•Let me echo Mr. Broadmoore's comments about the importance of properly adjusting the limiter rail in the Ampico grand action. These thin L-shaped strips of wood with padded lower edges, mounted on the back edge of the main action rail have a somewhat flimsy design. They are adjusted vertically by l...

•Richard Vance mentioned the Ampico grand key limiter rails which are mounted to the underneath side of the whippen flange rail in a grand action. Many rebuilders have never seen these because they would have to take the action stack off the key tray and turn it upside down to look. This is a very g...

•I'm in the process of rebuilding an Ampico pump, from a grand, that is presenting some unusual problems I've not encountered previously. This pump (age unknown) is the type that has wooden connecting rods with spring loaded wedges. It appears that at some point in its life, this pump got wet or was...

•This note is intended primarily for Terry Smythe, but I have posted it here because it may be of interest to others as well. Terry, you wrote in yesterday's Digest that the "problem pump" that you are currently rebuilding is from an Ampico grand piano of unknown date. You may be able to date the pu...

•Terry Smythe was asking about the availability of ball bearings for the Ampico pump. First of all, definitely replace them. Art Reblitz covers the procedure in his book, "Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding". It takes patience to drive the old ones out. Also, after you remove the grease seals mea...

•Wayne Stahnke wrote: > Most pumps in Ampico grand pianos have a date code stamped into > the casting. Well now, surprise! surprise! First I've known about what those numbers mean. This one has "427" stamped into it, making it April 1927. With every passing day, I look forward to each MMD with enthu...

•This note is intended for those contributors to the Digest who requested a copy of the pattern roll package I offered a few days ago. By now, all of the packages have been sent and received. In addition to the "View" program, the package contains the restored pattern roll for Ampico roll 57504, Rac...

•Dave Rodgers wrote that he needs a player for his Chickering Ampico. One thing to watch out for on this is the stack. It should be adequately specified. Until recently, I thought all Ampico mechanisms were alike and inter- changeable. In the process of restoring my Knabe A, however, I had the oppor...

•It was mentioned, associated with the thread on large rolls stalling with wind motor driven rolls, that the Ampico B used a powerful electric motor for roll drive, which they did. The Ampico B has another device that was considered necessary to handle the jumbo rolls, and that was variable braking ...

•At the expense of not seeming to be appropriately grateful for Robbie's agreement with me about the Ampico B tracking mechanism as a roll shredder, I want to say that I have always felt that the model B tracker is the best overall when detailed, that I have ever found! It is also the most sublime i...

•Randy Hayno was asking about the drawer circuit of a Knabe Ampico model B. I can't say that I'm very impressed with any of the circuit modifications on any of the model Bs. The reason these are usually done is because they can't seem to get them to work, otherwise. Sometimes the problem is pump pre...

•I previously responded to Randy's inquiry: > Randy, > > The spring inside the spill box which sets the minimum pump pressure is > starting to weaken. There really is no good way to fix this except to get > a stronger spring. Page 16 shows this spring and tells how it operates. > Until you get a new...

•The pump pressure in Ampico B's does vary. I've done about a dozen of them, I think, and have noticed a different number of coils in each pump regulator spring, as well as slightly different diameter wire in two of them. I have also discovered that the coils were often pulled out, being over-stretc...

•My Ampico B spool motor is very weak, even fails on rewind. I've had it attended to, but can't seem to find a local shop that can bring it up to snuff. Does anyone have a good one for sale, or a suggestion on where to have mine overhauled ? Thanks and best regards. Stephen B. Small

•This is regarding the plea about the Ampico B spool motor being weak. Been there, done that. When I first got my B I had two problems with my motor: (1) It sounded kind of "buzzy", with the buzz being speed dependent. (2) Weakness. The first problem arose because the black goo that is used to embed...

•Stephan, I saw your request on MMD. Several questions come to mind. These motors are very reliable and seldom need anything more than new brushes or new brush housings. The motor may APPEAR weak if there is a poor electrical connection in the system. One such place is on the resistor mounted on the...

•I was wondering if any Ampico owners or restorers could tell me if there were ever any lyrics printed on the Ampico expression rolls? I don't see what point there would be to it seeing how the roll would be hidden during play anyway. Second, I wondered if any other jazz or popular music artists of ...

•Damon: There were a great variety of song rolls for the Ampico. If someone could tell me how to put my list of rolls in a format that is email friendly I will get it out. I typed it up in the Microsoft word-processor that comes with Windows 95 and can't seem to put it in AOL to mail it ! Stephen B...

•I am trying to find the present owner of an Ampico "B" grand piano that is missing the wooden stack cover. This is the one that covers the back of the stack and the belly cloth snaps on to. I don't know what brand of piano but I bet it was a 5'4" as this cover is shorter than mine for my 5'8" Knabe...

•Randy Hayno said he is looking for an Ampico stack cover. He didn't say if it was early, late, or model B Ampico. But I suggest that since most Ampico stack covers were just slats across which followed the shape of the end covers, he can very easily build one. Rebuilders have to do that all the tim...