•Recently (3-3-05) my wife and I were in Las Vegas looking for something to do (I don't mean feeding a computer controlled machine that takes your money in record time). We decided to go back to the Forum Shops (I believe it's a part of the Caesars Palace) and really explore the place, and on the wa...

•If someone were to tell me that they were going to perform a Chopin piece, and that they were making some changes in it, I would be very interested in hearing it. How they can think that they can improve on Chopin is beyond me, yet it is possible that the results will not be disastrous. How many co...

•Each year at Christmas-time I receive a card and calendar from collector and MMD subscriber Alan Brehaut in New Zealand. It doesn't seem like Christmas any longer until that letter comes from Down Under. Alan always encloses a spectacularly beautiful calendar showing the breathtaking landscape of h...

•I have recently subscribed to MMD and I hope someone can assist with identifying this machine and its history. I am about to undertake a full restoration but I cannot find coloured photos or information about what it should look like, and I want to restore it faithfully to its original condition. 1...

•"The Crazy Otto" rag medley is an old favourite of mine. I would dearly love to learn how to play it on any piano that shows up in front of me when appropriate. The search for sheet music of this piece has been frustrating, and I'm not one of those folks who can how learn from the piano roll. I nee...

•This nice Capitol A-Roll 2052 is in the process of being recut by John Motto-Ros. Problem is, a lot of the first tune (My Baby Knows How) is missing. John Motto-Ros, Matt Jaro and myself would like to know if someone out there in MMD-Land has this roll (or any Capitol "A" roll of the same era) that...

•I have a Melville Clark player piano of this type. There are many different sorts of Melville Clark players. Early ones pushed down in front on the actual keys. Mine is somewhat later, with the spring-motor, but with a three-tier stack that engages with whippens by poppet rods. I believe there was ...

•The new Wurlitzer 165 roll, number 6846, "Music of Little Rascals, Our Gang, Laurel and Hardy" which was arranged by Rich Olsen for Glenn Thomas, is a very accurate presentation of the music composed by Minnesota native Leroy Shield for the films of the Hal Roach Studios in the early 1930s. This ro...

•Niche market changes and our mission to press on! [ Matthew Caulfield wrote in 101121 MMDigest: > Things are a-changing, and maybe it's time for us old geezers > to move on. Matthew -- We need you and your sphere of influence more than ever. Too many are idle and as a result, the truth of yesterday...

•[ Previously published in 970401 MMDigest, All Fools Day. Several centuries ago (you can check the history books) the Jesuits pushed up from Mexico into the great northern deserts where they had followed the stories of the seven cities of gold. There being scant gold, but fertile ground for religio...

•[ John McClelland wrote in 130925 MMDigest: > ... I must opine that I've never seen it in Licensee or Gittens > produced Weltes. The only tubing I've seen has been brass (in > the T100 early machines), rubber and lead. Thank you, John, for responding. I suspected as such, but since I've not inspect...

•This weekend COAA (Carousel Organ Association of America) will hold what is usually the biggest rally in any year at Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, http://www.knoebels.com/ Knoebels is the largest free admission amusement park in America. This is the first time COAA will be ther...

•I feel that I have opened Pandora's box; nevertheless, I will continue. The time needed that I was talking about is for the player action _only_. Of course you have the piano action to repair but that is another story. And yes, six days is enough to do a player action with all gaskets changed. Anyb...

•I am very concerned about finding qualified technicians who can work on my pianos. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, I have been very fortunate to have Don Barton who has kept my Fischer Ampico, my upright Steinway Duo-Art and my 88-note Cable Euphona in very good playing condition. These instruments play...

•In response to Clay Witt's inquiry about the Millöcker waltz on his ca. 1880 music box, I am nearly certain that the title he is having trouble reading is "Laura Waltz," from Millöcker's 1882 operetta "Der Bettelstudent" ("The Beggar Student"). This is what I wrote about roller organ cobs "Laura Wa...

[ I sent Craig the standard invitation plus a request for permission [ to post our initial conversation (see above). [ [ Here's his "real" introduction. Please welcome aboard Craig Brougher [ [ Jody Hi Jody,¶ Thanks for signing me on. True to form, I haven't the slightest idea yet how to download a...

Dan Wilson misquoted my comment about Duo-Art expression levels by pasting two sentences together which didn't make sense. If we "quote" each other, I feel it is required to not take things so completely out of context as to make the other sound foolish! I would also like to explain that had I wante...

•Following is what I could jot down throughout two nearly 11-hour days of auction which took place at Miles Music Museum in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It is not complete as it only noted items I wanted to keep track of. I will use it to adjust my internal pricing schedule. You may notice that there w...

•George Gershwin is one of those composers who, like Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller, requires a particular performance style in order to be effective. Even the composer wrote in the preface to his 1931 Gershwin Songbook that "the music should be free of sustaining pedal" and that the performance ...

•Gee, I get off-line for a few days and there's a bunch of pianos for sale out there! From the 161026 lists: * Duo-Art Annotated Series roll D-283 "Pavane" p.b. composer Ravel -- Located in British Isles! * U.S. Music player piano rolls, lot of 23 -- sold. * 1928 Knabe 5'8" Ampico, working -- In Den...