•[ Ref. Luke Myers in 160509 MMDigest ] Interesting list, Luke. I think you'd best say "in general..." as there are many variables involved, and one big one is the climate the player action has been subjected to. For instance, I once did a M. Schulz action that had been in high enough humidity that ...

•Having gone through the postings on the subject, and come up lacking, I ask: What causes the THUK-a-ta-ta THUK-a-ta-ta sound from a Seeburg pump (four thuks of varying level). I'm assuming something loose or aging. It's come on slowly, one thuk at a time. I'm not afraid to take the pump out of the ...

•There are some good things about a wine cellar for storage of piano rolls. The temperature of 55 degrees F. and the darkness will extend the life of the rolls many years. However, it is not a great option in general. The humidity is far too high, which is very dangerous for the rolls. In our librar...

•Hello, My father recently passed this summer at age 91 and we were going through the crawl space and came across this set of Delta Electric Christmas Bell-Lites my father purchased, obviously a long time ago. We used to put them on the hearth every year up until the late 1970s. I was trying to find...

•In response to Dave Krall's query regarding rescaling pianos, I additionally mentioned the recently developed method of "epoxy recrowning" old soundboards. I have heard the results and they are quite impressive, especially in the bass where I have heard a 48" upright sounding like a 7' grand! Sever...

•Recently Dave Krall asked for information regarding Henry Ford's 3-manual 31-rank Estey residence organ, built in 1914 [170726 MMDigest]. According to Rollin Smith's informative book, 'Pipe Organs Of The Rich And Famous' (Organ Historical Society, 2014), the organ, on removal from the Ford estate '...

•Hi All, In response to Luke Myers' posting about the Aeolian 'Finger' Tracking System, there are some things you can check which should help solve the problem of the rolls getting damaged during the Rewind cycle. As a preface to the following, in a perfect world, the automatic roll tracking system ...

•On Wednesday, August 29, the Midget Monster organ was moved from my shop to the Wichita Botanical Gardens. It was played at the volunteers' dinner the next day. There are a few issues with swollen wood case parts, due to the high humidity in my shop, but the new location is climate controlled and I...

•Since 2014 I have visited the Glen Echo Dentzel carousel and Wurlitzer 165 band organ three times a year, particularly in the months of May, August and September. During my visits, the Wurlitzer 165 (even though it is one of the most well-maintained band organs on Earth), has had at least a few flu...

•I have an Ampico A in a Fischer baby grand that plays too softly. All parts have been rebuilt on this unit, but I'm having trouble regulating the "regulating valves" to play loud enough. It is winter here, but the relative humidity is running 35% so I'm hoping that's enough. The "loud buttons" help...

•Regarding to the timber in a piano lid, since the surfaces are veneer I would suggest "lumber core" plywood with a core of poplar or similar wood species. The original may have been that, or edge-glued woods. This type of construction is resistant to warping, although I have seen some pretty badly ...

•I have had good luck using the "Shazam" web site. It was able to identify two tunes on a 1950s small music box as "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and the second tune on the same cylinder. Using https://www.shazam.com/ on your cell phone, follow the instructions and hold the phone near the music box. It m...

•The aged bellows cloth in the Ampico pump has begun to leak and must be replaced. An unexpected problem came when trying to remove the large pulley which actuates the four bellows: the pulley hides wood screws that secure the bellows. Try as I might, applying force to the 15.2-inch diameter pulley ...

•Hello again, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add to the discussion of un-flat music roll paper and words to describe it. I first came across the word 'cockle' when I was working for Xerox. Back then, our two major products were copiers and paper. It was important that the paper moving through...

•[ Ref. Philip Carli in 231023 MMDigest ] Check [for leakage] at least five of the note valves in the middle of the stack. Take out the metal poppet cover and test the adhesive security of the internal black Bakelite seat by using an "L" shaped hook. If any [valve seats] come out, or even fall out w...

•For sale: a Knabe Ampico A, approximately 5' 8", circa 1920, With approximately 400 Ampico rolls, including many early Ampico (1915-1920). Untouched for nearly 25 years but kept in a climate-controlled, humidity-controlled location. Located in Venice, California. The seller is very motivated, possi...

•I'm writing this to warn anyone who received laser cut rolls from me that the QRS tabs I used are hit-and-miss with quality and I've had a few tear apart on me already. If anyone knows where I can get those tabs that have a small end piece you wrap around a D-ring, and where I can get those D-rings...

Mark you wrote in the a.m. maillist: Hi all, > I have some questions about roll playback speeds... here goes: > > When music rolls are encoded, does the manufacturer assume that the > roll will be played onto a takeup spool with a standard circumference? > Is there a standard? The takeup spool in my...

> From: Joseph Hutter > > > Having restored several pianos, one procedure has always perplexed me; that > is how to set the bearing. Not the method, but at what point should the > bearing be set to which will provide the absolute optimum tonal quality. > > Is there anyone out there which could provi...

If you draw a blank (pun here?) on your roll paper source, I suggest you contact Dan Wilke, the auction man at QRS, not with regard to the paper QRS is selling in small and expensive lots, but in regard to his activity at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. He and a group of others have been inv...