•Is anyone aware of an existing copy of the Roller Organ Cob #437, "Little Ah Sid"? I'd like to verify the tune for a musicologist doing research, as well as satisfy my own curiosity. Does anyone own a copy, or can you suggest someone who does? My mother used to recite the "politically incorrect" po...

•Jack, The authoritative document on the post office web site is at http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/373.htm#wp1015205 See particularly 300.373.2.2fe: "Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recording...

•Justin, First of all, you should find "directions" on a label inside the top lid of the organ. If they're missing or illegible, the text is found at http://www.rollerorgans.com/directions.txt If you wish to buy a reproduction label, see http://www.rollerorgans.com/store/product_info.php?products_id...

•Although I've not formally announced its availability here in the U.S., if anyone is interested in seeing the new Teanola Mechanical Organ, I will be showing one at the Richfield, Ohio (Cleveland area), Phono Show this Sunday, September 30, 2007. The organ, which plays book music, may be ordered ei...

•Charlie Moore and I have been researching the differing arrangements of the tunes found on Roller Organ cobs, and I'm constantly amazed at the variety found. They differ both in layout and harmony, pinning patterns, style, sometimes even changing key. (It's challenging research, and Charlie is doin...

•Although I certainly understand Adam Ramet's view (071130 MMDigest, "Promoting Non-Mechanical Music") that some people will never be attracted to "Mechanical" music, I must say that I find just the opposite! Many people _are_ interested in the mechanical/automatic side of the equation. Why else was...

•I'm certainly not advocating taking "the hammers off" so as to only see the mechanism of a player piano. (That would make it an incomplete mechanism anyway .) But I think it would also be a mistake to play the music without exposing or promoting the understanding (at whatever level) of the instrume...

•The "new and improved" website login worked flawlessly. Good job all! I wonder whether, now that there's a secure login, additional features might be added? I'd vote for access to the most recently mailed di- gest. I sometimes wish to access the day's content on the web, but don't have the email. M...

•Maybe Babel Fish didn't do so bad in translation. I own a "Musical Casket" (organette). It must have been somewhat popular, being advertised in magazines as such. But I don't speak Russian. And yes, I hope someone can help. Todd Augsburger - Roller Organs www.rollerorgans.com [ Matthew Caulfield wr...

•Kim, Most patents may now be accessed without charge through Google Patent Search. The main search page is at http://www.google.com/patents but you may have more success in their "advanced" search page where you may enter date ranges, etc.: http://www.google.com/advanced_patent_search If you don't ...

•I've been quite interested in hearing about the dilemma associated with public recording and photography of collections. I never would have guessed that this issue existed, or that someone would "rob" a fellow collector of credit. Since I collect organettes and encourage public access ( http://www...

•Andy, your "discovery", the Mechanical Orguinette, is indeed restorable and will make a nice addition to your collection. Recut music 14-note, 7-3/4", is readily available from Ed Schmidt, see a catalog at http://www.music-rolls.com/ Normal rebuilding practices will work, and if you don't have suit...

•I am looking for a photo or information on an "Auto-Organ" organette, specifically the top hold-down; I need to recreate the missing piece(s). These organettes were, I believe, sold by the L.A. Barber Co. after purchasing the Autophone line in 1888, and they play 22-note strip music like the Autoph...

•I've been in contact with the owner of an instrument, made by the Mechanical Orguinette Co, marked as an "Orchestral Cabinet". This is a 31-note foot-pumped (hand-cranked roll) instrument. I sent them image scans of a "No. 0" and a "No. 1" and they visually identified it as the latter (Page 58, ill...

•A more complete discussion of Media Mail is in the "Content Standards" section at http://pe.usps.com/text/DMM300/173.htm They are pretty strict. The language there says books are limited to those "containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books." That would prohibit Jo...

•It seems that patent documents are often sought for mechanical music, and for a variety of reasons, including simple curiosity. So I thought that MMD readers might be interested in a large list of Organette patents, most with links to their corresponding on-line documents: http://music.organettes.c...

•Friends, I'd like to announce a reference web site of interest to mechanical music collectors: The Organette Music Repository http://music.organettes.com/ Recently several organette owners had been commenting that many of our paper rolls had "seen better days." We soon recognized that it was import...

•It seems to me that, now that we've had our laugh, it would be a simple task to appropriately and clearly annotate the entry in the MMD archives to reflect that the posting "Letters Transcribed from the German" in the 080401 MMD was an April Fools joke, so that no researcher be misled by its conten...

•Dale, I placed a small order with Leather Supply House in late March, and received it promptly as usual. Perhaps there's been some unusual circumstances. Todd Augsburger - Roller Organs www.rollerorgans.com P.S. The last "personal" email address I had for them was -- you might try that. ...

•Free player piano, located in Kenton, Ohio. I've not seen it, and know nothing about it. But if you're interested, I'll put you in contact with the owner, and you can go from there. Todd Augsburger, Roller Organs www.rollerorgans.com