•Although I don't possess, and never will, any mechanical music device, I just wanted to thank everyone for the immense pleasure that I have had since discovering the MMD site. I have spent hours following the various links that appear in the correspondence and in delving into the MMD Archives and h...

•In the 130102 MMD Jon Polden says, "Although I don't possess, and never will, any mechanical music device, I just wanted to thank everyone for the immense pleasure that I have had since discovering the MMD site." I always say that the best way to enjoy a mechanical music instrument, especially a ba...

•There is a problem with acquiring replacement parts for mechanical birds and whistlers. As most collectors know, the companies that once manufactured these fanciful devices are long gone. The bellows, whistles, gears, and any other pieces or parts needed must be manufactured from scratch to custom-...

•Windows of any sort since Windows '95 (except the current Windows RT) includes a MIDI player that supports playlists, and music organization. The program is called "Windows Media Player". Windows also includes a software-based MIDI device so you can hear the file play without any extra attachments ...

•Does anyone have experience with "arc fault circuit breakers" and motor-driven musical instruments? Lyle Merithew [ This device is required in most homes built in the past six or [ eight years. It is known to have problems with false activation [ ("tripping") due to electrical noise originating in ...

•Kevin reported the snare drum works okay. I believe his W125 uses the vacuum system to control the snare, therefore the vacuum system may be okay and the problem may lie in the pressure system. How 'bout the "cutoff" device which shuts off the wind while the roll is rewinding? Or maybe the vacuum c...

•Hi all, My interest was piqued when I saw John Haskey's question about Z-tronics [140214 MMDigest]. I live in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, where the Z-tronics devices were invented by a fellow Magnavox engineer and pipe organ enthusiast, Bill Zabel -- thus the "Z" in Z-tronics. I do not know if Bill is stil...

•David Dewey's comment (MMD 140222) about loss of downbearing affecting the tone in the bass end of the Mason & Hamlin made me reflect on the role of the "tension resonator" in Mason & Hamlin pianos. This device is meant to resist changes in the piano by pulling the sides in using rods that are simi...

•I am rebuilding a Kaps 88-note player piano and seek information about it and parts for it. The tracking device is marked "Kastner." It has double-valves in metal housings, one for each note. Some are missing, and I need to replace them. Is there somebody around the world who has, or makes, such va...

•Regarding Bill Decker's observations about 3-D printers [140805 MMDigest], I have been waiting for someone else to realize the potential of these devices for replication of many hard-to-get (anymore) parts used by the restorers among us. I currently belong to a "maker space" group here in Baltimore...

•The mystery instrument is a perfectly standard Aeolian 65/88-note Pianola! There are two tracking ears, plus a changeover switch to the left underneath the tracker bar. The switchover device sits behind the spool box, and is a work of art, beautifully machined. For serious players this is a choice ...

•Newer rolls are more tolerant of "out of adjustment" roll carriage systems than the older delicate rolls. The things to look for in the rewind sequence are -- 1. Some but "minimal" tension on the take up spool controlled by a friction device applied to the take up spool at the rewind initiation. 2...

•I found this music (or musical) box movement video in YouTube; perhaps it's been posted here before. The device would seem to require a good-quality diesel fuel to operate properly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5M0QjY_hRM Mark Kinsler P.S.: It'll help with your driveway project, too! ...

•I have been in the business of buying, restoring and selling pianos for 43 years. Every time a piano comes in to me with one of the add-on humidity devices installed, I immediately throw the unit and everything associated with it in the trash. I do the same with the aluminum tubes installed in pian...

•I recently acquired a nice looking band organ but I have been unable to determine who built it. The case was replaced at some time but the original pump and chest remain. The vacuum action has Wurlitzer style unit valves and the roll frame appears to be a Wurlitzer 150 device. That is where things ...

•Hi All, In his continuing effort to help people understand how the Ampico system actually functions, Craig Brougher has written an article called "The Ampico Crescendo System". The article focuses on the often misunderstood purpose of the crescendo device and how it is used in conjunction with the ...

•> Does it rhyme with yeast or de-iced? This sort of stuff happens when English-speakers try and pronounce German words (DeKleist's original last name being "Von Kleist"). The mnemonic device for English pronunciation goes: "When two vowels go out walking, the first one does the talking." English-sp...

•The Wurlitzer Style I or IX coin operated player piano is really a great music maker. The X designates a model with an automatic roll changing device that held six rolls, usually with five tunes on each roll. Those roll changing models would play one tune for nickel until the end of the roll at whi...

•Hallo MMD, as the conversation in the Yahoo group about e-valves has virtually ended some years ago, I post this here. Today I opened an automatic blood pressure monitor device (BPM) in order to change the battery. One of the components in there is a small magnet valve, which serves to dump the pre...

•John, pipes tend to not be too much out of tune (unless you took them apart to repair them). I would "sample" a few pipes with a pitch measuring device (an electronic tuner or tuner app on an iPhone) to determine what pitch was originally used. We aren't talking whole steps, but just lower (usually...