•Re: Building New Barrel Organ Clock Mechanism, 000926 MMD My late friend Karl Kochmann wrote several books on Black Forest clocks. The one that deals with barrel organ clocks is Black Forest Music Clocks, by Karl Kochmann Antique Clocks Publishing, ISBN 933396-21-X On Karl's passing John Peirson of...

•Glenn Morris writes about the beautiful appearance but disappointing loudness of the new Salem band organ. I have heard a recording of the Johnson 163, and aside from the "churchy" sound, my main complaint would be about a feature that the company sees as a virtue: the 16-foot ultra-low bass pipes...

•Just yesterday I started to read Samuel Huntington's book, "The Clash of Civilizations". I do not want to go into details or even his hypotheses, but one generally accepted paradigm (it seems) is that there are currently around eight 'large civilizations', which are: Western (or rather North-Atlant...

•Carl Zwanzig (Carl the Twentieth?) asked for the titles on Wurlitzer/ T.R.T. Caliola rolls 6115, 6122, 6121, 6052, and 6221, which used to be played on the Glen Echo Park Wurlitzer 165 back in the post World War Two days when it was playing Caliola rolls. The Glen Echo 165 was one of many organs co...

•-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD -- While it is the Stinson Band Organ Company's policy to not participate in on-line controversy, it seems appropriate to join in discussions that seem to be attracting so much attention and opinions with regard to loudness of band organs. During ti...

•The recent postings about early Gavioli organs has set me thinking about one of my long term projects. I have a 48-key street barrel organ that is undergoing an extensive rebuild as quite a bit of it was missing. Once I cleaned all the paint from the case I found the following written along the nam...

•Don, I noticed that eBay reference to style 105 rolls too, and had the same reaction as you. But there is so much inexpert, incorrect, and confusing information on eBay, due to the seller's lack of experience or lack of plain ordinary schooling, that one despairs of trying to correct the record. If...

•My experience is that you should _not_ somehow convert the MIDI file to notes and then start editing, but that you write the music anew. A few thoughts on this are on my web site: www.haraldmmueller.de. A recent experience (which is not yet on the web site): I have arranged the Allegro of the 3rd m...

•The definition of orchestrion in Arthur Reblitz's book, "The Golden Age Of Automatic Musical Instruments" (on p. 407), is a long and detailed one, listing ten main types of orchestrion. But I will quote the beginning: "Orchestrion. Self-contained automatic musical instrument, esp. a large one, equi...

•-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD -- Dear MMD community, After some other mechanical projects I decided to take on a more serious challenge, and because of its relation to fun-fairs with smiling people, music and happiness, a band organ will be my project of choice. I wish to build ...

•[ Robbie remarked in 051002 MMDigest: >[ Andrew Barrett suggested to me that a small pouch, controlled by >[ a tiny electric valve, could push the sticker of the barrel organ. >[ This method might incur the least added weight of the alternatives. I agree. But finding a "tiny electric valve" has bee...

•Dear MMDers, On 3 November Skinner's will be holding an important auction of mechanical music and automata at its Bolton Gallery. Bolton is a small, classic New England town in apple orchard country, conveniently located off Interstate 495 (exit 27) and just 50 minutes from Boston's Logan Airport. ...

•Ralph, For a number of years I hauled my Wurlitzer 153 to picnics, antique and new car shows, church events, malls and even a concert hall, theater, and civic auditorium. We listened to many questions and were always glad to talk to anyone genuinely interested in the machine. It still fascinates me...

•What is music & what is noise? I am sitting here at the end of the band organ season for those of us up North, and I'm pondering on experiences from the past summer season. I admit my personal opinion is biased because I enjoy mechanical music in all forms. My cause for confusion is the many reques...

•A new revenue generator is born! Sell earplugs for a buck a plug wherever band organs are publicly played! There's a way to raise money for ailing band organs! All kidding aside, I think it depends upon the crowd. I had a Seeburg "K" on location years ago, with the reserve extra tension screw in th...

•In the 060402 MMDigest I announced finding four Duo-Art organ rolls that are not in any known catalogs. I have made MIDI files of these four rolls and in so doing have become aware that one roll is quite different. That roll is 3531 Finlandia (Sibelius). Since the roll and box carry a modified Aeol...

•[ Mark Kinsler wrote in 061209 MMDigest: > There is an Internet letter circulating that shows pictures of > a marvelous mechanical musical instrument that [purportedly] was > designed and built by students at Iowa State University or some such, > and that it was designed with parts from John Deere ...

•Melodies on the move -- Musical boxes that hold melodies and history hope to return to be discovered by the Guatemalans. By Julieta Sandoval, Prensa Libre, Guatemala (Translated and adapted by Robbie Rhodes) He was seen passing by, carrying the heavy case of the organillo on his back, clenching the...

•Hi, I bought last year a Wilhelm Bruder and Sons Starkton 41-keyless organ. With the organ came only nine books of music, all factory arrangements. I have been fortunate to source some music via Dean Organs and Andrew Pilmer in the UK, and recently have access to a number of original books which ha...

•The 48-key scale is based on the 46 Gavioli scale, which has no registers. The 48 has an additional 'forte' and 'piano' register. The musical scale is very similar to the 56 Limonaire scale which is a standard for medium sized street organs, the only change being that all the basses move up one not...