•Because of the problems with players using the metal-stemmed valves over the years which I have both experienced and troubleshot for others, I want to offer this bit of advice to hobbyists who try to rebuild their own. This article is primarily concerned with actions by Standard, Lester, Baldwin, C...

•Hi All, In response to requests for more information about how to use hot hide glue for virtually every aspect of player piano rebuilding, Craig Brougher has written another fine article for Player-Care. The article approaches the topic from a Question & Answer view point, wherein Craig poses commo...

•Ern Grover, in his article about glues and adhesives said a few things that may be a bit misleading, while disagreeing with my article on hot hide glue. He said: > In my opinion there are a number of misleading and perhaps inaccurate > statements in the forwarded article. In a short nutshell (or at...

•"Ballet Mecanique" Disklavier Concert Review, 11-19-99 (Part 2 of 3) [ This 3-part article reviews the concert which featured 16 [ Yamaha Disklavier pianos, performed at the University of [ Massachusetts, Lowell MA, on Thursday, November 18, 1999. [ Previous MMD articles about this topic may be fou...

•[ I asked Will to write a short report about his collection of [ zither-like instruments, dubbed "zitheroids" recently by Jurgen [ Goering. Most of these aren't really a self-playing mechanical [ music instrument, but they're frequently seen in collectors homes, [ nearby fine music boxes and orches...

•Looking over the New York Times article mentioned in 030103 MMDigest: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/02/technology/circuits/02next.html?ex=1042560012&ei=1&en=9650026169577437 I have some thoughts on the questions posed by John Tuttle [030103 MMDigest]. While player pianos have been something that I...

•-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD -- Hello: I am the inventor of the self-tuning piano, Don Gilmore. I just happened to run across the archives of your discussion group and thought I would offer to answer any questions that anyone has. I am a mechanical engineer by trade and reside ...

•Dear Folks, I am following up on Spencer Chase's (030502, 030503) and Nicholas Simons' (030503) recent posts regarding the engineering and design flaws of the Aeolian Duo-Art. This is obviously a discussion worthy of this forum, but I would like to see greater specificity in the claims and statemen...

•[ Ref. The "Cement" Lauter Piano, 040411 MMDigest ] >> Can it be true? Cement/concrete piano cases? And even with a veneer >> look? >> >> If it were possible, it had to be reinforced cement or concrete. In >> order to produce the needed parts you would need rather complex moulds, >> which would be ...

•After my last posting, I got some emails asking about the quality of our new rolls and about our roll scanning process. Maybe I need to explain the roll copying process and our capabilities in a little more detail. Being a collector and restorer of mechanical instruments for about thirty years, I h...

•Recently I had the opportunity to examine, compare and study two fairly early piano rolls manufactured by the Aeolian Company about 1910 or a little before. Both rolls are, note for note, of precisely the same arrangement: a rag medley entitled "Plantation Rag". The significant difference is that o...

•Dear JWH, In response to your quest [090928 MMDigest] for a Thorens disc musical box repair manual: > Is there such a thing as a manual or schematic that would help me > to know how to put all of this back together? Thanks, JWH There is, to my knowledge, no Thorens factory repair manual or schemati...

•I recently suffered a fire in my workshop and am now quite familiar with smoke damage. I will try to summarize what I know here in a very simplistic fashion, without any complex chemistry terms. I did a fair amount of on-line research in order to determine the best course of action with respect to ...

•Luke Myers asks about adjusting the Aeolian roll tracking system. This is the procedure I use for the most often encountered designs. Others may have different opinions and there is no absolutely definitive procedure, but this should serve for most cases. 1. Loosen the locking screws of the trackin...

•[ Ron Healey wrote in 190416 MMDigest: ] > How much is a replacement comb with the flat teeth for a late 1920s > or early '30s Thorens AD30? What is your labor charge for doing the > replacement? Dear Mr. Healey, There are actually 2 different combs and 2 variations of the same comb with a differen...

•In a burst of pure humility, I want to announce that QRS extended me the privilege of arranging this year's XMAS-99 piano roll. I pulled out everything I've learned about the "Capitol sound" for a lot of the roll, plus a little Bach for giggles. Now, everybody rush out and buy gobs of them so I can...

•Hi again, Kim Bunker here. To save anyone embarrassment (in rebuttals) of my letter the other day [000210 MMD] I think all of you should get the entire story. I've always been told Humility is a Virtue, so here it goes. In my last letter I made some aggressive statements to somebody in the Player P...

•At the 1998 convention, Bob Berkman arranged to have a picture taken of four QRS artists: myself, Bob Berkman, Hi Babit, and Max Morath, all standing together. Groveling modesty and humility just forces me to send this picture for the MMD Archives. George Bogatko [ You look bedazzled, George, like...

•With all the talk about obtaining quality paper for music roll production, no one has mentioned the problem of proper paper storage, once you have your supply of paper. Expansion and contraction must be taken into account. One cannot store the paper on end on a cement floor in the garage, and expec...

•Here are my recommendations for Bill and his sister: Get a second (or third) opinion. Insist on a detailed description of all work proposed. (I charge for this but apply it to the contract balance if the customer says "go.") Determine the overall structural integrity of the plate, bridges, soundboa...