I have a large collection of many different scales which we have copied from original pipes from fair- band- and dance-organs over the last 20 years. We copy the information from each pipe onto what is called a "scale stick". A ruler to measure the parts is rarely used in a pipe shop. Just use your ...

Following is the description of the tuning procedure for a Style 150 band organ taken from a manual (or pamphlet -- 4 pages) entitled "Directions for the Operation of the Military Band Organ" by the Wurlitzer Co. - - - - "INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING MILITARY BAND ORGANS¶ Styles No. 147, 148, 149 and 150...

I think every player piano has a switch under the keybed to lock the keys. Why? I love to see the keys move, that's what got me interested in them in the first place, and also, I think people used to hide the roll while it was playing, as do some band organs and big orchestration cabinets. Speaking ...

Ron Bopp inquired about the whereabouts of "Sadie Mae" which Disney World owned. This machine was included in the 21 machines that we purchased from Disney World last month. Sadie Mae was reportedly once a 99-key barrel operated Gavioli that was converted to book music at the factory. There was an e...

> Has anyone heard about "Sadie Mae", the "French" fairground organ that > used to belong to Paul Eakins? > > Ron Bopp > bopp@greencis.net > The Sadie Mae recently appeared in Mechantiques' list of instruments from Walt Disney World. Apparently it has been sold: WDW59 "Sadie May" 87-Key Gavioli. One...

•I attended an interesting 3-day auction last weekend in Mahopac, New York (about 40 miles north of New York City). This was a museum with a farm theme, but it included everything under the sun from old cars, cameras, carnival stuff to (our interest) mechanical music. I saw several collector/dealer ...

•It was requested I post some additional results from the Mahopac, New York sale. All prices include 15% buyer's premium. Berni Organ Facade: $8625. This was a large Gavioli-style facade of the open-front style. It needed plenty of work, but had the Art Nouveau decoration. 15 1/2" Reginiaphone, floo...

•In my humble opinion: 1.0 Pipe tone vs. materials of construction: I argue that the same pipe design executed in various woods all sound the same. I have built wooden chimney-flutes, bourdons, and violin pipes using pear wood, orange wood, sugar maple, and alpine spruce. For a given pipe design and...

•Sometimes Junque Mail is entertaining, and our MMD readers in the Horn & Whistle Society might find this interesting. The web site of Yeong Ying Enterprise Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C. is http://www.car-horn.com/ or http://www.horn.com.tw/ A rank of these trumpets might be nice with a calliope ...

•Three weeks ago I could purchase a Street Piano which I would like to get more information about. I went through the MMD archives but I could not find information but about toy street pianos. Obviously the piano is an Italian make. It is signed at the lower front side with CESA CARLO / NOVARA and h...

•Reply to Jerry Hall -- I saw your question in the MMD about a piece you thought might be called "the Battle of Waterloo". From the description it sounds as if you might be referring to Beethoven's "Wellington's Victory or the Battle of Vittoria". (The "1812 Overture was in fact written to commemora...

•Ingmar, As requested please find below details of the 49 key Limonaire I am recutting the music for. I have copied this to Jody at MMD as it may be of interest to other members. The music is cut on 200mm wide card and actually uses 50 keys (although this width card will accommodate up to 56 keys). ...

•Hi Robbie, In the article I wrote, it is the Wurlitzer 165 band organs that I believe are messed up. I am looking at a scale chart for 165, and a pipe chart for the same. The 165 organs do not have brass trombones and trumpets, so therefore, why did Wurlitzer have a general fault on for wood trumpe...

•I was out at Disneyland in Anaheim yesterday and saw the restored Welte Cottage Orchestrion. I have played it since the park was new and I will have to say that it never looked or sounded as good. The faux oak paint on the case is gone and it plays by solenoids now. It plays a tune every couple of ...

•Robbie, now you've got me confused. Unfortunately, I don't have a dictionary with me, either musical or otherwise. However, in my previous note about fair organ sounds, I was trying to describe a sforzando. You edited it to "forzando". Now I am not sure my original spelling was right but I know you...

•According to Durward Center, perhaps America's most knowledgeable Welte expert, many Welte orchestrions, made for use in homes or smaller indoor settings, were softly and sweetly voiced and appropriate for the setting. Like Mr. Inzero (and me), many people are surprised when they first hear one lik...

•Hello Robbie, With this concert militaire band organ I am trying my new scanner ! This organ was built in Mirecourt by the firm Poirot frs. in 1885. Francoise Dussour [ Nice photo, Francoise. I count 18 brass trumpets. How many keys are [ played by the barrel? I will place the image at the Pictures...

•I have been listening to a great CD with a Welte Wotan and three other orchestrions on it. One of the tunes it played was "Honey Moon March" from 1894. (Note: I am not talking about "Honey Moon RAG" by James Scott.) I don't know who composed this tune but it was a great arrangement and the Welte so...

•A friend of mine asked me to post that he has a band organ for sale. Homebuilt in (as I recall) 1989, it plays 125 rolls, and is generally laid out like a Wurlitzer 125, except that it has wooden trumpets. He also added a set of bells. This organ was a good strong player as of the last time I heard...

•I believe that this instrument is so important to the fairground history of the UK that all efforts should be made by all who love mechanical music to stop any sale which will mean that the instrument is exported. There is no doubt that this instrument would require an export license, and that any ...