- one deal on some Welte rolls! Detroit suburbs, Mount Lyon. MI. $375 player piano, spinet Pianola. Typical 1970s spinet with standard act...

•I would like to offer my views on just what rebuilding, restoring and repairing are and are not. "Rebuilding," to me, means to completely discard all the unusable materials and get as close to new as possible, but there are instances where it is impossible to obtain the exact result. For instance, ...

•Paul Johnson asked for remembrances of Ray Siou [210227 MMD]. As far as I know I never met Ray. Ray never developed an online profile, and I never took the time to track down his phone number and call him. I did, however, benefit from his work. Documenting and archiving APP rolls, much of my index ...

•Purists are what have kept the rebuilding of all these old instruments going. I was glad to see the three letters yesterday, and hope to see some more. We really need letters from rebuilders, backing up the basic materials and why they are so necessary. As Don teach said, It's because they are far ...

•Hi All, Using synthetic materials to repair a player piano is risky business. While it may seem long-winded, I hope to make what I consider a few valid and important points. I'm not a hypocrite, and I clearly remember the work I did on the very first player piano I repaired. That was in late 1969, ...

•Well, I have had all I can stand without having my say. Silicone adhesive in player pianos? Preposterous! Other words come to mind. Stupid, destructive, appalling, dangerous, unhealthy, idiotic, corrosive, all come to mind, but to try to be civil I will stick to preposterous. RTV, GE [General Elect...