•In reference to Bob Taylor's article in 001215 MMD, I want to point out that I wrote an article in 000428 MMDigest about the four Duo-Art Test Rolls. Incidentally, if anybody is looking for that phosphor bronze spring wire used on the original stacks, I have plenty. Randolph Herr

•I am not a professional piano technician, but I came across an interesting material that others might be interested in. Although all brands of pianos can suffer from tight center pins, Steinways usually suffer more than others. There is a generally accepted theory that Steinway used some sort of "s...

•I just want to say that I agree with Douglas Henderson's theory that lousy arrangements killed the player industry. I also want to say that those idiots on the Titanic could have saved the ship if they had only re-arranged the deck chairs. Randolph Herr

•I choose not to take any sides in the recent discussion on Duo-Art expression boxes. Of course, Confucius say "Man who walk in middle of road get hit by carriages going both ways," but I am still going to take my chances. One good sign is that there are still people who care about these things. On ...

•I have a QRS copy of "President Harding March" which I will be willing to lend. The music isn't bad, but the words are so amateurish that it is unintentionally hilarious, and become even more so when you realize they are honoring a man who would be just about as bad a president as we ever had. The ...

•Hey gang -- this is a site on computers and piano actions that some of you might like: http://www.uk-piano.org/piano_research/index.html Randolph Herr [ Editor's note: [ [ "A Dynamic Computer Model for Simulating a Piano Action as [ a Flexible Robotic System -- A Research Proposal of the [ Departme...

•Are Steinway player actions different from straight grand actions? In yesterday's MMD 010723, L. Douglas Henderson wrote about his perceived differences between Steinway grand piano actions that were players and those that were regular pianos. Mr. Henderson says that Aeolian "mis-aligned" the actio...

•"The Mr. Potatohead Syndrome" It never fails to interest me how one article can suddenly bring up a multitude of related issues. Jon Miller started by asking a question about similar arrangements on different roll labels. This led to Joyce Brite's article on the same music appearing in different so...

•I hear from my friend Donald Wood in Philadelphia that the old Acme Piano Co. has sold their building, and is in the middle of disposing of all types of pianos. For details, contact Marie Vidas at 1-856-663-4742. I understand they have already junked some reproducing uprights, so the sooner you act...

•I am looking to buy the dampers from a square grand. Obviously, this can only come from a piano that is being junked, but if the whole thing is going to be thrown out, then at least let me buy the dampers from you. I know that all pianos are different; I do not need the levers, just the wood and fe...

•I have been following the recent group of articles about Aeolian's Metrostyle, and thought I would add in my own two cents. When I bought my 1913 Steinway Foot-Pumper, it came with a number of Metro Art Rolls. These rolls are hand played, yet have a Metrostyle line. On each leader, there is a box o...

•Hi gang, Here is an 88 note push-up Pianola on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1474276901

•To Bill Hoot, who wanted to see more Welte rolls recut, let me suggest both Robin Pratt of Artist's Choice and Tim Baxter of Meliora rolls; both are in the MMD Sources list. I just loaned Tim a copy of Schubert's last sonata: the D. 960, a work of incomparable beauty, and also the Impromptu Op. 142...

•I would like advice and opinions on the possibility of converting an Orchestrelle to play 88-note rolls. Purists need not cringe; if any work is done, no drilling or sawing of any kind will be performed. New parts will be made to replace existing ones necessary to the conversion, and the original p...

•I want to thank all the people who took the time to answer my questions as to the possibility as well as advisability of converting an Orchestrelle. When I asked the question, I knew absolutely nothing about Orchestrelles. Now I realize that even though it may be possible to convert an instrument w...

•On second thought, I have been re-reading the letters sent in to MMD and paid particular attention to the negative ones. All I can say is "Hah!" -- those nasty letters only strengthened my resolve to disembowel a nice virgin Orchestrelle. And forget about restorable changes. Not only am I going to ...

•... and I am also going to paint the case with Day-Glo Carnival Red epoxy paint as the background, and then drip all different colors over it to make it look like a Jackson Pollock painting. His paintings sell for a lot of money, so I figure this will make the Orchestrelle more valuable as well. Al...

•Hello MMD-ers: A friend of mine just bought a complete, unrestored Seeburg Mortuary Organ, which is apparently a player-piano-organ combination used in funeral homes. The instrument comes complete with the factory original remote suction and pressure unit needed to drive it. There is no room in the...

•Hello there -- I thought you might like this: QRS 193 Autograph Word Roll Q. T. U. C. I. M. 4 U. Jazz Waltz by Earl Carroll & Alfred Francis Played by Ted Baxter and Max Kortlander Randolph Herr

•I am currently looking to sell an original Seeburg Mortuary Organ on eBay, and in the ad I mention that the tracker tubes can be "teed" into a electric-pneumatic device that opens a hole to atmosphere when triggered by the midi-reader. This is similar in concept (exactly the same, actually) to Larr...