http://www.amica.org The Volume 48, Number 3 May/June 2011 AMICA B U L L E T I N Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association contributed by Peter Mintun ISSN #1533›9726 ThE AMICA B ULLETIN AU ToMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CoLLECToRS' ASSoCIATIoN
Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Asso - Visit the AMICA web site at: http://www.amica.org ciation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the to enter the “Members-Only” portal, restoration, distribution and enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls and perforated music books. Current User Name: AMICA AMICA was founded in San Francisco, California in 1963. Current password: rewind
VoLUME 48, Number 3 May/June 2011 AMICA BULLETIN FEATURES DEADLINES Ads and articles must be received on or before the 1st of these ODD Wurlitzer Wonderlamp Project. . . .by Jim Lowell...... 122 months: Building A Pedal-Electric Grand . .by Tockhwock...... 124 January July Aeolian Tugboat Pump & Motor. . by Peter Phillips...... 138 March September May November
Bulletins will ordinarily be mailed in the 1st week of the even months, for COLUMNS expected delivery mid-month. Vice-President’s Message...... 120 Editorial Observations ...... 120 Terry Smythe 55 Rowand Avenue Letters ...... 121 Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J2N6 204-832-3982 (email preferred) On-Line Library Additions...... 121 [email protected] Web Sites Of Interest ...... 140 Nickel Notes ...... by Matthew Jaro...... 141 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Lost and Found ...... by Ken Long ...... 144 Membership Dues: USA Bulk Mail ...... $55.00 Chapter News ...... 146 USA First Class ...... $70.00 Overseas ...... $70.00 Membership Update ...... 156 Canada-Mexico ...... $65.00 AMICAns In The Spotlight ...... 157 Renewals – Additional $5.00 due if renewed past the Jan. 31 deadline AMICAns Making Music ...... 158 Address changes and corrections News Of Interest ...... 161 Directory information updates In Memoriam ...... 166 Additional copies of Member Directory . . . $25.00 Ads ...... 168 Single copies of back issues ($10.00 per issue – based upon availability)
Lyle Merithew & Sandy Swirski 416 Colfax Drive Front Cover: Wurlitzer BX, contributed by Jim Lowell San Jose, CA 95123-3403 408-227-9284 Inside Front: Welte-Mignon Ad, contributed by Peter Mintun [email protected] Inside Back Cover: Ads To ensure timely delivery of your outside Back Cover: Duo-Art Promo, Saturday Evening Post 1919 BULLETIN , please allow 6-weeks advance notice of address change s.
AMICA Publications reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising. While the AMICA Bulletin offers accurate and historic information to its members, the bulletin, its publisher and the AMICA Board cannot be held responsible for contributions that may be considered by some as inaccurate, speculative, or of an OP/ED Format
Entire contents © 2011 AMICA International Printed by Engler Printing Co., Fremont, OH • [email protected] 117 AMICA INTERNATIoNAL - International officers -
PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT EDIToR Tim Baxter John Motto-Ros Terry Smythe 939 Briarcliff Rd NE 110 Allen Ranch Road 55 Rowand Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306-4664 Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J2N6 404-377-1220 209-267-9252 204-832-3982 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENT TREASURER Alan Turner Joe Orens 148 Kingsway Avenue 8917 Wooden Bridge Road Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3M 0H1 Potomac, MD 20854-2448 204-489-3075 301-340-6664 [email protected] [email protected]
SECRETARY MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Bob and Bonnie Gonzalez Lyle Merithew & Sandy Swirsky 26 Foremast Cove 416 Colfax Drive Corte Madera, CA 94925 San Jose, CA 95123-3403 415-924-6834 408-227-9284 [email protected] [email protected] - Committees -
AMICA ARCHIVES CoNVENTIoN CooRDINAToR Tom hutchinson Frank Nix 15361 Hopper Road 6030 Oakdale Avenue Sturgeon, MO 65284 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 573-442-6675 818-884-6849 [email protected] [email protected]
AMICA MEMoRIAL FUND AMICA Honor Roll Ray Dietz Thomas & Donna Stengel 1250 Lanier Road 46 Court St. Martinsville, VA 24112-5212 Lancaster NY 14086-2302 276-638-8563 716-683-5309 [email protected] [email protected]
AUDIo-VISUAL & TECHNICAL WEBSITE MANAGER harold Malakinian Karl Ellison 2345 Porest Trail Drive 6 Lions Lane Troy, MI 48098 Salem, MA 01970-1784 248-528-3111 978-740-5680 [email protected] [email protected]
AMICA ENDoWMENT FUND Richard VanMetre 1506 South Courtland Avenue Park Ridge, IL 60068-5333 847-318-7310 [email protected]
118 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 AMICA INTERNATIoNAL Chapter officers FoUNDING CHAPTER Board Rep: Vincent and Maryam Morgan Vice Pres: Ken Hodge Pres: John Ulrich - 510-223-9587 Newsletter Editor: Bill Maguire Sec: Louise Lucero [email protected] Treas: Barry Weiss Vice Pres: Karen Simons LAND oF DIXIE Reporter: Larry Emmons Sec: Jack & Dianne Edwards President: Walt Gerber - [email protected] Board Rep: Jere DeBacker Treas/Bd Rep: Lyle Merithew & Sandy Swirsky Vice President: Robert Soule Reporter: Bob & Bonnie Gonzalez Treasurer: Tim Baxter SoWNY (Southern ontario,Western New York) Secretary: Danita Gerber Pres: Glenn Roat BoSToN AREA Board Representative: Tim Baxter [email protected] Pres: Phil Konop [email protected] Vice Pres: Bob and Kathy Singer Vice-Pres: Bob Hunt - 207-985-2308 Sec: Shirley Roat Sec: Kirk Russell [email protected] Treas: Dorothy Bromage MIDWEST (oH, MI, IN, KY) Treas: Holly Walter Reporter: Don Brown Pres: Don Johnson - 248-650-1840 [email protected] Board Rep: Bob Hunt - [email protected] [email protected] Reporter: Audrey Cannizzaro Vice Pres: Liz Barnhart [email protected] CHICAGo AREA Sec: Hilda Merchant Board Rep: Pres: Jerry Biasella - 708-756-3307 Treas: Alvin Wulfekuhl Photographer: Bill Lukasiak Vice Pres: Richard Van Metre Reporter: Christy Counterman Sec: Carol Veome - 773-338-1042 Board Rep: Liz Barnhart SoUTHERN CALIFoRNIA [email protected] Pres: Jerry Pell - [email protected] Treas: Joe Pekarek NoRTHERN LIGHTS Vice Pres: Mike Choate Reporter: Curt Clifford Pres: Paul Watkins - 763-421-0672 Sect/Reporter: Shirley Nix Board Rep: TBD [email protected] [email protected] Vice Pres: Mark Kraabel Treas: Diane Reidy HEART oF AMERICA Sec: Michael LuBrant Board Rep: Frank Nix Pres: Bob Stout - 816-833-1556 Treas: Barbara Watkins [email protected] Reporter: Jerrilynn Boehland TEXAS Vice Pres: Dan Davis Board Rep: Paul Watkins or Mark Kraabel Pres: Rich Clayton - 972-369-0470 Sec: Trudy. Moffitt [email protected] Treas: Brian Graham PACIFIC CAN-AM Vice Pres: Michael Barisonek Reporter: HC and Marlene Beckman Pres: Bill Mote - 360-403-1970 [email protected] Board Rep: Gary Craig [email protected] Treasurer: Janet Tonnesen Vice Pres: David Goodwin [email protected] LADY LIBERTY Secretary: Judy Mote Secretary: Suzanne McCall Pres: John Dousmanis (646) 638-2201 Treas: Mark Smithberg [email protected] Vice Pres: Vincent Morgan - 718-479-2562 Reporter: TBD Bulletin Reporter: Ken Long [email protected] Bd. Rep: Dan Brown [email protected] Sec: Bob Stuhmer Board Rep: John McCall Treas: Maryam Morgan RoCKY MoUNTAIN j-mccall@sbcglobal .net Reporter: Martin "Buzz" Rosa Pres: Jere DeBacker - 303-367-1493 [email protected] Affiliated Societies and organizations
American Theatre organ Society (AToS) Carousel organ Association of America Netherlands Mechanical organ Society-KDV President/CEO – Ken Double Editor/Publisher: Ron Bopp A. T. Meijer 5705 80th Street North (918) 527-0589 Wilgenstraat 24 St. Petersburg, Florida 33709 4725 Montrose Dr., Bradenton, FL, 34210 NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands Phone: 281-798-6205 [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Northwest Player Piano Association THEATRE ORGAN Co-Editors – Friends of Scott Joplin Everson Whittle, Secretary Mike Bryant and Don Feely 1217 St. Croix Ct. 11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever, Editorial Office Kirkwood, MO 63122-2326 Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. Manchester, England 3111 NE 165th Pl. website: http//stlouis.missouri.org/fsjoplin Home Phone: 01204 529939 Vancouver, WA 98682 Email: [email protected] Business Phone: 01772 208003 Phone: 206-619-6645 Email: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] International Piano Archives at Maryland Performing Arts Library,University of Maryland Pianola Institute Associazione Italiana Musica Meccanica 2511 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Clair Cavanagh, Secretary Villa Silvia - Via Lizzano, 1241 College Park, MD 20742 43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RA 47023 Cesena (FC), Italy Phone:301-405-9224 England Phone: 0039-547-323425 Fax: 301-314-7170 Fax: 0039-547-661264 Email: [email protected] Player Piano Group Email: [email protected] Adam Ramet, Bulletin Editor Website: www.ammi-italia.com International Vintage Phono 42 Park Road, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, UK & Mechanical Music Society Email: [email protected] Australian Collectors of Mechanical Musical C.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General Instruments 19 Mackaylaan Smithsonian Institution Peter Phillips - Editor 5631 NM Eindhoven, Netherlands Division of Musical History 26 Alice Street Washington, D.C. 20560 Padstow, NSW 221, Australia Musical Box Society of Great Britain Phone: (612) 9773-4734 Alan Pratt, Editor Society For Self-Playing Musical Instruments email: [email protected] P. O. Box 299 Gesellschaft fur Selbstspielende Waterbeach, Cambridge CB4 4PJ Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V. Netherlands Pianola Association England Ralf Smolne Nederlandse Pianola Vereniging Emmastr. 56 Att. Jan van Hulzen, Member of the Board Musical Box Society International D-45130 Essen, Germany Chopinrode 25 Rosanna Harris, Editor Phone: **49-201-784927 2717 BH Zoetermeer, Netherlands 5815 West 52nd Avenue Fax :**49-201-7266240 email: [email protected] Denver, CO 80212 Email: [email protected] Phone: 303-431-9033 Fax: 303-431-6978 Email: [email protected]
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 119 Vice-President’s Message
Greetings one and all, summer is upon us here in the north and everything is green and in bloom, splendid after a cold and dreary winter! I am enjoying throwing my windows open to let the music spill into the street for the enjoyment of my neighbours and passers-by. I would like to continue our President Tim Baxter's message for growing membership in AMICA. We all can be part of building AMICA by being ambassadors for the organization. When I tell people about AMICA I like to always mention that we are an organization for the collectors of Automatic Musical Instru - ments AND those who are interested in these instruments regardless of whether their collection is just start - ing, modest or extensive; all are welcome. Here are a few ideas for possible ways to encourage people to join our great organization: * When we have guests in our homes let's be sure to play our instruments for them and have copies of AMICA Bulletins out for them to browse through. When they show an interest, talk to them about joining AMICA. * Inviting our friends and acquaintances who are interested in Mechanical Music to attend AMICA Chapter Meetings and Events, where the local Chapter can have available, for give-away, copies of the most recent AMICA Bulletins with Membership Applications inserted. Local Chapters can contact our bulletin editor Terry Smythe
Alan Turner [email protected] Editorial observations During my adventure of digitizing all of AMICA’s Bulletins going back to 1964, I noted with considerable interest an article by Tockhwock, about the reconstruction of a Stein - way D concert grand piano back into a Duo-Art. This piano later emerged in a recent Found - ing Chapter meeting. Within the array of pics of that Chapter meeting, I noted that this piano is now equipped with a set of foot pumps, basically turning this instrument into a PEDA (Pedal- Electric), popular in the UK, relatively unknown here in North America. I invited Tockhwock to document his latest achievement, which resulted in one of this issue’s feature articles, very much appreciated. With considerable pleasure, this issue introduces a new column – Lost and Found. It emerged from a recent conversation with Ken Long who discovered a 1928 Mason & Hamlin Ampico A/B in a Mexican resort. His documentation and photos of this find is a great example that many of us can emulate upon discovering an interesting instrument in some unexpected location. When stumbling across an interesting instru - ment while travelling, please take the time to document and photo it. Over the past year, our membership has been modestly creeping upwards, a positive sign. There is much more we can do. It is no secret that the market for player pianos is painfully flat these days. While that is a negative, the positive flip side is that there are many player pianos being offered for free these days, making for a lo-cost entry for newcomers. All chapters are encouraged to acquire an awareness of locally avail - able free player pianos and mate them up with guests appearing with members at Chapter events. Many of our members got their start with a con - ventional player piano, a marvelously enjoyable entertainment machine that by chance also offers aerobics. What makes player pianos so enjoyable is that they appeal to more than one sense. Contemporary music players appeal only to the sense of hearing, and even then only by means of an electronic simulation. Player pianos appeal to the sense of sight, particularly if nicely restored. They appeal to the sense of touch, through the manipulation of rolls, levers and pedals, far in excess of simple button pushing, and finally to the sense of hearing and feeling the vibes emerging from a real instrument. There is something truly magical and even emotional about not only hear - ing the real instrument, see the real instrument, feeling the real instrument, but also that mystical intangible feeling the vibes, something not possible by an electronic simulation. And as if this isn’t enough to energize a young person freshly introduced to the magic of a player piano, they can be repeatedly restored into perpetuity. That is simply not going to happen with today’s electronic emulators. As they die, they are simply disposed of. And as we focus attention on contemporary electronic social media, we can’t help wondering how it can be utilized to promote AMICA. If contemporary social media can provoke a successful revolution, surely it can be a powerful force to promote AMICA. A search of Facebook finds only 2 references to AMICA, and Twitter has zero references. Thoughts of others?
Terry Smythe [email protected]
120 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Letters Subject: Comment on article in AMICA Bulletin Subject: New Recut Released - Played by Pete Wendling Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:47:21 -0400 Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:33:39 -0500 (CDT) From: Richard Giaccio
With best wishes, Rich Giaccio Syracuse, NY New Additions to our on-Line Library
The Player Pianist Ampico Catalog Supplement by William Braid White January1931, 6 pages. 1910, 150 pages Contributed by Adam Ramet (UK) How to "play" a player piano The Duo-Art Book of Music The Appreciation Of Music by Pianola and Duo-Art ~1935, 91 pages, by Aeolian (promo) by Percy Scholes, 1925, 157 pages A Course of Lectures at Aeolian Hall, London Modern Piano Tuning and Allied Arts with an Appendix by Reginald Reynolds, "How To Get The Best from 1917, 346 pages, by William Braid White The Pianola". Theory and Practice of Pianoforte Building Victoria Roll Catalog for Kastner Player Piano 1909, 165 pages, by William Braid White 1914, 83 pages. Contributed by Adam Ramet (UK) MacKinnon Catalog No-20 Winter-1974, 132 pages The Pneumatic Player Courtesy of Andrew Barrett 1921, 42 pages. Contributed by Adam Ramet (UK) American International Galleries Catalog #13, 1980, 136 pages Repairing the Player Piano Courtesy of Andrew Barrett 1926, 18 pages. Contributed by Adam Ramet (UK) American International Galleries Catalog #14, 1980, 100 pages Angelus Instruction Manual Courtesy of Andrew Barrett undated, 14 pages. Contributed by Adam Ramet (UK)
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 121 Wurlitzer Wonderlamp Project by Jim Lowell For the last fifty years I have been hooked on automated blies. The only change we made musical instruments. In the early sixties I bought my first player from the originals was to replace piano and a local artisan taught me how to “fix the bellows.” As some round metal pieces with bear - most of you know that isn’t quite all that is involved in restoring a ings which allow the lamps to turn player. In any case I kept with it and now we have a nice collec - much more smoothly. Mirrors were tion of instruments. cut for the reflector shields by a com - As I saw different collections over the years I only saw a pany in the East and Bob cut and few Wurlitzer orchestrions that still had their wonderlamps. It bent the reflector shields to hold the Jim Lowell seems that when they were moved the lamps were often removed mirrors. and never replaced. But I always thought I would like to have one The one project that was left was drilling and fitting the whether it had a lamp or not. filigrees. They had to be drilled out, cut and fit to the balls and Then, a couple stones. This was a very of years ago I was able to time consuming project. purchase a Wurlitzer BX. To do a single ball took Not surprisingly it was three or four days and the missing the wonderlamp. results weren't perfect. I We made a new top had some pictures of gallery, which was also original filigrees and missing, and were able to started looking for a way get the makings for a new to copy them. Hope was wonderlamp through Art not lost because help Reblitz. He had acquired came from Brad who these parts from the estate was interested in a lamp Bill Toth who had made for his Wurlitzer. At first reproduction lamps until we were looking at about he passed away. Now, $800.00 for a set of 19 once the pieces were filigrees. That put the assembled, I had my price of a finished lamp lamp. at over $3,000.00. Way Several collec - too high! But then he tors saw the new lamp so found a company to do it the word got out that I for about $100.00 or a now had one. One day I little less per set. Now got a call from a Wurl - the price was within rea - itzer owner who heard son. We are currently about the lamp and he having several hundred asked if I could make one made. Once the filigrees for him. I, of course, said are mounted and bent to “NO WAY.” He wrote fit the balls the whole back and said “Please.” ball assembly will be Then Art Reblitz and antique brass plated. Jim Lowell’s Wurlitzer BX, with new Wonderlamp installed. Brad McClincy and Dave Shiny and nice! Ramey said “why don’t you make some lamps. We don’t want to This leaves the matter of how the lamps are rotated. The do it and we will help you in any way we can.” How could I orchestrions have a light at the top center and those that had won - refuse? I gave in. derlamps have a receptacle at the top . We are driving the lamps So this project began. I had already found a good suppli - with a Dayton electric motor, chain drive and pulleys. The lamp er for stones and Bob, a fantastic machinist to make the brass balls turns at 20 RPM and the power comes on when a coin is inserted that hold the stones. Several of the parts are made from spun metal and is turned off when the orchestrion stops. I am enclosing the so we had to find a shop to make these. Our first estimate for small motor in a wooden box so the motor itself really isn’t visible tooling for those parts was nearly $3000.00 plus several hundred from the outside of the machine. dollars for each set of parts. That put a halt to the possibility of All one has to do to install the system is put two screws making the lamps for a reasonable price. Bob kept looking and through the mounting brackets of the lamp into the top of the found a company who could do the job for much less and we were orchestrion and plug the lamp into the top receptacle. A hole is back in business. They tooled up and we had ten sets of spun likely already drilled if the lamp was originally motor driven. metal parts made. A second type of drive is powered by the motor that acti - Bob then started making the balls, their bases and bases vates the pumps. A shaft comes up the right side of the orchestrion for the spun metal shields. Meanwhile I started mounting jewels to drive the spool frame or changer. It has enough metal on the top and making the associated wooden parts and drive shaft assem - end to extend it. It may be carried to the top outside of the
122 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 orchestrion and then leather belted across to the lamp at the center. An inside mounted system is also available. In this style the belt runs across the shelf below the base drum and is turned upward near the triangle to attach to the pulley on the lamp. In either case a pulley system and tensioner must be made to fit each machine. Since only the front of the lamp shows through the finial, Finished the electric motor system is certainly the most practical for most new lamp users. A belt and pulley system can always be added later if assembly desired. At this point we are spending about $2,000.00 for all the parts and labor. I am adding $250 for shipping and my labor. When you look at the labor and parts that go into one of these we think the price is quite reasonable. To make a lamp takes the efforts of nine different companies and individuals. The real ques - tion is, “Are the lamps accurate and beautiful enough for your rare Wurlitzer?” You can judge by the pictures. Since this isn’t really a project I undertook to make a profit, I will be glad to provide any information I can to help any - one do their own lamp or will provide parts and information to anyone who needs them. We have seven lamps left and will only make more if the demand is high enough to merit another run on Lamp the spun metal parts. I have about six of my own instruments to assembly restore and am getting too old to finish them if I don't stop making underway lamps and keep restoring my machines.
Ed. Note: Jim Lowell may be contacted at:
Original lamp ball
(photo courtesy Completed of Art bench Reblitz) assembly
A portion of the array of parts. Final bench test succesful
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 123 BUILDING a PEDAL-ELECTRIC GRAND Going Retro: Exhausting Possibilities by Tockhwock So, maybe you’ve thought it could be neat to have a voice said, “I think ya better sit down. pedal-electric (PE) grand. It’s most easily done with a grand that One of those concert grand Steinway plays its roll above the keyboard, and you don’t have to belong to Duo-Arts is up on eBay.” I sat down. Mensa to do it. Candidates for the transformation include Welte Only ten had been built -- some originals, Phillips Ducas, Hupfeld Deas, Wilcox & White to be used by Aeolian for demonstration Tockhwock Angeluses, and most Duo-Art grands. Not included are the concerts. Judging from the screw holes cheaper grands with a drawer under the keyboard: Duo-Art, for two sets of skids down its back, this had been one of the demo Recordo or otherwise. I think getting exhausters under a drawer pianos. The screws that held the first set of skids had been would be immensely difficult, complicated, and bulky. When fin - sheared off. The bent screws had been pounded in and painted ished, probably the only one able to get their legs underneath to black. Obviously she’d been around the block more than once. I pedal it would be the Gulbransen baby. knew where six of the other Duo-Art “Ds” were, and the serial numbers of the four still out there -- “missing.” This hOW IT BEGAN: From a 6’ 6” to one (number 217715) was the 7th, born 11, a 7’ 6” Pedal-Electric Steinway 1923 (7/11 -- my lucky number). About 25 years ago, when we still Though billed, by lived in the far-east (Pennsylva - the church that owned her, as nia), we’d just finished being in excellent original con - rebuilding our 1910 pedal dition, she was no Virgin Steinway “O.” Our living Mary. The church’s “tech - room was already Amica - nician” couldn’t make the bly overstocked with long keyboard work; so pianos. My husband after he threw the Duo- suggested it would be a Art parts away, he short - great space-saver if I ened the piano by six could arrange a marriage inches -- using a carpen - for the two systems in ter’s handsaw no less. one piano. Knowing He “fixed” the problem- that there had actually keyboard by installing a been a few PE Duo-Art derelict, original-length grands built by Aeolian, I “D” keyboard, which he set out to make one more. didn’t even bother to I began by moving rebuild -- thank goodness! the exhausters from under the He was so lazy that he even “O” to the Steinway “B” to see put the un-restored Duo-Art “D” if I could pedal it. To my surprise, action stack on the short keyboard. the exhausters were way over pow - Thankfully, this gave us the original ered. Pushing down one pedal moved action with its soft-pedal lift levers and the paper about four inches at fairly high vol - provenance. To resurrect the piano, we had to ume. When I had lengthened my Steinway “B” to add six inches back onto her length and build a new make space for a Duo-Art, I installed one of Aeolian’s long-play keyboard (reusing the original action stack). The handy-dandy top actions. The roll drive on them is electric; so it requires much technician also fixed her up with a set of single legs from some less vacuum to operate, resulting in much of the excess I was non-descript brand grand, so she needed new legs as well. That experiencing. I built a second smaller set, mounted them in the process is all documented in previous AMICA Bulletins. “O” exhauster cabinet, and tried again; still too strong. A third, So why, you may ask, did we want this particular Stein- even smaller set (like 3” less per exhauster), worked perfectly; so wreck ? I built a cabinet for the “B” in the same style that Aeolian had Unlike standard “D’s,” the beam structure underneath is built for the “O” -- only much smaller. We sold the pedal “O” laid out to take the player parts -- including two 17-inch rotary and moved a TV into our living room. The “B” now had to com - pumps. This was standard equipment for Aeolian’s Steinway pete with sappy-soapy Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. “D’s.” Thus equipped, one really could play Carnegie Hall. The key-bed is cutout for the stack. The piano is three inches wider ThE BIRTh OF A PE “D” than a standard “D” -- to allow space for the 88-note stack. Most of those three inches show up in the width of the sound-board Six years ago, we began to close down our shop to along the bass side, which adds richness to her tonal quality. She retire. Just before giving away my shelves of Aeolian company also has the right serial number -- she’s one of the original ten. parts, I got a phone call from an AMICAN (Bill Singleton). The 124 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 I’m a total sucker for that kind of thing. Access panel and stop-screw on the reservoir Having done the lengthening process once before on the “B,” I knew what I was getting into. I also still had my parts col - lection; so knew I would still be able to build a complete Aeolian- style Duo-Art. But we were in the process of moving across the continent -- almost momentarily; so I buried myself in my shop, and put together a complete kit with everything I could possibly need. This left Bruce closing down and auctioning off the con - tents of our house. While I was at it, I included all the parts and new castings necessary to build a cabinet and exhausters -- just in-case I decided to go for broke and make her a PE. That was five years ago. One afternoon last year, having completed the installa - tion of the Duo-Art, I removed the exhauster box from the “B,” slipped it under the “D,” and jerry-rigged it to go. While I was doing the jerry-rig, I worried that the cross-valves I’d put in the “D” might require more vacuum than the “B” (which I had built with standard Aeolian round valves). Quite the opposite was the case. The “B” exhausters proved to be too powerful; the exhausters I ended up building for the “D” were yet another two The size and shape of the access panel are the same as inches smaller. The esthetics of a cabinet, which is ten inches the one on a standard upright reservoir. I placed a stop-screw so smaller than the original made by Aeolian, are immediately that I could change the amount of air I reserve to carry through apparent. I spent several fabulous afternoons pedaling her. I’ve between pedaling to be just as much as I want for playing softly - had a lot of pedal pianos since age 14, but nothing had the chutz - - but not so much that it affects a quick response when I want pah of something with a bass like this. Aeolian had never built a sudden volume. I can hit crash-level in less than half a stroke, pedal “D,” but they could have. This piano had been so badly and that works for me. butchered, I felt artistically free to do what I think Aeolian might The reservoir ended up being set to close only about have done if a customer, in say 1932, had requested a PE “D” in halfway. I think a smaller reservoir could work just as well. an art case. Reservoir and cut-out valve CONSTRUCTING ThE EXhAUSTERS: First, the Reservoir
The reservoir unit on a pedal grand is separate from the exhauster assembly. It was tucked up between the beams, just behind the stack in the original “O;” so that’s where it is in both the “B” and the “D.”
The reservoir installed
Mounted on the side, there is a single cut-out pouch, same design as Aeolian used to cutout the end four notes on the Duo-Art. It opens to outside air whenever there is vacuum in the reservoir. When open, it operates a valve which cuts off the expression valves and stack from the rotary pump. It does this, immediately and automatically, the moment the piano is being pedaled. This gives the pianolist immediate and complete control of the volume from zero up, even when pedaling a Duo-Art roll. It also opens the spill as it would be during reroll to relieve the rotary pump. All of the other components operate from the rotary I copied the reservoir from the “B,” which in turn had pump. When the pianolist ceases pedaling, the piano automati - been copied from an original. cally returns to being a full Duo-Art.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 125 ThE EXhAUSTERS
I began by making down-sized copies of the exhausters from the “B.” In order to avoid tearing them down, I used a spare set of exhausters from an old Aeolian upright for the internal specs. First I copied the largest piece, the centre section to which everything else is attached. I put three coats of shellac on the areas that will be the interior and exterior, but not where there will be glue. Yes, I know, Aeolian didn’t shellac the insides, but I did. I think they’d approve. I remember rebuilding a very early upright Weber in which all the keys were shellacked -- tops, sides and bottoms; so perhaps this is just seriously retro. Front side with box The front
The one-inch hole in the centre (top of this photo) leads Then, I built the box which replaces the familiar upright out to the reservoir. Aeolian piano reservoir. The box is almost the same size and shape as the upright reservoir -- and in the same place. The only reason I can imagine for the substitution of a box here is that the brackets, which hold the exhausters to the cabinet, are screwed to it. There’s no other reasonable place to attach them. Had there been another location for those mounting brackets, then a reser - voir could have easily been placed here.
The “box” and its leather gasket
Screwed, but not glued in place. The original wasn’t glued; so neither did I. Why ? Because that’s how Aeolian did it. When completed, it will have a one-inch strip of pneumatic cloth glued in the un-painted area around its edges.
ThE BACKSIDE AND TWO EXhAUSTERS
I painted the usual three coats of shellac where there was to be no glue, and coated the areas where the leather flaps will be with Dag; then sanded smooth. (Dag is the grey coating used on the bridges under the strings.)
126 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 The back side Outsides of new exhauster backs
I followed this by cutting out the two moving backs for the bellows using the movable side of an original exhauster as a I only cut seven holes (instead of the eight in the origi - template for the holes. nal) because I don’t need to move as much air for the “D” as for a standard PE or an Aeolian-built pedal upright. The old, original back “template” Top hinge taped tight to dry
The inside of a new back: After installing the flap-valves, inside and out, I attached the first back. I glued the top hinges together using hot hide-glue, and taped it tight to dry hard overnight. Next day, I put cloth on the first exhauster and glued and taped the hinges for the second one then closed the shop for the day. The reason for that proce - dure (completing one exhauster before gluing the back onto the second and finishing it) is that there’s more space to work in between them when there’s only one. When it’s time to cover an exhauster, a spacer insures the openings will be the same and that the hinges will easily move the correct distance. Spacer in place
This kept the design close to how Aeolian would have done it.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 127 One tip of the spacer is beveled to insure both Back when I built the pedal assembly for the other exhausters are the same size. A strip of wood ¾ x ¼ is glued and Steinway, I found someone in the U.K. who’d had the original nailed around the edges of the inside on the back. This allows rubber Aeolian pedal mats copied. Lucky me! At the time, he space for the inside flap-valve to work and provides an excellent said he had only ten sets left; I bought four, and have now used edge against which to glue the cloth. My process for covering three. The new ones were slightly over-sized to allow for final one is: I paint the hot glue, then staple the cloth in place -- first trimming. the nose. An hour later, I repeat the process along the outside edge. After an additional hour, I remove the spacer (I forgot to do that once about 30 years ago). With the spacer removed and in plain view, I glue the cloth to the final edge between the two exhausters. I use oven-hot (200°F) pieces of wood, tacked and clamped down around the edges; this re-heats the hot glue after the cloth is in place. Anywhere I can use spring clamps, or my C- clamps, I do. When it’s dry and the clamps are removed, I pull out the staples which initially held the cloth in place. Someday someone might see them, and I wouldn’t want that. After the first one has hardened overnight, I can safely collapse it and repeat the process on the second: glue cloth to the nose, then the sides, and finally to the top over the hinge. Just prior to gluing the top cloth over the hinge, I coat the flexible part of the hinge with dry soap. This keeps the glue off the moving-hinge area. It also adds a little dry lubrication. I do the same to the hinges when I do pneumatics on the stack, and everywhere else. That sliver of soap on the shower floor is worth picking up -- it’s nice ‘n sharp and perfect for the job.
Nose glued down
The pedal assembly from the front
After the two exhausters were dry, I bolted the hardware on, but did not line things up and put the final set-screws in until I had attached the pedals.
It “clicks” into place at the top centre, in the same way as regular Aeolian-built uprights. Before building the cabinet for the new exhausters, I installed them in the “B’s” pedal cabinet, slipped it under the “D,” and spent a few days pedaling the new exhausters -- just to be sure. What fun ! Kind of like the thrill of out-running the cops on a hot Harley.
128 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 BUILDING ThE CABINET Because the dimensions of the pedal assembly were nearly the same, I was able to copy my “B” cabinet pretty much piece by piece. First, I rough cutout the bottom and the back, and some of the bottom-edge molding pieces.
I drilled out my jig
Next, I built the ends of the cabinet -- each of which has a 1x2 glued and screwed full-length along its front edge. The top lintel over the doors is mortised into this beefed-up edge. The front doors also screw onto it. Most of the energy of the pianolist is borne by this portion of the cabinet. It has to be able to stand up to a lot of stress. Gluing the 1x2 to the front edge
ThE LINTEL
The lintel on the front (over the doors) also has to stand Then I attached a wood fence to the back side of the jig up to a fair amount of stress when the pianolist is pedaling; thus a to use when cutting the mortise slot in the end pieces of the cabi - full-size 6”x10”x?” steel lintel-plate, which holds the box to the net. This would assure a perfect match for both mortise slots and piano, is screwed to it. It covers the inside of the lintel from end- the lintel. to-end. Aeolian may have been over building again. I followed suit. Lintel ends I waited to cutout the lintel-plate until I had the lintel completed and the cabinet screwed together -- to be certain it fit exactly. For the lintel, I began by making a jig, which I used to make both the mortise ends on the lintel as well as the slots in the cabinet into which they’d fit. I slid my mortised ends in and out of it to check them for correct size as I progressed. To make the jig, I held the end of the lintel to the jig- board, and drew a line around it. Then I screwed down a steel fence along one edge to assure a straight cut. I’d rather chance killing the drill than cutting the hole wrong.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 129 I used the jig as my pattern to draw the exact shape and Onto the back-board of the new cabinet, I copied the size on the ends of the lintel (previous picture). moon-shaped opening which Aeolian located there for accessing the pedal return-springs.
Saber sawing the New Moon
Then with my trusty Moto-tool, I ground it out,
and filed it.
I screwed the cabinet together for its first rough fit, to Finally, I used a razorblade to perfect it until everything sand it, and to do final prep for veneering. I used the same num - fit together snugly…. ber and size screws as the original -- slot-tops only. Aeolian did - n’t use cross-top screws, neither do I. ThE NEW MOON, Selections
Imitating the back of the old “B” and “O” cabinets...
130 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 reduce the overall width of the pedal cabinet. The foundry cast the first set for the “D” too thin; so I had to get them to do it a second time. As you have already surmised, it’s best if you have access to one of these pedal assemblies to copy -- another very good reason for having AMICANs for friends.
Sustaining pedal
When all was ready, I cutout the full-sized metal lintel- plate from 1/8 ”-thick steel. The “ears” are what hold the pedal cabinet to the piano. Actually, I cut out two full size plates so that I could make the “D’s” standard pedal lyre interchangable with the pedal box. Why? Who knows what the next guy will want. I did it for him/her, just in case.
I copied the mounts from the “B” (originally copied from the “O”), filed and felt bushed them…
…then fit and installed them.
As I indicated earlier, back in the old country, I had my foundry cast copies of the pedals to match the ones in my “B.” I’d had those copied from originals in the “O.” The next picture is of those in the “B” in need of a face lift. She’s now older than the first original Duo-Arts I bought as a kid. A cover originally fit over them to provide a guide for the three connecting rods for the sustaining, susti-nuto, and key - board-shift pedals.
To make it, I glued together two pieces of wood to obtain the right thickness.
As far as I know, these pedals are not standard to any - thing except an Aeolian-built pedal grand. They are not, to my knowledge, readily available anywhere. They are short and curved to make space in the exhauster cabinet for the rods and to
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 131 Shop rule #5: “You can’t have too many clamps. They Rod guide-cover in place can be too tight, or too loose, or in the wrong places, but you can’t have too many clamps.” -- Ed Trefz, one of my teachers and well-known Philadelphia piano rebuilder c.1962. I was 17.
With one end off the cabinet, but everything else in place, this is how it looks. Tight fit. The exhauster assembly is screwed to the 1/8”-thick steel lintel-plate with four machine screws. The treble-end mounting bracket is just barely visible here.
With the pilot holes for the pedal rods drilled out, I installed a temporary fence on my table-saw at the right depth, and set the blades (three sandwiched together) to the right height.
The lintel-plate (bare - ly visible) sticks out the top, and is held to the lintel with eight #10 flat-head wood - screws.
Then I slid it in and out till it was complete. This copied Aeolian's original interior design.
The lintel (and the rest of the cabinet) is bolted to a 4” long ¼”-thick steel “L”-shaped piece mounted on the under - side of the keybed with two #20 machine-bolts (not shown). The same prop, which is used for the standard lyre, is mounted on the back to provide the rest of the After the inside arc was finished and sanded smooth, I support. Inter-changing shaped and veneered the outside with the same Avodire as is on them is easily accom - the rest of the piano. I drilled and felted the rod guide-holes. plished.
132 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 VENEERING ThE CABINET Removing the brown paper with warm water
I still had enough Avodire from the flitches we’d pur - chased to do the case of the piano; so a really good match was possible. I painted the wrinkly, fragile veneer with veneer soften - er the day before; so it was soft and very pliable. This prevents splitting. On the day of the lay, each piece of the cabinet was heated separately in the oven to about 200°F. In each case, a “pressing-board” -- the same size as the veneer I was gluing down -- was also heated. With everything ready to go, I would stack a sandwich as follows: I’d spread the hot glue on the item to be veneered, lay the piece of veneer, place two sheets of plain (un-printed) shopping bag paper, a piece of wax paper, and the hot pressing-board on top. Finally, lots of clamps -- you really As soon as it was clean, I dried it off fast and completely can’t have too many. with a clean rag. I don’t want my veneer to even think about lift - ing. The treble half of the back being veneered Trimming
One of the ends being clamped I immediately trimmed the edges and made another sandwich: clean brown paper, the now cold clamping-board and clamps. It was left to harden overnight.
A smaller board in the centre and on top of the “press - When all of the pieces had dried for about two weeks, I ing-board” (held tight by wooden clamps in both pictures) is undercoated them with seven coats of Sherwin-Williams varnish there to make sure the middle sticks down flat. sander sealer (except for the places where the black moldings are Next day, after the glue was hard, I removed the press - yet to be glued). This protects the veneer from anything that ing-board and whatever paper would pull off. might stain it, and saves on the time needed to sand around the Some glue invariable leaches through the veneer and moldings. sticks to the bottom paper, but this comes off with warm water and a cloth. The warm water also removes any leached-through glue.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 133 MAKING MOLDINGS Completed and installed with doors closed…
The bottom edge of the cabinet has a cove molding all the way around. I used tiger-grain maple. Tiger for two reasons: first, it nearly matches the Avodire in grain and color; second, it will stand up better than the Avodire to being bumped by the vac - uum cleaner. To cut it, I put a fence on my drill-press, a router bit in the chuck, and ran the maple board past it.
Tiger-grain cove moldings are in place. Black to the floor wouldn’t have worked; it needed the “lift” of clear grain It took several swipes to accomplish each piece. I made around the edges. extra, in case I messed up somewhere along the line. BUILDING A UNIVERSAL CUT-OUT DISTRIBUTOR
I’m not sure what to call this piece, but what I want is something that automatically shifts from Duo-Art to pedal-play as soon as someone begins to pedal. It needs to “kill” the expres - sion immediately, so I could play, say, the third number on a Milne medley, if I suddenly wanted to, but then return to Duo-Art when I stopped pedaling. I didn’t want to have to mess with any levers to accomplish the change-over. Aesthetically, the design of the cabinet had to meld with Otherwise, it must be entirely “in the Aeolian ball park” the rest of the piano. An all black cabinet was out of the running -- as though Aeolian had built it. It needs to have a Themodist from the outset; so was all Avodire. It would need some kind of and slide choke valves like other Aeolian pedal Themodists. I black design, but could not up-stage the rest, so inlay was out too. decided to copy what I had built for the “B;” that one has worked We set the box up under the piano and tried several dif - fine for decades. This is how it’s constructed. ferent designs to “feel out” what we wanted. No, I’m not show - ing pictures of what didn’t make the cut. What we finally chose The “B” cut-out box -- top off echoed the case and the music rack.
This is the nearly complete cabinet taped together for a final check -- to be sure this is what we wanted. In this pic - ture, the tiger-grain maple molding is not yet attached around the bottom edge.
One slide valve is removed here for viewing. Two one- inch supply nipples on the left end connect to the treble and bass Duo-Art expression. A one-inch elbow-nipple (top right) con - nects to the reservoir and thence to the pedal exhausters. It sup -
134 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 plies pedal-vacuum to the underside of the slide valves and the …heated and glued tightly together. Can’t have too many theme accenting valves. clamps… The pedal Themodist and Duo-Art ends of the box are isolated by two sets of standard-style Aeolian flap-valves. When the Duo-Art sucks, there is no feed-back into the Themodist. When the pedal Themodist sucks, there is no feed-back into the Duo-Art. Two one-inch holes near the centre lead through a channel-board (shown later) to the treble and bass ends of the stack. The central part of the new “box” -- in pieces
Sealing the channel-board
All the pieces are heated in the oven to 200°F, and then hastily glued together. A tight fit in advance expedites this. You can only see one set of clamps here; the other is exactly underneath holding the other side.
When the glue is dry, I plug one end of each channel, fill the channels in the channel-board with shellac, and let it sit for about 15 minutes (the same as when resealing the channels to the pneumatics on a stack -- new or old). On never before sealed items, do it several times, allowing it to dry in between. It’s amazing how much air can flow through the grain between the channels in an original pneumatic stack pouch-wells or bleed-holes. If you need convincing, try sucking on a nipple on un-resealed pouches or the holes in decks where you intend to glue your completed pneumatics. The “channel-board” (which allows passage of vacuum Not only does air suck through, but how much depends on the grain to the ends of the stack) is made from two ¾”-pieces of poplar -- or which end of the piano might have been nearest the heat source which will be… for 50 years. It’s not an even amount between notes. Shop rule #9: “If it sucks, reseal it.” I’m convinced that if all original stacks were Channel-board resealed this way -- with shellac, Duo-Arts would perform much more evenly. Ok, ‘nuff soap-boxing .
Slide valve-plates in process
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 135 Copying the slide valves began with a flat, brass hand- plate (originally intended for a door) obtained at a hardware store. First I made quick copies out of some fairly stiff junk plas - tic packaging material to be sure the slots were exactly what I wanted. As it turned out, I made a new set for both pianos with much slimmed down slots. I simply do not need to move as much air as quickly as did the originals. I used the slide-plates And here it is with I’d copied from the “O” as templates for the new ones. the pouches, valves, A completed copy and gasket leather in place .
Usually, there really is “no substitute for perfec - tion” -- shop rule #1 moder - ated by shop rule #2: “Fool - ish consistency is the hob - goblin of small minds.” These two rules hang on the wall of my shop, mocking To make a pattern for the gasket, I stick masking tape each other -- and me. onto the wood. Then transfer it to the leather, cut it out, and glue it where it belongs. I remove the tape after the gasket is dry. This keeps it from getting any stray glue on it. Like Aeolian did with their fan accordion systems, the whole box assembly is screwed together for easy access later.
Distributer box with theme valves on the bottom
Box from the “B” and new channel-board behind The chan - nel-board (top left of photo) screws to the top of the box. The theme valves fit under the round holes in the brass slide plates on the bottom of the “box.” The theme valve portion of the Distributer mounted to the underside of the key-bed unit is only about two thirds the length of the rest of the “box” and is attached to its bot - tom.
here, the new theme valve box is ready to drill out.. .
136 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Doors open and ready to out-run the cops!
to nickelodeon rolls, instruments and all. Or how about a Moog No fall-board, no drawer -- originally a Welte design; synthesizer stop, and playing the Duo-Art “Aida”selections with Aeolian and American both could have learned something from voices for Celeste Aida? The instruments would run off the Welte. A real plus to having a pedal cabinet here in Northern rotary pump while the pianolist is pedaling. Maybe it should be California is that it’s like having a fourth set of legs. When the called... next earthquake comes, there’s a little less chance she’ll get knocked off her legs and squash her stack. The day after the 9.0 AN AEOLIAN hOME PhOTO-PLAYER ? quake in Japan, this is probably wishful thinking. This could be the home photo-player that Aeolian might What’s next? how about… have built in 1930 -- if a customer had requested one. This is my next project, unless someone younger than I am wants to do it, is A PE NICKELODEON ? able to build it, and comes up with an offer I can’t refuse. He will need to have all the nickelodeon instruments and a nice I have this tracker-bar in an un-rebuilt upright Stroud Steinway upright. It could be you.... Think about it. which tracks 88, 65, Themodist, Simplex, Angelus, and Duo-Art rolls. It’s also a pedal-electric. Ed Note: Tockhwock may be contacted at: ts Just add the instruments and it could play nickelodeon A and O rolls with all the glitz. If I were to come across a pedal [email protected] Steinway upright to put it in, I can hear myself pedaling the piano
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 137 This article is reprinted from the journal of the Australian Collectors of Mechanical Musical Instruments (ACMMI), an AMICA affiliate. Aeolian tugboat pump and its historical motor by Peter Phillips During the restoration of my Weber upright pedal-elec - In the original installa - tric Duo-Art, I decided to replace the original MotorA turbine tion, the motor is mounted on a pump with a conventional pneumatic pump. In the first place, complex arrangement of brackets MotorA pumps are notoriously noisy, despite the manufacturer's and springs, to give tension claims. Of more importance was the state of the electric motor. In adjustment and to minimise motor fact, electric motors feature prominently in my journey to reach a noise. The pump is designed to be finality regarding the replacement vacuum pump. This article is attached to the side of the piano, Peter Phillips therefore more about motors than the tugboat pump, and I write it with the motor mount arrangement attached somehow to the bot - in the knowledge that virtually every reader will have a mechani - tom of the piano. You might think from the above photo that my cal musical instrument with an electric motor. First the story story ends here. After all, the motor runs very nicely and relative - behind the tugboat pump. ly quietly and is more than adequate for the job. Well, the real part of this story starts here… Vacuum pumps The original motor Over the years I've seen a lot of pneumatic pumps. The most common is the box pump, but in the quest for quiet running, My electrical background makes me suspicious of old other styles include the so-called steamboat pump. This huge electric appliances of any sort, in particular old motors. And this pump has large, slow moving pneumatics, rather like the Welte motor was certainly old, indicated by the exposed mains voltage pump found in the cabinet style Mignon. Some pumps have small terminals. My first test is to measure a motor's insulation resis - pneumatics, and run at a high speed, such as the pump in a tance. This test requires a special type of instrument sometimes Coinola. Then there's the MotorA pump, designed specially for called a Megger. Known today as an insulation resistance tester, the player piano market, and marketed as being silent. These the original device was invented by the Megger Company, who operate like a vacuum cleaner, and are just as noisy unless registered its name on 25 May 1903. The original units had a encased in lots of sound deadening material. crank handle to rotate a magneto to provide a high voltage to the When Jim Nicholson offered me the bare bones of a test probes. If the insulation being tested was failing, the high pneumatic pump in 2009, I was delighted, and eventually assem - voltage would cause a small electric current to flow and thereby bled a complete unit, driving it with a motor out of a washing move the pointer on a meter. The greater the amount of deflection machine. I described what I did to achieve the final pump in Bul - the higher the current, and therefore the poorer the condition of letin 157, published exactly 12 months ago. However, while I the insulation. worked on this pump, I had taken up an offer from a fellow col - My insu - lector in Melbourne to purchase his fully restored tugboat pump. lation resistance I had no idea what a tugboat pump looked like, but as it came tester is a modern from a Duo-Art and was made by Aeolian I just had to have it. It day equivalent, was being sold as the owner had replaced it with a newer and qui - and generates the eter pump. However, it was to take around 12 months before the required high volt - pump finally made the trip from Melbourne to Sydney, courtesy age electronically of Steve Rattle, who had alerted me to the pump in the first place. from batteries. The The photos below are of the pump after I had assembled instrument is it onto a base board and attached the original motor. The vacuum shown here, with supply comes out just below the wheel. one probe connect - ed to the metal frame of the old motor, the other to one of the motor terminals. The test voltage is selected by the switch and is set to 250V. The important reading is what the pointer is showing, which is a resistance of five megohms. The minimum value gen - erally allowed (in certain cases) is one megohm. A megohm is a million ohms of resistance, so you can be forgiven for thinking it's a high enough value. Or perhaps the term megohm is totally foreign to you. It doesn't matter, what is important is that this test has showed a reading low enough to make one concerned. On the other hand, for such an old motor, this reading is quite respectable. The ideal reading is infinity, which is shown by the meter pointer not moving at all.
138 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 There are two ways collectors tend to treat old motors. cuit breaker in your fuse box. The fuse will eventually blow, but One is to have the motor rewound, the other is to run it without possibly not until the motor is either on fire, or well on its way to connecting the motor frame and metalwork to the earth pin of a ignition. three-pin power plug. That is how the motor came to me, and is In my case, I prefer to mount the vacuum pump away how it was probably always connected. We all know that an from the instrument, which over the years has seen me put pumps unearthed metal appliance is potentially dangerous, as you might in the ceiling, under stairs, and these days, under the house. The touch its metal part while it's live. thought of a motor catching fire under the house was far to These days, most homes have a safety switch which is galling to consider, so in the end this old motor had to be retired, designed to operate very quickly if electric current is flowing to and replaced. But not before I pulled it apart. Perhaps there was earth, through you. So you can argue there is protection offered something I could do? Relacquering the coils with shellac some - by the safety switch, and in any case who's going to touch the times helps, as does drying in a warm oven. But when I pulled motor while it's running. In many cases the motor is hidden in a this motor apart, I could not believe my eyes! In fact, after trawl - piano or away from possible human contact. ing the internet and looking through the many old books I have By not earthing the motor, it is likely it will remain oper - on motors, it seems this type of motor does not exist. ational for many years. If you earth it and make it safe, eventually the insulation between the motor windings and the metal work will break down due to the leakage current now flowing to earth through the insulation. So what does one do? Initially I decided the insulation resistance reading was tolerable, and went ahead mounting the old motor onto the base board, covering the exposed terminals with a suitable plastic box. The pump and motor ran nicely, so I let it run for about three minutes, then measured the insulation resistance. It was reading two megohms, and I was not happy. But, maybe that's still ok I This article is not intended to be a lesson on electric mused as I turned off the workshop lights. But my electrical motors, so I'll keep my explanation brief. The photo above background told me it wasn't, and the next day I decided to not attempts to show the internals of the motor. The stator is simply a use the old motor at all. solid pile of steel laminations riveted together. No windings at all. I've presented my reasoning here in the hope it helps Never seen that before… Instead, the rotor has the windings, con - those readers with a similar problem. Is an old motor dangerous? nected to two slip rings that rub against brushes that connect In a word yes. While leaving it unearthed may not prove danger - directly to the mains. The motor is made by General Electric and ous to people, there is a hidden issue. there it is. Motors with wound rotors are not uncommon, but they The motors used in mechanical musical instruments are always have coils in the stator section as well, like those in the generally the so- photo on the previous page. called squirrel cage It seems to me that this construction was used as it pro - type. The photo duces less hum than the usual 'coil in the stator' design. This style shows the windings of motor would have been designed for the player instrument of such a motor in market, meaning silent running was important. It has lovely which coils are sleeve bearings, and is obviously a special motor, and therefore embedded in, but expensive to make. It still runs perfectly and I will keep it for its insulated from the historical interest. I wonder if other collectors have a similar metal frame. There motor. are two sets of coils, the run wind - The replacement motor ing and the start winding. The coils The only motor I had as a replacement was one I made are wound with insulated coated wire. The start winding is dis - as an apprentice in 1963-4. This motor had seen long service dri - connected by a centrifugal switch when the motor is up to speed. ving a grinding wheel, and was retired about 15 years ago. I dug If there is an insulation breakdown occurring between it out, and my first check was the aforesaid insulation resistance the windings and the frame, then there is also an insulation break - test. It registered about 20 megohms, despite my hope it would down starting to occur between the 230V active and neutral show no reading at all. I knew it needed new bearings and a good wires. This means there will be a small electric current flowing coat of paint. But there was another reason for using this motor. I through the winding insulation between the active and neutral needed photos of just such a motor for a text book I am currently wires. Initially very small, the possibility is that the current will writing. Therefore, I needed to make it look as new as possible. increase as the motor heats up, with this current adding to the I removed the old bearings, then polished the rotor in the heat and further destroying the insulation. lathe. At the bearing shop, I discovered the bearings were metric Eventually the motor burns out, possibly setting fire to and commonly available. Two please, with a total cost of $11. itself. If the motor is earthed, the safety switch in the fuse box Feeling good, I hammered them onto the rotor shaft, took photos will operate long before the motor self-destructs, because by now of the assembled rotor, and turned my attention to the stator. I the earth leakage current in the motor will also have increased. applied fresh shellac to the windings and cleaned up those parts I Without earthing the motor, the only protection is the fuse or cir - needed to photograph. So far, so very good. Ah! Just one more
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 139 photograph, of the starter switch on the rotor. From then on, a core into position, although litany of errors began to unfold… I found that the fan and the A centrifugal starter switch in an electric motor is like a starter switch could be governor on a gramophone motor. As the speed increases, moved by hand. Deciding weights fly out and move a disc along a shaft. In a gramophone where the three parts motor, this action controls its speed. In an electric motor, it oper - should be on the shaft was ates a switch to disconnect the start winding when the motor is up a matter of trail and error to speed. The problem was, there was absolutely no movement with many fittings of the available for the disc. I dug around with a screwdriver and subse - assembly into the rest of quently broke the bakelite disc. Grunt! I figured however if I the motor. Finally it fitted shaved off a lip in the centre of the disc it would have enough so let's give it a go. It ran, movement. This meant removing the end bearing, thereby except a bit more aligning destroying it. Ok, they only cost $5.40, so off it came. Off came of the starter switch and the now broken bakelite disc, which I repaired with Araldite. fan was needed. Once the The next day, after deciding the glue joint was excellent, position was finalised, I I reassembled the starter switch, with most of the aforesaid lip applied Araldite to ensure they would never move again. now removed. Time now to fit the new bearing. It took one stroke The next day I assembled the motor and it ran nicely, for of the hammer to cause the beautifully glued disc to fall apart. a while. Then the rattling and banging started. After confirming The bearing was only half way on, so I was able to remove it that the noises were not going to go away, I disassembled the without too much damage. The question now was, how do you motor expecting to find something loose. Nothing. Perhaps the glue bakelite? The internet suggests epoxy glue (tried that) or fan is not running true. Into the lathe, but not too bad. But what's superglue (nope). Some "experts" said bakelite is porous, others this? The new rear bearing seems rather slack. Grunt. As it turned said it was non-porous. Exit. In the end I used contact glue, from out, I had a spare bearing from old stock, which I carefully fitted. a Selleys product bought at Coles. Then with the entire motor back together, it finally all settled Finally the rotor was together again and by now I had down. That's the story of the replacement motor. spray painted the casing a nice hammer finish metallic green (it's My error was to not only apply too much force when for the book), and the rotor was looking reasonable, if slightly hammering the bearings onto the shaft, I had placed the shaft on glued. It now gets worse. When I attempted to reassemble the carpet, to protect it. The give in the carpet meant a lot of the force motor, it became obvious the rotor no longer fitted inside the sta - was being expended in the components on the shaft, causing tor. Slowly it dawned on me what had happened, explaining also them to move every time I struck a blow. The motor is now dri - why the starter switch had been jammed. When I had hammered ving the tugboat pump, and it remains to connect the pump to the the new bearings onto the shaft, everything on the shaft had Duo-Art. I'll report on that later… moved, and not by just a little bit, by more than 15mm. The pho - tos give some idea of just what had happened. Ed Note: Peter Phillips may be contacted at: It took quite a bit of hammering to relocate the rotor [email protected]
Web Sites of Interest
The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation Musical Box Society of Great Britain http://www.rprf.org/ http://www.mbsgb.org.uk/
The Sanfilippo "Place de la Musique" The John R. Silber Symphonic Organ http://www.placedelamusique.org/ featuring Nelson Barden as narrator http://www.bu.edu/today/node/12746 Piano World Forum http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ Pianola Man - 1961 British Pathe Video contributed by Thad Kochanny showing Gordon Iles in his shop (contributed by Mike Kukral ) Talking Machine Forum http://tinyurl.com/3u95hy9 http://forum.talkingmachine.info/ 'Moriaan' Arburo dansorgel van B. Vader- Deel 1 Library of Congress: HOT Bursens Organ Music Clicking Through to Our Musical Treasure Trove (contributed by Tim Trager and Dave Bowers ) http://tinyurl.com/3mm4teu http://tinyurl.com/3eujgh7
"The Golden Carousel" Guidelines for Chapter Reports http://tinyurl.com/4xpd3qb http://tinyurl.com/3utqq8x
140 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Nickel Notes by Matthew Jaro There are several major sources of information regard - # I believe it should be open to ing mechanical music: there are the society bulletins (MBSI and participation by anyone inter - AMICA), which have some technical articles but are largely ested devoted to the meetings and operations of those societies; there is # in player pianos, music the occasional book, such as the mammoth Encyclopedia of boxes, band organs, pipe Automatic Musical Instruments and The Golden Age of Automat - organs, horn Matthew Jaro ic Musical instruments; and finally, there is the Internet with the # phonographs, etc. The dominant interest will of Mechanical Music Digest and the Mechanical Music Press. The course be column today is devoted to the Mechanical Music Digest (MMD) # in reproducing pianos, player pianos, and roll-digi - and its associated web site: tal conversion. http://www.mmdigest.com/ # What is the MMD? I'll add that I have a personal interest in conversion of music scores from one format to another, including instru - It is a fabulous forum for exchanging information of all ment to instrument, MIDI to perforator, MIDI to printer, sorts about mechanical music. A person can ask questions, pose emulation of band and pipe organs using traditional MIDI comments, discuss topics of interest and answer questions from synthesizers, etc. others. Recent discussions ranged from Tuning a Black Forest Flute Clock, the Harvey and Marion Roehl collection, Ampico A If you would like to stay on this you do not need to do any - music plays too slow, making Coinola xylophone repeating pneu - thing. matics, Svoboda's Nickelodeon Tavern memories, and countless ----- other topics. There are currently 47 addresses on the mailing list pro - Think of what life was like before MMD. Terry vided to me by Terry and 4 that I added to it. There are a Smythe (our beloved editor) relates that in 1968, AMICA only wide variety of interests and skills represented. I invite existed in the San Francisco area. Terry wanted to join, but he each of you to introduce yourself. Hopefully we will get lived in Canada. Ginny Billings was editor of the AMICA some interesting conversations going. newsletter in those days. She said that AMICA would have to be Terry tried to start a group using the Winnipeg Free Net, international eventually, so Terry became an early international which was freely accessible, but Jody beat him to it by a couple member in 1971. Terry needed help in restoring a Cremona nick - of days. Terry said it was a good thing he lost out because the elodeon. He had to write his questions being careful to ask the Winnipeg Free Net died a year later. So Jody started a mailing right ones, wait two months for the newsletter to come out and service where subscribers would receive all of the discussions as then several more weeks to receive answers by snail mail. Now, emails. Within a day or two, Jody discovered that people didn't thanks to MMD, a three month want to get a flurry of emails each day, so he had the great idea of wait time is reduced to just a few condensing everything into a digest which would be sent only days. once each day. Now comes the hard part: Jody kept doing this Some History year after year alone. Jody Kravitz grew up in Park Forest, Ill. and his first Jody Kravitz communi - contact with nickelodeons was at Svoboda's Nickelodeon Tavern cated with other people interested in the town next door (Chicago Heights). He was taken there to in mechanical music and especial - have his first beer when he was twenty-one in 1970. He especial - ly roll scanning by exchanging ly remembers the Mills Violano. He loved the George Wright emails. Thanks to the magic and Encores album on HiFiRecords when he was six. At the Univer - power of the internet, one of the sity of Illinois he had access to computers and built two audio people Jody communicated with analog-to-digital conver - was Terry Smythe. sion systems. He became This is an early submis - interested in optical roll sion by Jody Kravitz that is Jody Kravitz scanning. archived on the MMD site: One day Jody Automatic Music Mailing List (Apr 17, 1995) went to a theatre organ By Jody Kravitz concert and there was this This message is to announce the creation of a new Internet old beat-up van in front. mailing list for the purpose of discussing any and all This was none other than aspects of automatic musical instruments. I've created this Dave Wasson's Trudy mailing list at the suggestion of Terry Smythe who provid - organ, which he built ed your name and e-mail address for the list. His thoughts from scratch. He bought on the list discussion areas are: some cassettes. Dave Wasson was employed by Robbie Rhodes # Mike Ames who ran a
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 141 MIDI group. Robbie Rhodes was part of this group and conse - Postings intended for publication in MMDigest are cur - quently knew Dave Wasson. Robbie went to the 1992 National rently sent to: Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in order to help [email protected] Wayne Stahnke man his booth. Robbie met Dave Wasson at the This address changes annually to reduce SPAM. An show, and Dave told Robbie that he must meet Jody since both alternate method of submission is to use the form on the MMD Robbie and Jody had an interest in transcribing music rolls. They website that says "Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a met one day when Robbie and Jody both came to the Dixieland message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD". Jazz Festival in San Diego. Robbie told Jody that he could recog - Only plain text submissions are accepted. The editors nize him because he looked like George Bush (Sr.). Jody brought receive the email. The submissions are edited in order to preclude a piece of paper with an image of a roll. This was a just a picture accusations of libel or slander or other offensive remarks. Law - of the perforations. Robbie immediately said: "That's The Enter - suits have been threatened in the past; Jody rightly points out that tainer", referring to Scott Joplin's rag. Needless to say, Jody was it costs too much to defend against such actions even if the Digest really impressed. would prevail, so potentially offensive articles simply aren't pub - Eventually, Robbie would fill-in for Jody if he couldn't lished. The Digest is a commercial publication subject to the edit the digest and he eventually became full-time editor. Now it same regulations that govern newspapers. was Robbie's turn to do this every day for years. The MMD is an international publication. Robbie will, One day Robbie calls Matthew Caulfield and asks him occasionally change the wording of a message to improve its to act as relief editor occa - readability for those who use English as a second language. The sionally. I asked Matthew submissions are arranged, extras spaces are removed (for effi - how he got to be relief edi - ciency in archiving), and editor comments are inserted. Robbie is tor, and he said "Stupidi - extremely knowledgeable about all facets of mechanical music, ty"! He never met Robbie and adds links or references that often completely clarify the until last year at the band questions. Finally, each issue is reviewed by Jody himself to dou - organ rally on the Wurl - ble check the content. Then Jody presses the "send" button and itzer grounds in North the issue is published. Tonawanda, NY. Matthew The Digest will not, in general, search for people. It says he got off on the won't allow articles to bad-mouth vendors or libel people. There wrong foot with Jody are no products for sale. They do ask people for donations of $30 because he addressed an per year. This is not mandatory but very reasonable considering email to "Miss Jody that there are fixed monthly costs for maintaining the server and Kravitz", thinking Jody the Internet Service Providers. was a woman. So I asked Jody how he got his name. The Web Site Jody comments: Matthew Caulfield The Web Site run by MMD is My mom saw a movie, "The Yearling", before I was born. My mother was very impressed with the central character, http://www.mmdigest.com/ Jody, a young farm boy. Jody is a common nickname for This site has a number of interesting features. The Joseph in the Deep South. She didn't know that and just Archives section allows one to access any Digest by date or to gave me that name as my full name. It's been handy hav - search for specific topics or authors. The indexing software was ing a unique name so I've not ever considered using my written by Bob Fitterman . The Calendar section has informa - middle name, for instance. tion about a number of events of interest to mechanical music Fun Facts fans; however, Robbie indicates that it is very difficult to keep this complete and up-to-date. I noticed that the Digest organization is called "The Fox - The Gallery is one of the most interesting sections. tail Group". This came about during the days of the Unix UUCP There is a wealth of information there. For example, under the protocol when you had to pick a unique seven character name for Resources section there is: communication, and the foxtail was the most prevalent weed Piano music rolls, sales/perforators; Roll mail auctions; around Jody's ranchette in Ramona, California. The following Piano discs; Instrument Manufacturers; Player and repro - is published in each issue of the digest: ducing pianos dealers and restorations; Music boxes, disks In an attempt to protect those posting messages here from and cylinders; Organ rolls, strips, cardboard; MIDI sup - Internet junk mail, we often add the string ".geentroep" to plies; Museums/libraries/universities; Crank/barrel organs; the end of e-mail addresses. Please remember to remove Books; Audio Societies; Discussion groups; Appraisal and the .geentroep string if you want to send mail directly to Shipping Services; No longer in business; Restoration the author of an article. supplies; Miscellaneous I asked Robbie what "geentroep" meant, and it means "no junk" This is an amazing amount of stuff, and it’s just one cat - in Dutch. It was suggested by Hans van Oost, who said that spam egory. Karl Ellison is in charge of compiling and updating this filters are unlikely to read Dutch. section. The Pictures section of the Gallery contains a collec - tion of images and text about various topics. Auctions has a col - How Does the Digest Work? lection of auction catalogs; Sounds has, of course, audio files you 142 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 can play. The MMD Tech - an Encore Banjo and other machines. My favorite record nical Library has a ton of was/is Honky Tonk Piano. I got it at Woolworth's 5 and very interesting articles on dime store. My mother was appalled at the whorehouse pic a variety of subjects (like on the cover. Although the front or back is not the actual Restoration Techniques, machine I think they did a great job. Do you know where the music boxes and piano was or where it is now? I still love that record. organettes, organs, Wurl - Finally from a children's cartoon show on TV, I found itzer, Nickelodeons and Whitney's near the Cliff House/Sutro's Baths at Ocean Orchestrions, and many Beach's Playland in San Francisco. When the family went more). The hall of Fame there on my inssistance I would just tell my mother to come has biographies and articles and get me when they were ready to leave. I would spend about Edwin Welte, Max the day with my change listening to all the machines. In Kortlander, Ed Freyer, et. 1960 the family took vacation from San Jose to Anaheim to al.). The Music Media sec - see Marine World, Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. At tion contains roll lists for the Old Piano Shop in Knott's Berry Farm I bought my first various companies and Karl Ellison piano roll. I had a record of the 1925 “I Love You” and machines, dimensions and scales of various rolls and more stuff bought that title although it was a 1919 tune to my disap - than I can mention here. There are also historical Documents , a pointment. section on Calliopes , and information about Previous Events . One of the local piano stores sold piano rolls, so on Matthew Caulfield’s definitive Wurlitzer 125, 150 and Saturdays I would take the bus into town to buy or order or 165 and 180 roll lists are also hosted on the Foxtail server: just play piano rolls. I did not get a player until after I was discharged from the Navy in 1969. It was one of those new http://www.wurlitzer-rolls.com/ (but used) Pianola 65 note things. Within a couple years I The Player Piano and Mechanical Music Exchange traded it in on a good old player piano I found on Mission http://www.mmdigest.com/Exchange Street in San Francisco. I spent the next several years at the Mission Music company buying boxes of mostly old rolls. I A section of the kept up with the widow of the business until her death 2 website is devoted to years ago. I got several of the rolls from her collection. A advertisements relating to few years ago I finally had my "as is" piano refinished and mechanical music. Ads restored. without photos may be Although I am also into phonographs, I play the piano placed for free. There is a almost every day and at least a half dozen rolls each time. I section for rolls and sheet thought you might like to know that I named her Lulu, after music. the song “Don't Bring Lulu”. My feeling in 1971 was that It is maintained you can't bring Lulu to the party because she is too big and by Joyce Brite . This is heavy. definitely an important About 8 years ago I threatened to leave AMICA resource. because I didn't think the organization was friendly or help - ful. Motto-Ros and Larry Norman sent me emails empathiz - ing with me and pleading with me to try it a bit longer. I'm Joyce Brite glad I did. By sticking around I have found many similari - ties from people like you. Thank you for your articles. Letters Augie Gonzales, San Jose, Cal. After writing this column for more than a year, I finally got my first letter (thank God it’s a nice one). It is printed here in its entirety. I encourage readers to submit questions, comments, letters, Robbie etc. to me because this should really be YOUR COLUMN. My email Rhodes playing the address is piano at the [email protected] AMICA Con - vention Ban - I meant to contact you and kept putting it off until I received quet in Los the latest AMICA bulletin. I discovered my aunt’s player Angeles piano in 1955 when I was 10. I fell in love. I started buying 2008, a role player piano and nickelodeon records. I used to pump my for which he feet while listening to them imagining that I had a player. I is best took most of the records you talked about into the listening known and room at Sherman and clay. I have Nickel Music but never loved. really liked it since it is different machines and which was left up to the listener. But I did get my first chance to hear
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 143 Lost and Found An Ampico in Paradise by Kenneth Long Interest in automatic musical instruments is a most mother, Porfírio Fenton and Angelita intriguing hobby, and we collectors encounter not only fine Malanco-Fenton, were the purchasers instruments, but wonderful individuals, events, and excursions of this piano when new. Ms. Fenton too. I often wonder if it is our talent that finds rare instruments, was a concert level pianist and would Kenneth Long or rather, if we have some ethereal and serendipitous power that not have any piano but a Mason & converts dreamy abstraction into imperious reality within our Hamlin after playing one owned by their close acquaintance, the hobby—termed fate. I experienced one such phenomenon recent - president of Mexico. The Fenton instrument was ordered through ly where the surprise encounter was by luck or fate, not talent or the piano dealer A. Wagner & Levien in Mexico City in 1928. effort, during a short vacation out of the United States. This piano still has its original green felt cover that covers the Upon arrival for a recent brief vacation in Cuernavaca in keys bearing the name in gold of the piano dealer. Morelos, Mexico, our driver offered the unsolicited information Porfírio Fenton owned the jewelry company, Joyería that a private residential resort named Estadía had recently Kimberley, from the 1900’s through the 1940’s. The Kimberley opened to the public as an exclusive boutique hotel and retreat. name is derived from the capital city of Northern Cape in South Since we were staying in a private residence of a friend, the dri - Africa, a/k/a the Diamond City, which is located near the conflu - ver’s commentary was not of much interest to the five person ence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. Around 1952, his son, traveling party. However, contrary to my traditional character of George Fenton, purchased the Cuernavaca property and used it as dismissing seemingly trivial data, I inquired further if the retreat a vacation retreat. The piano came to George in Cuernavaca upon were complete with gardens, spa, pool, and most importantly the death of Porfírio and Angelita, and is now owned by George’s refreshing afternoon beverages! I was told that the tropical daughter, Alejandra Fenton. And the Fenton name lives on grounds were a mini-paradise and that libations around the pool through Jorge Luis Fenton who designs and creates a new style of are a delightful regular occurrence. Immediately, we were in jewelry suiting to the taste of the younger admirers of today. agreement that an intervening respite would be quite the thing In addition to Estadía, Alejandra and the Fenton family before arriving at our ultimate destination. own and manage the spectacular Hacienda San Gabriel de las Pal - Very soon we were ensconced in luxurious poolside mas originally built by Hernando Cortez early in the 16th century chairs in this tropical paradise and relaxing all over ourselves as one of his many haciendas in Mexico. Cortez was picked by when I finally got the urge to explore the grounds and the charm - Diego Velasquez to conquer Cuba in 1511 and after Mexico was ing resort hotel building. Can you imagine the awestruck look on discovered by Juan de Grijalva in 1518, Velasquez again picked my unsuspecting face when I was greeted in the lobby by an Cortez to build a colony in this new land. By 1521, Cortez Ampico grand? The legs were unmistakably Mason & Hamlin brought an end to the control of the Aztec empire and spent the and the piano was complete with the original 1928 Model A next seven years developing mines and farmlands in Mexico. Ampico system and a Model B drawer. The serial number is This historic hotel, museum, resort, and spa, located 35 miles out - 38814 which dates this piano to September 19, 1928. side Cuernavaca in Carretera Federal Cuernavaca; Coronel Chilpancingo Amacuzac; Morelos, Mexico; 800-504-0736; hous - es several restaurants, shops, a museum (including several pianos), pool, and provides a multitude of activities for exercise, exploration, or relaxation. So if any of our fellow AMICA members are consider - ing a relaxing North American vacation in Mexico, these two resorts are highly recommended destinations. A third resort retreat worth visiting is Hacienda de Cortes; Plaza Kennedy 90; Coronel Atlacomulco Jiutepec; Morelos, Mexico; 800-220-7697; where you will find a most charming 1927 art case Chickering Ampico in the large banquet hall restaurant—perhaps described and pictured in another article. For the record, the export of Mason & Hamlin Ampico instruments occurred through the 1920’s and 1930’s and docu - mentation shows destinations such as Belgium (1), Argentina (1), Cuba (3), Hawaii (8), England (3), Canada (3), Puerto Rico (1), Japan (2), and Mexico (8). The Mason & Hamlin Ampico pianos exported to Mexico through importer, J.F. Velazquez, are serial The Estadía Hotel proprietors, Alejandra Fenton and numbers 35241, 35711, 36771, 38148, 38480, 38761, 38794, Miguel Fenton, mother and son, provided me with the grand his - 38814 dating from spring, 1926, to autumn, 1928. The fourth tory of the piano. This particular Mason & Hamlin has been in imported Mason & Hamlin piano, No. 38148 was specially the same family since new. Alejandra’s grandfather and grand - ordered by Plutarco Elias Calles, president of Mexico from 1924 144 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 to 1928 and ruled de facto until 1935 during the period known as the Maximato. Of special note, you recall above that President Calles' Mason & Hamlin piano (38148) served as portent for the Fenton piano (38418) and by fate the individual numbers of the two serial numbers are identical. And most importantly, luck will smile on some special person since I confirmed on my recent March visit that the Fen - ton Mason & Hamlin Ampico piano would be available for pur - chase: Estadía Hotel; Coronel Ahumada S/N Lomas del Mirador; Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico; (52) 777.176.47.51;
http://www.estadiahotel.com.
Ed. Note: Ken Long may be contacted at: [email protected]
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 145 Chapter News Rocky Mountain Chapter Our visit will be coordinated with the 1 year anniversary President - Jere DeBacker celebration of the opening of the carousel as well as an antique Reporter - Ben Haass and Art Reblitz car show. Photographers - Jere DeBacker and Art Reblitz It was noted that a few members of our Chapter will be attending the AMICA International Convention in England. We On Saturday, April 2nd, about 22 members gathered at wish them all a safe journey. the house and shop of Art and Jeanie Reblitz for a meeting. After the business meeting Art treated those who were Art and Bob Grunow had just finished the restoration of an early interested to an in depth technical lesson about the Unika where model Weber Unika orchestrion. The orchestrion was just about he described the working parts and explained the changes Weber to leave the shop and Art treated us all to a demonstration. Piano made to the design over the years. We all appreciated this and mover John Wrasse and his son Patrick were in town to pick up learned a lot. the Unika and drop off some other instruments for restoration. John mentioned that he may be relocating his home and business to southern Colorado. We also had members Jeremy Stevens from Utah and Richard and Elaine Price from New Mexico attend our meeting.
A 1917 Weber Unika, made by Gebr. Weber in Waldkirch, Germany, in 1917, ready for a concert of piano and violin music. This example is also equipped with a backlit animated painting on top, not present in the picture.
Our host, Art Reblitz , demonstrating the operation of the 24th automatic roll changer restored by his business since 1971 (15 Wurlitzer, 5 Philipps, and 4 Hupfeld). This example is for a Wurlitzer style BX
After the demonstration in Art’s shop, the group moved indoors for a business meeting. Our treasurer Barry Weiss noted that the Rocky Mountain Chapter currently has about 41 member families. Possibilities for future meetings were discussed. The group discussed the possibility of visiting the carousel in Burling - ton, Colorado as well as one last visit to the collection of Bill and Rosanna Harris before they move to South Dakota. The Chapter will certainly miss them and the wonderful Christmas party that they hosted nearly every year. Pat Moore volunteered to host this year’s Christmas party at her home. The group settled on a trip to Nederland, Colorado early Ben Haass, Richard Price, and Brad Uecher study the interior of the this August to visit the newly created Carousel of Happiness cre - Unika, with its 28 imitative, fine scale wooden violin pipes on either ated by Scott Harrison. The mechanism for the carousel is an side of the pneumatic stack, and an elaborate early-style pumping original Charles Looff carousel for which the animals had been system incorporating horizontal feeders. The top of the case incorpo - sold separately. Harrison carved all new animals for the carousel rates swell shutters so the pipes speak out clearly. The pneumatic himself over a period of more than 20 years. More details can stack, roll mechanism and pipe chests are not easily removed, but be learned at the piano back structure is separate from the cabinet, so the piano and action (but not the keys) slide out of the back for tuning and reg - http://tinyurl.com/3m38gge ulating. 146 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 The Weber Unika roll mechanism, draw knob for turning the pipes Brad Uecker, Larry Kerecman, Ben Haas, and Richard Price off manually, and rewind pneumatic. The primary valve chest below (Albuquerque, NM) watching and listening to correlate the expres - the roll contains a single row of tiny pneumatics instead of pouches. sive music with the mechanism that produces it. The Seeburg G The roll mechanism differs from other brands, as the tracker bar in the background is the only known “Cabaret Model” with photo - reads the holes in the roll with air pressure instead of vacuum, player controls for hand play, made in 1914. requiring a spring-loaded, grooved brass hold-down roller. The air pressure blows the paper chaff away from the tracker bar, instead of sucking it into the bleeds or vents. The paper is pulled through at a constant rate with rubber pinch rollers, eliminating the problem of increasing music speed as the paper builds on the takeup spool. In turn, the takeup spool has a slip clutch to allow the spool to turn slower as the paper circumference increases.
Time for refreshments. Our Colorado Springs weather approached 70 F. for the early spring day, permitting us to gather outdoors, as well as in the music room and workshop.
Don Hein (Den - ver), Jeremy Stevens (Farm - ington, UT), and John Wrasse John Wrasse, Pat Moore, Ken Hodge, Marilyn Decker (hidden (Bellevue, IA and behind Ken) Ruth Caudill, Barry Weiss, Bill Harris, Sandy Durand, Westcliffe, CO) Faye Irelan, Patrick Wrasse and Bill Decker enjoying Gustav Bruder's terrific arrangement of von Suppe's "The Jolly Robbers Overture" ("Banditenstreiche")
Ken Hodge watches as Art cranks a Jere modern 20- DeBacker note roll- presiding operated over our organ of lively unknown business manufacture, meeting. in for minor repairs from a Denver amusement attraction.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 147 Lady Liberty Chapter musical. In 2000 and 2001 he worked on his dream instrument and came up with his current opus, which has 32 whistles. The President - John Dousmanis steam calliope is normally only played on New Year’s Eve, but Reporter - Vincent Morgan some of the members of the Lady Liberty Chapter persuaded Con - Photographers - Vincent Morgan and Buzz Rosa rad to do a daytime concert. It wasn’t a difficult persuasion at all. From what I understand, it took all of one minute of conversation. A few AMICAns make a big noise The calliope can be played by hand on a keyboard or by a midi and draw a crowd system, which was designed by Conrad’s assistant, Frank Sokolow. This midi system can also record live concerts. Pratt Institute in downtown Brooklyn is one of a dozen So on the afternoon of March 19th VERY LOUD music or so places that still has a working steam plant. This one was began to emanate from Conrad’s calliope with a small audience of originally installed in 1901 and was updated a few times, but due only five AMICAns and two guests. The first person to try the to the expansion of the campus and limited output of the steam keyboard was our own Ben Epstein, who belted out “Twinkle, plant, utility power has replaced steam for most of the campus. Twinkle Little The man who has taken care of this for the past umpteen years is Star”, which we Conrad Milster , a friend to some of our chapter members. were told, was the first song ever played on that instrument. A short time later two more chapter members and another guest arrived saying that they heard the instrument from at least ¾ of a mile away. Thus began the noise of 7 AMICAns and Ben Epstein at the keyboard, their three guests, with Frank Sokolow Our host Conrad Milster explains to a Pratt student how the two of whom modern keyboard operates the calliope were young boys. Slowly the audience grew. People strolling across the campus to enjoy the beautiful last day of winter were drawn to this strange machine that was bellowing steam and mak - ing what seemed to resemble some sort of strange music. Bicy - clists arrived. Two of those were ladies from Sweden. One went to get her husband, who loves mechanical music. Then more and more people came along with their children. Eventually, people came by saying that they live three blocks from campus and “just had to see what this thing was.” Two students came by with their portable looms who then sat down to make their creations while enjoying the tunes of the calliope. Many of those who came lined up to try the keyboard, which was situated about 50 feet from the instrument itself. Most were confused by the short time delay from the keyboard to the sound and struggled. The Calliope at full volume Others discovered that On Saturday March 19th seven members of the Lady Lib - they simply had to play erty Chapter and three guests visited Conrad and his calliope, but without listening. They first a bit of history. Back in the 1990’s Conrad was playing did well. One organist, around with steam whistles when he decided to build something by the name of George with a lot of whistles. He had the power. He had the steam. He Strum, who was a guest had a knowledge of steam power, steam whistles, etc. and began to of Chapter President build his dream. At first he simply made a large and very LOUD John Dousmanis, was group of whistles, which can be seen on You Tube by typing in used to short delays on Local children at the keyboard “Conrad’s Whistles”. He then heard a recording of a steam cal - pipe organs and so was liope from one of the Mississippi steam boats and decided that he able to belt out a few recognizable tunes with great joy. Several could do more than simply make noise. He could make his noise renditions can be seen and heard on You Tube by typing in “Pratt
148 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Institute calliope” or “Conrad’s Calliope”. But even if you turn your speakers up all the way you will not reach even half of the volume that those people 3 blocks away heard on that sunny pre- spring day. Check out the videos on You Tube. Enjoy. Perhaps we will do this again. It was truly a great joy. Conrad said as we parted, “Everyone had fun. That’s what counts.” You may ask what our cost was for such a wonderful day. We each contributed a minimum of $5.00 toward cat food for the 8 campus cats that Conrad takes care of. He says that the students love the cats and vice versa. He told us that recently he came out of the power plant to see one of the female students sitting on the ground with a cat sleeping on her lap. The experience was worth much more than a little cat food money. We look forward to doing this again. Ed. Note: See also: Frank Sokolow is the head electronic designer for the project. http://www.pratt.edu/ He explains how the midi record and playback system works with the calliope and keyboard.
Bob Stuhmer The electric at the keyboard generators inside Pratt's power plant
Some of the gauges used to monitor the power plant George Strum and boilers at the keyboard
Chief Engineer Many of the Conrad Milster light fixtures enjoys the from when VERY LOUD the building music with John was built in Dousmanis, 1899 are still Bob Stuhmer, in use today. Buzz Rosa and Dale Rowe
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 149 Boston Area Chapter President – Phil Konop Reporter – Phil Konop Photographers – Phyllis Konop, Kirk Russell Our 2010 Fall meeting was held September 26 in Paw - tucket, RI at Slater Park on a beautiful sunny day. We gathered at the Slater Mill, a National Historic Land - mark, at noon and were given a tour of the oldest still–standing cotton mill in America. Built in 1793 by Samuel Slater, it was used to convert raw cotton into cloth. After touring the mill buildings we met at Slater Park where we were treated to a catered lunch which Kirk Russell arranged for us in the former boathouse for the park which is now the home of the RI Watercolor Society. We were invited to view the art work which was on display. During lunch Pond at Slater Park we were entertained at the keyboard by Mike Fura, a friend of Kirk. A brief business meeting was held. Special thanks went to Kirk for arranging the tour and lunch. Following the business meeting we enjoyed seeing and riding the Looff Carousel which has made it’s home at the park since 1910 thus celebrating 100 years of fun for people of all ages. The carousel was originally at Lee Funland in NY. and is the last stationary Looff standing. Music for the carousel is provided by a 1909 North Tonawanda band organ purchased in 1996 as part of a total carousel restoration finished five years ago. Though a stander, this machine is no tame ride, but the fastest carousel I have ever been on, whew!
Mike Fura at the keyboard
Boston Area Chapter President: Phil Konop Reporter: Phil Konop Photographer - Bill Konigsberg The 2011 Winter meeting of the Boston Area Chapter was held Sunday March 20 in the Harvard, Massachusetts home of Philip and Phyllis Konop . Even though the date was late it
Slater Park Looff Carousel
1909 North Tonawa nda Band Organ
Our hosts, Phyllis and Phil Konop
150 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 was still winter because spring didn’t arrive until two hours after the meeting ended. We had originally scheduled the meeting for February 27 but record snowfalls left so much snow on the ground that by the middle of February the meeting was resched - uled for March. As it was, we received a foot of new snow Febru - ary 27 on top of the almost two feet of snow on the ground, so it was lucky that we had postponed the original meeting date. March 20 turned out to be a beautiful sunny day and although it was quite cold the turnout was very good and enough of the snow had melted so that parking was not a problem. Refreshments were provided by the Konops and a social hour was enjoyed by all prior to the start of the business meeting. The meeting itself was rather protracted because of some loose ends that had to be taken care of relating to a project our chapter has been engaged in over the past few years. Last year the chap - ter gave a player piano that had been rebuilt by some of our members to the Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, Massachusetts. This piano replaced one that had been given to the Jon Hall, Tom Ahearn, Steven Bucknam, David Kay museum years earlier by another member. This piano was a great & "JB" a Looff carousel horse hit for the visitors to the museum but had been used to the point that it was beyond reasonable repair. We hoped the new piano would continue to generate the interest in automatic musical instruments that the old one had. The museum liked the piano and made it the first item demonstrated in their guided tours. Unfortunately not long after the new piano was inaugu - rated, heavy rains in the Boston area flooded Waltham, the muse - um, and the piano. As a result we were faced with all the logistics associated with evaluating, repairing and/or replacing the new piano and the disposal of the old piano. All this took a lot of time. After the business meeting we had time to relax and demonstrate many of the items in the Konop collection, including two reproducing grands, a KT Special, a Violano, disk and cylin - der music boxes, a cuff box, jukebox and an Edison cylinder phonograph. All of this was of special interest to a guest, William Grise, who came with his parents John and Jasaint Grise. John is thirteen and became interested in automatic musical instruments after visiting the collection at Clark’s Trading Post in Lincoln, Taking care of business New Hampshire. We hope William’s interest continues.
Jack Breen, Bob Hunt and Alan Jayne
Dorothy Bromage, John Buscemi & William Grise listen intently during the business meeting.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 151 Founding Chapter featuring his instruments. Dorothy and her sister Grace were quite famous and worked selling war bonds in WW 2. President – John Ulrich We were all pleased to welcome some new folks to the Reporter - Blanche Korfmacher AMICA meeting, and hope they will continue to participate in Photographers - Nan Bostick and Jack Edwards future events. The 2013 AMICA 50th Anniversary Convention Spring has sprung as the Founding chapter held their April planning committee met briefly before the meeting began, and meeting at Chapter President John Ulrich ’s home in El exciting events are emerging for July 11-14, 2013. Be sure to Sobrante. There were 30-40 attendees with a good spread of save the date! delights in the kitchen and all the instruments performed capably.
Bob Gonzales leading a planning discussion about the 2013 AMICA Convention - our 50th Anniversary. Our host, John Ulrich , with one of his prized Packards. Chuck John, our affable meeting host, describes his home as a Schoppe shoebox of a house that is more than adequate except for 6-8 admiring times a year when he has piano concerts or an AMICA meeting. John’s The living area of the house is only 825 square feet and most of it Violano. is the living room and kitchen. John says he qualifies as a real AMICAN since there are four pianos in his living room. He can’t play a note, but he has nickels and lots of rolls! John started out as a car guy and we had the chance to view his prized Packards parked in the garage below. He owns a beautiful 1932 model 900 roadster and a 1940 Club coupe. The 2,000 square foot garage next door houses his Packard parts business. We were all introduced to the impressive instruments- Another the Coinola Model X Orchestron, the Haines Bros. Mahogany admirer, upright AMPICO, the Knabe 5’4” grand AMPICO also equipped Steve with an E-Roll system, and Fargie, finally, a Mahogany Mills with Julie Violano, affectionately Porter known as “Millie”. (Millie’s looking on last name is “Kong” as she in the back - is a powerhouse). “Millie” ground. is the first Violano to be computerized. The work was done in the 80’s and she has about 1,200 tunes in the data base. John has his John’s favorites but can’t say he Knabe has listened to them all. Ampico Another big hit was a mov - equipped ing life sized Dorothy with an Alexander figure who e-roll hawked Chesterfield ciga - system John Motto-Ros rettes in her day but now and Frederick Hodges displays John’s CD-the one 152 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Southern California Chapter The Organ House was also open for those who wished to President - Jerry pell hear the street organs again. The Ruth and the Carl Frei both played, and everyone was able to enjoy the music we had just Reporter - Shirley Nix recently received from Holland after being mailed four years ago. Photographer - Ed Cooley We don’t know where it was all that time, but are just glad it final - Well, I have to start my report with a comment or two on ly arrived. A lot of time and money was spent trying to locate it, the weather we have had this year. The date for the meeting was and we had given up a long time ago. set, of course, far in advance, and caused a good deal of conster - Our next meeting will be at the home of Mike and Kathy nation for the Nix family, since it included a barbecue and eating Choate in June. That is always a very popular venue, and will outdoors. center around the recently remodeled and enlarged music room, On Sunday the week before we had more rain on that one which now houses the DeCap fairground organ which they pur - day than we normally have by that date for the whole season. The chased from Mike and Marilyn Ames. forecast was not encouraging….cold, high winds, and possible August begins the AMICA Convention in England, with rain. It wasn’t practical to call the whole thing off, so we rented a a trip to the Dorset Steam Fair, which we have always hoped to heater along with the tables and chairs and kept our fingers get to. It should be a lot of fun, and Julian Dyer deserves a lot of crossed! The day turned out chilly with a light breeze, but no rain thanks for all the planning he has done. Frank had some medical and we didn’t have to use the heater since we had warned every - problems and we were not able to help as much as we should one to bring sweaters and that was sufficient. have, but Julian took over and has done a marvelous job. We had tables set up for a mart, and there was a lot of merchandise for sale. Brooke Osmundson was the hit of the mart I guess, with tomato plants she had started from seed and was giv - ing away free to anyone who wanted them. The price was right. There were a lot of interesting items and some found new homes, while others returned to the place from whence they came. Steve Nix, and his wife Tara came over early to set up for the meeting, and took care of the barbecue, where hamburgers, turkey burgers and hot dogs were the order of the day, along with the potluck dishes brought by the attendees. There were lots of side dishes and desserts, and no one ended up hungry. Steve’s brother, Doug, and his girlfriend came later and helped with the cooking and cleanup. As members ate Frank had the fairground organs playing to serenade our guests, and it made for a nice accompaniment. After lunch Jerry Pell, our President, called a meeting to An enjoyable moment in the meeting. Jerry Pell, order and guests Joel and Karen Braverman, Fran and Gene Gold - Shirley and Frank Nix and Nan Allomong stein and Gaylen Wilkes were introduced and welcomed. It’s always nice to have visitors at our meetings. Frank Nix gave dates for upcoming organ rallies, the next one being at the Los Angeles Arboretum April 30 and May 1. When the meeting was adjourned Robin Biggins gra - Wow, that's a big music ciously offered to take those interested upstairs to the Music Box box! Jerry Pell and Diane Minzey Room, and most of the attendees followed him up. Robin demon - admire the 27 1/2" strated the boxes and explained the works, and who better than Symphonion with Robin to do this? There were lots of questions, which were saucer bells answered, and lots of music. The room contains many music boxes of all types and sizes. Disc boxes, cylinder boxes, and other types are represented there, along with lighting kept in sync with the feel of the room. From there the group went into the “Musik Haus” to view the larger instruments. There was a lot of music there, too. The instruments were all playing well with the exception being the Duwyn, which had broken a belt. However, the Mortier, the Weber Styria, the BanjoOrchestra, the Hupfeld, the Imhof-Mukel, Wurlitzer B-X and C-X-B, Link, plus the smaller A roll pianos Frank plays the and various other instruments took up the afternoon quite nicely. Fratti organ for The music is always happy, and makes people feel that Diane Minzey, way also, which is why we love it so. Frank had several requests Jack Conway, to play the Fratti organ, which he did. It’s always a treat for us to Richard Ingram, have people who are genuinely interested in these machines visit, Jerry Pell and and it seemed that everyone had a good time. Peggy Cooley
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 153 Shirley One view gets a hug of the from son Music Box Doug while Room Barbara Nielsen looks on
Mary Lee Myers, "Chef" Fran Goldstein, Steve Nix Jack Conway, and wife Ken Myers, Robin Tara keep Biggins and the barbe - Rochelle Mercer cue going admiring the music boxes
Mark and Lunch Herb in the Mercer Nix back - yard
Robbie I guess the Rhodes joke's on Don playing the Henry. Mark Wurlitzer Mercer looks BX on while Brooke Osmundson points out the joke
Ardis Prescott Dave Reidy with a toma - and guest to plant Galen Wilkes grown by Brooke Osmundson
154 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Heart of America Chapter President - Bob Stout Reporters - H. C. and Marlene Beckmans Kay and Photographer - Dan Davis Tom Bode Twenty-five Heart of America Chapter members were enjoy pro - welcomed to the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland viding enter - Park, KS to provide happy music to help celebrate the opening of tainment Vic’s General Store on April 30. The mayor of Overland Park and members of Vic’s family spoke to the crowd at the turn of the century farm. A visit to Deanna Rose has become a yearly event for our group. Farmstead board members provided lunch for Rick McDowell grinders. We can and Doug always count on Mauldin with many visitors who Rick's New- are so interested Matic 165 built by the late Ed and appreciative of our music. Schmidt The new general store is an authentic replica of what would have been in operation in a farm community a hundred years ago. HOA member, Harold Engelhaupt was instrumental in researching, designing, and obtaining vintage stock for the dis - plays. A working coin operated player piano was restored by Bob Stout and a plaque gives recognition to AMICA INTERNATION - AL. Gary Craig The store joins Ben’s Bank and an ice cream parlor. traveled from Other attractions include a working farm with opportunities for St. Louis to bottle feeding animals, milking cows, fishing in the fish pond, enjoy the pony rides, and flower and vegetable gardens. The twelve acre festivities farm grounds have a one room school and a working barn and chicken house with pristine landscaping. An education pavilion and party space are also available. A noon lunch meeting was conducted by president, Bob Stout. We will meet in Columbia MO on July 16 and 17 hosted by Tom Hutchinson and Bob Taylor. Gary Craig is planning a rally in conjunction with the Octoberfest in St. Charles, MO late in September. The group gathered at the Moffitt’s before enjoying an Bill Klinger evening meal at a local restaurant. from Flippin AR shows his home made busker organ Sandy and to Tom Mike Hutchinson Schoeppner and liven up the Lillian day Charles Tyler always draws a crowd as he demonstrates the music from the turn of the century
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 155 Harold Engelhaupt greets the crowd at Vic's General Store
H. C. Beckman enjoys explaining the workings of his John Smith 20/26 Universal at the entrance to the farmstead
Membership Update
Marie & Frank Beemish John & Annette Shackelford PO Box 4182 87 S. Ocean Ave Hempstead, NY, 11551-4182 Bayport, NY, 11705-2213 [email protected] 631-472-5079 A player piano was repaired and converted to coin operated [email protected] by Bob Stout and Tom Bode. A plaque gives recognition Sara Buechner to AMICA INTERNATIONAL 1111 Beach Ave, Suite 2803 Philip & Doris Soyring Vancouver, BC, V6E 1T9, 5090 Curry Rd CANADA Trumansburg, NY, 14886-9518 [email protected] 607-387-6308 Jerry Critser 16249 S. Lakewood Path Brad Spinks Homer Glen, IL, 60491 37 Abercorn St 708-645-0704 Savannah, GA, 31401-3414 [email protected] Craig & Kristen Darlak 16317 Villarreal De Avila Andrew Thomson TAMPA, FL, 33613-1071 267 Harvard Ave 813-961-1616 Winnipeg, Manitoba, [email protected] R3M 0K1, Canada [email protected] Armita Edwards 691 Stonebrook Ct Victor Wolfe Chesterfield, MO, 63005-4847 1715 Richmond Rd [email protected] Columbus, OH, 43223-3211 614-279-1266 Steven P. Jordan 2965 19th St, Boulder, CO, 80304-2719 303-449-7021
156 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 AMICAns In The Spotlight Globe Gazette or organ, but if a musician wasn’t available to play sheet music to Mason City, IA accompany the movie, a music roll that operated automatically 10 March 2011 could be inserted. Rolls of music appropriate for battles scenes, love scenes Restoring the music and even newsreels were produced especially for player pianos in silent movie theaters. Styles of music included classical, popular By MARY PIEPER and ragtime. [email protected] Reproducos were also used in funeral homes. The Nation - al Music Museum got the Reproduco it loaned to the museum at MASON CITY, IA — Two men are donating their repair The Music Man Square from a funeral home. That’s why most of skills to restore a player piano/pipe organ at The Music Man the music rolls that came with it are funeral music, Goepel said. Square. The instrument has thousands of parts. The instrument, which is part of the collection of antique “It needs everything,” Goepel said. instruments on permanent loan from the National Music Museum Fortunately, Goepel and Amundson have lots of parts in at the University of South Dakota, has been “sitting mute for stock, such as leather and rubber tubing, so they haven’t had to years,” said Terry Goepel , a piano technician from Mason City. order anything. The two of them began work on Monday. Goepel said it should take a few more days to complete the project.
Ed Note: News item may be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/4rhsopf
Pneumatic Pneus Founding Chapter April 2011 MEETING YoUR FELLoW AMICAn, DARRYL CoE Darryl Coe , as a little boy, first lived in San Francisco and often visited nearby Cliff House where he was first introduced to the many mechanical musi - Terry Goepel talks about restoring an old player piano with cal machines. His love of this pipe organ Wednesday at The Music Man Square. The special type music lay dor - instrument is part of a collection on loan from the mant till 2007 when he was in University of South Dakota. Dortmund, Germany for Christmas. On a late, cold, The player piano/organ was inoperable when it arrived at dark night while window the museum at The Music Man Square, where it sits in a mock shopping he came across a movie theater used to show films for which Mason City native Leirkastenmann playing his Meredith Willson wrote the scores. Drehorgel, street organ. Dar - Goepel, who is working on the instrument with organ ryl spoke with a German technician Paul Amundson of Frost, Minn., said it appears some - friend who builds medieval one tried to restore it 35 or 40 years ago, but the job was poorly musical instruments about done. where he could find a Goepel said he volunteered to repair the player Drehorgel. A few months later piano/organ for free because antique mechanical player pianos Darryl visited organ builder with music rolls “are my favorite thing to work on.” Axel Stüber in Berlin. Darryl During the early 20th century, player pianos for the home purchased a 20 note, a 32 pipe were “almost as common as television sets now,” Goepel said. Violinopan drehorgel and a cart. About six months later, Darryl However, the one at The Music Man Square — a Repro - returned to Berlin to purchase a smaller Stüber Busker 20 duco — is rare. Only about 1,000 of them were manufactured, he Drehorgel. While in Europe with his new smaller organ he made 6 said. videos for: Youtube. Back in California, Darryl buskers in San Goepel is particularly excited about hearing it play Francisco and Redwood City. City. Darryl, with his unique music because of this. and with help of his hand puppet monkey "Affe", (German term “They have a really unique sound,” he said. for monkey) are just being discovered with a variety of bookings Reproducos have one keyboard for the piano and another now set. One booking that he now has for 2011 is in the San for the organ. Mateo Fair where he and Affe were kicked out of three years pre - Reproducos were created especially for small theaters viously. Darryl is a member of the "Internationale Drehorgel Fre - during the silent film era, when music to accompany the movies unde Berlin E.V. and AMICA. Darryl performs in Charlottenburg's came either from a live orchestra at large theaters or a piano player international Drehorgel festival in Berlin every July and in the Sut - at smaller ones, Goepel said. ter Creek organ festival. Darryl and Affe reside in Redwood A Reproduco could be played like a conventional piano Shores.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 157 AMICAns Making Music Arlo and Bonnie Lusby Carl Sonny Leyland, seated at the 1898 Mason & Hamlin
Arlo and Bonnie Lusby At my Skunk hollow Ragtime Retreat home concert on March 12th of this year, the featured performer was Carl Carl Sonny Sonny Leyland , recently inducted into the Boogie Woogie hall Leyland Of Fame . Among the guests were AMICA members John and and John Nadine Mottoros, Sharyn Cunningham, and myself, as host. Motto-Ros Although I have four pianos, all tuned the day before, Carl select - ed my 1898 Mason & Hamlin with disk recorder to perform all of his selections. The concert included many wonderful compositions, including some classic boogie woogie, ragtime, stride, and blues pieces; some of them were Sonny's own works, such as FOX TAILS, ARGYLE AVENUE BREAKDOWN , and STALKING THE LION . All of these performances are on You Tube under my user name sutterchip. During the mid concert break I served my pri - vate label SKUNK HOLLOW RAGTIME wine with Sonny's name Carl Sonny on the label; guests could buy a bottle at my cost and take home Leyland an autographed bottle as a souvenir of the event. with Mary After the concert, we all retired to the dining room for a Wittenberg pot luck dinner (everybody brought a favorite dish) and more of and Mike my SKUNK HOLLOW RAGTIME wines (Pinot Grigio and Mer - Sealy lot). Needless to say, there was plenty of food, wine, and good times to go around. Guests traveled from as far away as Chico, 135 miles and 2 1/2 hours distant in northern California. Following the pot luck dinner, we all returned to the front room where Carl once again took up the Mason & Hamlin in an informal evening of afterglow. My guests from Chico were Ed Note: provided a room upstairs rather than driving home late at night; Carl had the master bedroom suite for his whole stay (four days, Performances at this event may be seen on YouTube at: three nights). The next morning I served up a breakfast of scram - bled eggs, bacon, and various breads with lots of Kona coffee Skunk Hollow Special (my friends own a plantation outside of Kona, Hawaii). http://tinyurl.com/3f8dvu6 I thought that this might serve as a sample of what fel - low AMICAN's can do with their spare time away from Chapter Carolina Shout by James P. Johnson meetings and conventions. http://tinyurl.com/3nsbqlq Ed Note: Arlo Lusby may be contacted at: Foxtail http://tinyurl.com/3p5knjb [email protected] Improvised Fast Boogie See also: http://tinyurl.com/3uhzwt9 http://www.carlsonnyleyland.com/
158 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 John and Nadine Motto-Ros
Frederick Hodges addressing Tockhwock, Bruce Grimes, Mara French, Carol & Carl Matts, and others elsewhere in the room
Frederick Hodges and John Motto-Ros in discussion about the Motto-Ros collection of coin pianos
Carl Matts, Frederick Hodges and Arlo ‘Chip’ Lusby in dis - cussion after the concert
Our ever gracious hostess, Our host, John Motto-Ros Nadine Motto-Ros introducing the events to follow
Frederick Hodges in performance on the Motto-Ros’ 1908 Mason & Hamlin
Bonnie Gonzales and Frederick Hodges in earnest discussion following the concert
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 159 THE OLD PIANO ROLL NEWS organization of the piano keyboard into chromatic scales and start - Barton Player Piano Company ed with home as my central calendar and main priority, assigning Minneapolis, MN to it the note middle C, and immediately below it, at the note B, Spring 2011 designated sleep, our most basic functional activity. The main cal - endars of my life, such as home, art, financial and social, inhabit Art Meets the Player Piano specific octaves on the keyboard above or below middle C in by Don Barton either a supportive (below) or voluntary (above) role. Daily activi - ties, such as getting ready for the day, caring for loved ones, com - In the spring of 2010, a young lady came into the shop muting, taking in information, working a job, making artwork, inquiring about putting her art project on a piano roll. My first socializing, etc., correspond to specific notes within these octaves, reaction was that I had a real live one here, but she was so engag - branching out in importance from the center of the keyboard. ing and enthusiastic that I decided to hear her out. Even after she Through this translation, notes repeat in hourly patterns and accu - explained the project, I was a little skeptical; there were several mulate to a growing momentum, as hours turn into days turn into challenges. One, she needed a piano that would play her Art Roll weeks and so on into a full month, as played here. continuously….over and over again, five days a week for a month and a half. Two, we had to figure out how to get her digital infor - mation on a piano roll. Jill’s After going over my inventory of player pianos, we deter - ‘What My mined that a 1931 Stroud Duo Art Grand with automatic rewind Schedule and repeat would fit the bill. We found Bob Billings, of Sierra Sounds Music Rolls, who was capable of transferring the digital informa - Like’ tion onto the piano roll format. on display From there, art found the player piano. Following is Jill at the Auckenthaler’s account of her project. Jill is originally from Min - Soap Fac - neapolis and currently resides in New York City. The exhibition tory Art ran from June 25 to July 28, 2010 at the Soap Factory Gallery Art Gallery located at 514- 2nd St. S.E. in Minneapolis.
Artist’s Statement by Jill Auckenthaler
What my schedule sounds like, for player piano, 2010 Sound piece on player piano, 6 min 43 sec at 100 beats per minute; watercolor and graphite on perforated paper player piano roll, 11 ¼ inches x 60 feet sleep to sleep: one day , watercolor on paper 51 x 113 ½ inches
Drawing from my digital calendar, I make paintings, drawings, sculpture, prints and sound pieces that explore my anxi - ety about time. I use grids to map my values in shorthand, inter - preting daily activity through code, color, repetition and text. Translating this data to watercolor and paper, I depart from the cal - endar’s utility and create aesthetic objects that conversely speak to slowness and subtlety. Each piece offers a meditative glimpse into a collective narrative about time and personal values. What my schedule sounds like, for player piano brings my love of music and training as a classical pianist to my artistic process. This project juxtaposes digital tools and antique instru - ments in a translation of calendar data to analog piano roll. As a container for information, the piano roll interface precedes and closely resembles modern recording tools such as calendars and music composition technology in its use of the grid to track time in successive events. The process of mapping daily activity from one Don and Jill standing by the 1931 Duo Art Stroud Piano interface to another illuminated my priorities while giving sound to the rhythms of my life. Delivered on a grand player piano, the Ed Note: Don Barton may be contacted at: resulting soundscape reveals the pace and patterns of a month of [email protected] my daily activity. http://www.bartonplayerpianos.com/ My system for correlating activities to notes on the piano began with a simple philosophy of self-care. I followed the basic
160 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 In The News The West Australian Ed Note: The following is a personal tribute, sent to and shared by Perth, Australia Jere DeBacker with permission, who hosted a recital, featuring 20 April 2011 John Gill, in his home as reported in AMICA Bulletin July-August 2010, page 242. Perth mourns ragtime maestro John Gill From: Frank French To: Jere DeBacker
I first met John Gill at the Montsalvat Jazz festival near Melbourne, Australia in January of 1993. We had several sets of music in which we played together. It was the height of summer and I recall one particular performance of hot piano music on a very muggy evening in a very steamy hall. After the festival at Montsalvat we went on to play at the Gold Coast Mardi Gras Fes - tival in Queensland. We invited John to play that year at Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival in Boulder, Colorado, and this is how he first came to the USA with John Stewart. We thought that having a stride piano player appear at our festival would be a welcome addition, and indeed it added quite a bit of contrast to the pro - gram that year. At the conclusion of the festival we had a party going well into the evening at our house on Yale Road. Many Australians who had made the trip joined us, and seldom strayed Tributes have flooded in for Perth's piano man John far from a large keg of beer parked in our long driveway. Gill , who died last week aged 57. As one of the foremost stride piano players in the world, The talents of the acclaimed stride and ragtime pianist John was always ready and able to play , formally or informally took him around the world but he was probably best known for at any time of the day or night, often times with a large bottle of his energetic busking for more than 17 years in the Murray and gin close at hand. Yet no amount of imbibing seemed to impede Hay street malls. his playing. On stage in bow tie and patent leather shoes he cut He gave what would be his last performance on Thurs - the figure of a “natty’ dresser. When caught on one occasion with day. two cigarettes in his mouth he replied “Saves time!” He suffered an apparent heart attack at a North Perth With his flamboyant style and outgoing personality John shopping centre on Friday night and could not be revived. got on well in this country and would show up every couple of London-born Gill was the first and only Australian to years for some protracted touring. He must have logged tens of become an accredited Bosendorfer Concert Artist and the first to thousands of miles by car during those years, visiting and per - be invited to play at the prestigious Scott Joplin International forming far and wide, often stopping to collect such things as Ragtime Festival in America, where he performed annually. rotary-dial telephones. He toured Australia, South-East Asia and was getting The good times rolled on in this way for many years in ready for another US trip in June. the tradition of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson with many late- Before following his parents to Australia in 1983, he night sessions going until 5 AM. Nothing like it has been seen in played in leading hotels and clubs in Europe and became Britain's recent years at festivals. Today we seem to have some hot-shot top ragtime pianist. stride players alright, but one seldom sees the ability to “hang’ Fellow Perth musician and friend Garry Lee said Gill that John displayed so well for so many years. They all seem to was the consummate artist. roll up the carpet by 11 PM . Nor it is often seen that one makes "He played with, obviously, incredible technique and up whatever music seems to be required on the spot to suit the virtuosity but he was also able to engage the audience," he said. particular occasion. This kind of thing might be expected from "Very few pianists in the world can play like John and as far as one who reportedly parted company with an early teacher over a Australia is concerned, I don't think there'd be any." disagreement on the question of improvising on Bach. Jazz Australia owner Diana Allen, who had a 25-year I would have to say that John’s behavior seemed to suit association with Gill, said he was one of the greatest ragtime the national character of his adopted country, Australia, where a pianists of our time. day off from drinking does not mean “no wine” which apparently Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said Gill was a wonderful per - is not considered an alcoholic beverage. It goes together with a former and his death was a loss to the city. certain manner of music making and exuberant, spontaneous or even impromptu performance. It may seem to some to be a fast Ed Note: News item may be seen at: life, but for John it was probably a full life. As I understand it he http://tinyurl.com/3mum8j2 was just on his way to the store to get some beer when he gave up the ghost.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 161 PRWeb Bohemian Winston Salem, SC Hotel). One of 14 April 2011 today’s most elaborate Who Would Pay a Million Dollars Bösendorfers is for a Piano? the Emperor, a precise duplicate by Brian E. Faulkner of the piano (336) 945-0720 given by Aus - tria’s emperor to People who are passionate about music and art and who Japan's emperor want a unique expression of their creative spirit, suggests writer Fred Riley with the Emperor at in 1869. This Brian Faulkner. Case in point? A $1.5-million art case piano Seattle's Classic Pianos limited edition recently created by Steinway & Sons for a Chinese art collector. Or piano is priced at $2-million and awaits a buyer at Classic Pianos glass artist Jon Kuhn’s gleaming, $1.2 million Kuhn-Bösendorfer in Seattle. art case piano, with more than 500-thousand facets of optical grade Perhaps more than any other high-end piano maker, crystal on its sides, lid, fallboard and bench. Bösendorfer has reached out to artists and architects for style ideas In a world of $250,000 Lana Marks handbags, $100-mil - (even names like Porsche and Audi) and has developed a Piano lion California luxury homes and a $1.2 billion mega yacht (owned Design Handbook to guide would-be art case designers in their by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich), custom art case quests for variations on the traditional piano shape and surface. pianos endure as rare but reasonably priced objets d’art. “I had always wanted to design an art case,” glass artist Art case pianos with elaborate cabinet work have been Jon Kuhn says. He got serious after seeing several Steinway art designed for emperors and presidents, for celebrities and seekers of case pianos at North Carolina’s High Point Furniture Market in celebrity, for top interior designers in search of dramatic center - 2003. “I was totally smitten,” he acknowledges, “and knew at that pieces for their clients’ luxury homes and as points of differentia - moment that I had to do one myself. And when I finally connected tion for luxury hotels and restaurants. They are for lovers of art with Bösendorfer, and music and those who appreciate uncompromised craftsman - I knew I’d found ship, whether a grande dame from the piano’s Golden Age or an the right match.” elegant new art case from a high-end European piano maker like “The Bösendorfer or Fazioli. Kuhn-Bösendor - “There’s a perfect piano design for every setting,” says fer combines a interior designer Leo Dowell. “When I design one-of-a-kind Euro - performance- pean estates for my clients, I tell them that there are as many ways grade instrument to design a piano as there are designer handbags or sexy couture with glass art of a shoes -- a design so unforgettable they simply can’t live without it. quality that can’t And it’s right there in my head.” fully be appreci - One of today’s best known art case pianos is Steinway’s ated until you see elaborate Alma-Tadema re-cre - how it reflects ation, sold in 2002 for $675,000 the light,” says and worth about $2-million Raleigh, North today. The piano’s classically- Carolina piano Jon Kuhn and his piece of art - 100.000 hand cut, themed art case elements include lead crystal jewels on the Kuhn-Bösendorfer retailer Richard carvings and inlays made from grand piano, available through Kuhn Studio Ruggero, who more than 20 species of wood, and participating Bosendorfer dealers. worked with the artist to develop his first Kuhn-Bösendorfer, a mother-of-pearl, parchment, 7’4” Model 225. “I’ve been a piano technician and tuner with very metal and oil paint, which took high standards for a good number of years, and the Kuhn- New York interior designer and Bösendorfer far exceeded even my expectations.” ébéniste Eric Chapeau about Kuhn’s art case pianos range from $700,000 to over $2- 5,000 hours to complete. The million, depending on design, and are available from 5’8” (slightly design is patterned after a Stein - The Alma-Tadema recreation larger than a baby grand piano) to the legendary Imperial concert way decorated in 1887 by Victo - Sold by Steinway in 2002 for grand, which would look simply smashing on Roman rian-era artist Sir Lawrence $675,000. Cabinet work by Eric Chapeau of Chapeau Designs Abramovich’s new Eclipse motor yacht. Alma-Tadema for New York “The piano is more than a musical instrument. It is a sym - philanthropist and art collector Henry G. Marquand. The original, bol of sophistication, spiritual and financial wealth,” says Tibor described by Christie’s as “the most artistic piano ever produced,” Szabo, whose San Francisco firm restores and sells European art sold at auction in 1997 for $1.2 million. case pianos. Of course, wealth can be interpreted in different ways Vienna’s Bösendorfer also is known for art case pianos, when contemplating purchase of an art case: in the sinuous, sensu - including an art deco design based on architectural detailing in al piano shape, in no-holds-barred craftsmanship that speaks first New York’s Chrysler building and Austrian architect Hans to quality rather than price, or the exquisite pleasure of tone and Hollein’s striking red and black lacquered piano with gold inlays touch. During a time when people expect a lasting experience from (centerpiece for Orlando’s famed Bösendorfer Lounge and Grand their luxury purchases instead of acquiring more and more “stuff,”
162 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 an art case piano not only is a sublime expression of the musical Fazioli, the Italian piano maker, will be in New York later this and visual arts but may be a rewarding personal investment as week to complete the deal with Juilliard, after the performing-arts well, a piece of “living furniture” to be experienced to its fullest school agreed to purchase one of his pricey, handmade – and cov - (given proper care) even four or five generations from now. eted – pianos. Like A-list collector cars, only museum quality art case “I’m very happy,” said Fazioli from his home in Sacile, pianos in good playing condition and with cabinets designed by north of Venice, late Monday – adding that he was trying to be acclaimed artists like cautious until the historic deal was finalized. Kuhn or Alma-Tadema, “I am moved, of course, about this. It’s a special situa - can be expected to tion.” appreciate more than The Fazioli piano, worth six figures, has been on loan to other high end pianos the prestigious New York institution since October on spec. Fazi - (which themselves typi - oli pianos are the most expensive on the market; ranging from cally beat inflation after about $80,000 (Canadian) for a baby grand to $225,000 for a about five years), standard black piano. Customized Faziolis with decorative bells because, as Chapeau and whistles can run up to $500,000. observes, very few art The reviews were good, but the politics of piano sales is A 19th Century Erard Art Case, courtesy cases come on the market fierce and according to sources, there was pressure on Juilliard to of Salle Pianos, San Francisco these days and demand remain an all-Steinway school, as it has been since 1924. remains strong. Of course, pricing a work of art at any point in “There is politics inside,” Fazioli told the Globe a cou - time merely provides an educated opinion of market value, which ple of months ago during the Juilliard trial. “I don’t think you can may not adequately reflect the buyer’s ultimate appreciation of its know a lot … in this kind of situation.” worth. The school approached a Fazioli dealer last year with the To paraphrase Russian-American Mathematician Ivan trial proposition. Fazioli said he was uncomfortable with the idea Nikolayevitsh Penin, “For every beauty there is an eye, for every at first but ultimately agreed “because it’s Juilliard.” love there is a heart.” Especially, it seems, when it comes to art In February, Juilliard used the Fazioli for student audi - case pianos. tions, after which a school official said the school would be going Writer Brian Faulkner loves pianos, advises business ahead with the purchase. clients about communicating strategic advantage and is an Emmy Some Juilliard students have also tried it out. “It is a award winning Public Television scriptwriter and narrator. great instrument with a very beautiful sound,” reports Devon Joiner, 21, a Vancouver pianist in the first year of a master of Ed Note: News item may be seen at: music in piano performance at Juilliard. “The action is quite light http://tinyurl.com/3k9vtmx and easy to control, and the sound is very sweet and projects See also: well. It is difficult to make a harsh or ugly sound on this instru - http://tinyurl.com/5vj3358 ment. It is definitely a pleasure to play.” (Bosendorfer Design Your Own Piano) Since January, Juilliard has had a Yamaha CFX at the school on spec as well – also unprecedented. The Globe and Mail Juilliard did not want to comment for this story, and was Toronto, ON, Canada still referring on Monday to the Fazioli at the school as “leased.” 29 March 2011 For Fazioli, the pending Juilliard deal will be a big feather in its cap. Juilliard breaks with all-Steinway Still, New York-based Steinway & Sons remains the tradition, purchases a Fazioli clear market leader, with 125 all-Steinway schools to their credit. Steinway produces about 2,500 pianos a year worldwide (about by MARSHA LEDERMAN 2,000 grand pianos), compared to Fazioli’s annual production of The Juilliard School, long an all-Steinway institution, is about 110 – all grands. breaking with tradition and buying a non-Steinway piano. Paolo With the purchase of the Fazioli – and even if Juilliard buys the Yamaha as well – Juilliard remains an all-Steinway school, because by that definition, 90 per cent of all instruments owned by the institution must be designed by Steinway. Juilliard owns about 260 Steinways. Steinway’s Sally Coveleskie, reached Monday at the Music Teachers National Association convention in Milwaukee, Wis., said she was unaware of Juilliard’s decision to purchase the Fazioli. “It would be surprising,” she said.
Ed Note: News item may be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/6l2gfs4 See also: http://www.fazioli.com/en/
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 163 Eastern Iowa Life very much like the organ that has delighted Cedar Rapids audi - Cedar Rapids, IA ences for 80 years. 11 March 2011 “The new console will be restored so that it will conform in every respect to the original,” Weiler said. Rare vintage Wurlitzer finds new home As many components as possible will be salvaged from at the Paramount the Mighty Wurlitzer and incorporated into the finished replace - ment. Work is estimated to take about a year. by Diana Nollen A native of Traer, Weil - CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - When the Paramount Theatre er, 52, is a 1981 Coe College reopens in 2012, the organ pipes will be singing the same old song, graduate and pipe organ conser - which is music to the ears of organ enthusiasts. vationist with a special affinity The City of Cedar Rapids has purchased the very next to the Paramount organ. console built in the 1920s after the Mighty Wurlitzer, which was “That instrument is an destroyed when 8 feet of raging floodwaters tossed it onto the old friend,” he told The Gazette Paramount stage in June 2008. early in the restoration process. It “I’ve known that instrument took a national since my youth. I have a real search, a stroke emotional attachment to it.” of good luck, After the Paramount and $7,500 in reopens, the organ installed in insurance 1928 to accompany silent films funds to buy will be silent no more. CRATOS the instrument plans to hold two organ concerts from a private and have the instrument featured in two Orchestra Iowa concerts Jeff Weiler, collector. organ conservationist Jeff each year. Weiler of Chicago, who Ed Note: News item may be seen at: is leading the http://tinyurl.com/6katrc4 $300,000 Darren Ferreter (left), president of the Cedar Rapids Paramount Area Theatre Organ Society, and Jeff Weiler of KNDU-TV News Chicago move a 1920s Wurlitzer organ console organ restora - closer to the remnants of the Paramount Theatre’s Kennewick, WA tion project, flood-damaged Mighty Wurlitzer console (in crate, 6 April 2011 picked up the at left) at a warehouse Friday (3/11/2011) in southwest console in Cedar Rapids. The City of Cedar Rapids purchased Status Update for Three Rivers Alliance, the vintage console with insurance funds. It will be restored over the coming year and be connected Carousel Project Ohio, on to the Mighty Wurlitzer’s organ pipes in the Wednesday Paramount Theatre. They are sitting in storage as the Carousel Foundation (3/9/2011) and (photo - Jim Slosiarek/SourceMedia Group News ) works to free the 44-horses that make up the Three Rivers drove it to Cedar Rapids in a rented panel truck. He and a crew Carousel. from the Cedar Rapids Area Theatre Organ Society (CRATOS) In the past decade the carousel project has brought in unloaded it Friday morning (3/11/2011) into a secure city storage $866,000 from the city of Kennewick but it's still not enough. facility, next to the remnants of the Mighty Wurlitzer. Now city leaders say they aren't putting any more The famed organ company produced its instruments money into this project during a tough economy. Those working sequentially, and historians later assigned them Opus numbers, on the Carousel Foundation say they're just trying to move things Weiler said. The Mighty Wurlitzer was dubbed Opus 1907. The forward before they present an update to city council in May. “new” console is Opus 1908. The original carousel gained plenty of attention in the “Finding any Wurlitzer console is extremely difficult,” he Tri-Cities when we first learned about it nearly a decade ago, but said. “Finding one that was still intact is extremely difficult. Find - now we're left wondering, will these guys ever get their racing ing the console from the next instrument built is — there must be stripes back? higher forces at work in doing that, because that is absolutely Kennewick Mayor Steve young says he wants to see the incredible. carousel up, but adds the city is done investing. “These materials were created at the same time, in suc - "Unfortunately, a lot of time has gone by and when that cession, and the artisans that worked on this console were the same much time goes by, the investors and those committed to it seem artisans that worked on that console within weeks of each other,” to fade off and get reluctant to put any money into it, just as we at he said. the city have," Mayor Steve Young. “From the standpoint of a restorer, that’s as good as it Reluctance is a word the Carousel Foundation must deal gets.” with as they head into a status update meeting with council next Similar in color but less ornate than its predecessor, the month. Opus 1908 console was installed in the Kenmore Theatre in "The goal obviously would be to get the carousel built. Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1928. It will be rehabilitated and end up looking 164 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 That's what everybody's hope is," Carousel Foundation Represen - tative Jeff Kossow said. "I think the city, the mayor, has made it clear where they are standing, now it's really just finding if there are partnerships that can be made with it." New partnerships and investors are what both Kossow and Mayor Young hope can come from private businesses instead of city involvement. The foundation says they'll be giving options of where the carousel could go and when they could realistically have it up, though there is still about 2 million dollars to raise for those things to happen.
Ed Note: Story and news video may be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/3umae4f While the rest of Adventureland is open on the weekends until Memorial Day when the summer schedule starts, the Narragansett Patch carousel is not quite ready to go. By June it should be open for Narragansett, RI business and will be able to host birthday parties. 24 April 2011 Burdick's Ice Cream, A sneak peek at the newest feature Cotton Candy, Pretzels and Carousel T-shirts will at Adventureland in Narragansett be available in the Pavil - By Marylou Butler ion. Local artist Janice Family owned Adventureland will offer a new way to Causey is painting a have fun this summer. seascape mural for one Joining the go-karts, bumper boats, batting cages and wall. mini-golf will be a beautiful Victorian Carousel. The Kells family, The Blessing of the owners of the park, have spent two years planning and building, Carousel is tentatively and with the exception of the carousel itself, have used exclusive - planned for Sunday, June ly South County businesses to help them make it a reality. 5. This two-hour event "It was my mother and father, Raymond and Patricia's will feature free popcorn, idea," Melissa Kells-Burdick, manager of Adventureland, said. face painting, balloons Sadly, Raymond passed away in 2009, but with Patricia's and a chance to "name a blessing, Melissa and her husband Josh Burdick began designing horse" for the summer and planning the feature. 2011 season. Patch will "We knew we needed a building to accomodate our keep you up to date and patrons on rainy days," she said. They turned to Nancy Leslie of let you know once the Leslie Architects in Wakefield to design the pavilion. plans are concrete. "We worked closely with Nancy on the design as it was important to us that we build a structure that respected the beach area and fit the Victorian carousel theme," Melissa said. Nate Point of Point Builders was the building contractor. "He had a terrible winter to build and started out six weeks behind schedule," Melissa said, "yet he got the job done ahead of schedule with help from Jedi Electric, Harris Plumbing and E. F. McGovern landscaping." Arnold Lumber supplied the building materials and South County Fence did all the fence and gate work. "In addition to being thrilled to have the ride here, we feel it is a great thing for Narragansett as we will have to add five or six more jobs for the summer season," Josh Burdick said. "The project also benefited our local contractors so we feel it has a pos - itive impact." The carousel was made in the United States by Chance Rides of Wichita, Kansas. It is 28 feet wide with 1,500 lights. It is a traditional canopied design with elaborate scrollwork and mir - rors to reflect the riders. In addition to the beautiful horses there is an irridecent dragon, a tiger, a penguin and of all things, an anteater to ride. For those who want a little more action, there is a Ed Note: News item and full array of photos may be seen at: spinning cup to ride on as well. http://tinyurl.com/3o3vh9j
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 165 In Memoriam Erie Times-News Joe's love for this particular instrument began at an early age Erie, PA while listening to his beloved Sr. Rita play at St. Joseph's Home. 21 January 2011 Joe would eventually found the Erie Area Theater Organ Society and remained the leader of this group for many years. In addition, Robert Joseph "Joe" Luckey he devoted a great deal of time and resources in the reconstruc - tion of the former Shea's Theatre organ, which he purchased in 1968. Joe faithfully worked over the years toward his dream of someday housing this organ at the Warner Theater during it's final renovation. In addition to the organ, Joe enjoyed singing music from the 1930's and '40's. He had an incredible recollection for lyrics and had sung to the very day he passed. For many years he had also relished playing the role of Santa Claus for children at Christmas, one year logging over 40 appearances. He was a member of St. Peter Cathedral. All his friends and family would like to thank Sr. Mary and her entire staff at St. Mary's East for their outstanding and loving care of Joe during his final years. Survivors include one sister, Lynne Luckey Adams, (husband Don), of California, and their daughters, Andrea and Angela; his "adopted" Langmyer Family, Marilyn Angevine (husband Albert) of Tucson, Ariz., Hank Langmyer (wife Pat) of Orchard Park, N.Y. and Ann Ward (husband Jerry) of Montgomery Village, Md. He is also survived by many beloved co-workers and dear friends. He will be especially missed by his three loyal friends, Ali, Cathy and Ray, who were with him faithfully from his acci - dent through his passing. Preceded in death by members of his adopted family, Albert H. and Hermina Legler Langmyer and "A Gannon Legend" Robert Joseph "Joe" Luckey , 82, Albert R. Langmyer. Friends may call at the Mary Seat of Wis - of Erie, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at dom Chapel of Gannon University, W. 5th and Peach Sts., on St. Mary's Home East, where he had resided for the past 2 ½ Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a special "Hour of Remem - years. Joes' life ended much as it had started, under the loving brance" from 7 p.m. til 8 p.m. He will also lie in repose at St. care of his beloved Sisters of St. Joseph. He was born on New Peter Cathedral on Monday morning from 9:15 a.m. until the Year's Eve, December 31, 1928 in Mobile, Ala., the son of the Mass of Christian Burial which will be celebrated there at 10 a.m. late Robert Graham and Anna Fawcett Luckey. At the tender age Interment will follow at Mary Queen of Peace Cemetery. Memor - of seven Joe was moved from an orphanage in Alabama to the ial contributions may be made to the Joe Luckey Seminarian former St. Joseph Home for Children in Erie; a place he would Scholarship or the Joe Luckey Endowed Scholarship, attn. Uni - know as "home" until leaving there in 1942. "The Home", as he versity Advancement, 109 University Square, Erie, PA 16541- often lovingly referred to it and the Sisters, who cared for the 0001, or to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern PA, 5031 W. children there, would never be far from his warmest reminisces Ridge Rd., Erie, PA 16506. The Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., of childhood. He maintained a very close friendship with many of East, 2607 Buffalo Rd., is handling arrangements. the children who had lived with him at the Home. Especially dear to Joe was his life-long friend, Brother Thomas Vincent, S.S.J., Ed Note: While not mentioned in the obituary, Joe Luckey who currently resides in Washington, D.C. Upon his graduation was an AMICAn since 1991. from high school in Sharon, Pa., he enlisted in the United States Army and had served as a military chaplain's assistant during the Margaret Wilcox end of World War II. Eventually he returned to Erie and had been employed by the General Electric Co. for a brief time. In 1952 Joe enrolled at Gannon College and embarked upon a journey which would last over 50 years. Joe is recognized by the Univer - sity as a 1955 alumnus. In point of fact, he had halted his study there due to a lack of funds and had entered into employment with the college in the maintenance dept. at the advice of the late Rev. Msgr. Joseph J. "Doc" Wehrle. Over his 55 years of service, Joe became a "Gannon legend". Many of his former co-workers refer to him as THE maintenance dept. He could fix anything and everything and knew the entire campus and buildings like no other. Joe was a loyal and well respected member of the Gannon community and retired in 2008. Throughout his career, he enjoyed a very special bond with the many priests who minis - tered and taught at Gannon. Over the years he was honored as the recipient of various awards including the Archbishop John Mark Gannon Medal of Distinction, was made a member of the Univer - Bob and Margaret Wilcox ~6 years ago sity's Founder's Society, was a special honoree at the 2008 Gan - Bob and Margaret Wilcox were AMICAns since 1975. Bob non University Alumni Dinner, and had also been recognized by passed away ~6 years ago, and Margaret just recently. Obit to the Serra Club. His passion in life was for the theater pipe organ. follow. 166 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 The Telegraph declined. London, UK Stonehill’s interest was sparked in the summer of 1959 8 March 2011 when he bought a house in the Boltons, south-west London, and with it a derelict Weber reproducing piano which stood in a corner Gerald Stonehill of the drawing-room. Gerald Stonehill, who has died aged 85, was the world’s A dealer offered him £15 for it, but it was going to cost leading authority on the Duo-Art piano, an electrically-operated more than that to move it. While considering what to do, Stonehill pneumatic instrument which uses a roll of perforated paper to happened to hear Rachmaninov’s performance of his C sharp minor Prelude on a similar instrument, and was amazed by its reproduce every aspect of the recording pianist’s performance; he quality. From that moment he decided to make his instrument amassed the world’s largest collection of Duo-Art rolls and staged work. public performances of the pieces at concert halls in London. First he persuaded a survivor of Aeolian to reconnect the electrics, then, over many months, replaced the tubes and bellows. Finding that Harrods still had a lending library of Duo-Art rolls, he joined its six surviving subscribers. When the library was put up for sale in 1962, he bought 2,500 more rolls, then set about filling gaps in his collection by buying and exchanging duplicates with other collectors. Before long he had amassed a collection of more than 6,000 rolls. From the estate of Tabor Brock, of Brock’s fireworks, he also bought a Steinway reproducing piano, which he restored and placed back-to-back with the Weber — both of them Grands — in his London drawing-room. At the auction of Brock’s effects the matching piano stool and roll cabinet for the Steinway both fetched more than the piano itself, though Stonehill did not bid for them. To refine the quality of the reproduction, Stonehill enlist - ed the help of Gordon Iles, inventor and chief theoretician of the Gerald Stonehill with his 'robot', which gave its first concert Aeolian company in England, to create an 88-digit “robot”, which in the Purcell Room in 1974 could be pushed up against the keyboard of any unconverted piano and used to play from rolls. In 1974 the robot gave its first concert The Duo-Art machine, developed by the Aeolian compa - in the Purcell Room and was a resounding success. It went on to ny of New York, took the musical world by storm when it was play a major “Grand Piano” series of historic piano-roll recordings, launched in 1913. Compared with its clockwork forerunners, the performed on a Steinway Grand and released on the Nimbus label, Duo-Art reproducing piano offered a highly sophisticated means of including performances by nearly all the great pianists of the first reproduction over which the recording artist had close control, decades of the 20th century. enabling great fidelity of performance without any fuzzy interfer - Gerald Charles Stonehill was born at Acton on October ence. 14 1925 to American parents. His father was an antiquarian book - What made Duo-Art rolls remarkable were the two sets of seller. On the outbreak of war in 1939, the family moved to the extra holes punched on the edges of the paper. These controlled United States, where Gerald attended Phillips Exeter Academy, pedalling and dynamics, the crucial means of “expression” that New England, and then Harvard, where he took an accelerated distinguishes one pianist from another. Theme and accompaniment degree in Classics. His facility in languages led to his being post - were assigned either to left or right hand, each having 16 volume ed, in 1944, to the Far East as a lieutenant in US Naval Intelli - levels. A single note could be picked out within a chord by bring - gence. ing it forward and assigning a higher volume. Returning to England after the war, Stonehill took a fur - Not to be confused with the pianola or player piano, ther degree, in Russian, at Pembroke College, Oxford, then went which had to be pedalled to achieve variable speed and dynamics, into business, setting up a trading company specialising in imports all the “performer” had to do with the Duo-Art instrument was to of pig iron from Scandinavia. insert the roll, set the tempo as indicated, and turn on the switch. Stonehill was a regular contributor to the letters columns Frustrated by the limitations and poor sound quality of of national newspapers on matters of etymological derivation. the early gramophone, pianists and composers of the early 20th English to all appearances despite his American origins, for many century turned enthusiastically to the reproducing piano. Ferruccio years Stonehill chose to drive an enormous Cadillac. Busoni called Duo-Art “the cinematograph of the piano”; Freder - Latterly, he and his wife left their house in the Boltons for ick Delius praised Duo-Art recordings of performances by Percy one in Buckinghamshire, where the piano rolls were stored in a Grainger, Ignaz Friedman and Ignacy Paderewski as preserving space of restricted height. With too little room to stand upright, “the personal characteristics of each of these artists” with wonder - Stonehill would don a hard hat and knee-pads and use a wheelchair ful accuracy; Stravinsky immediately set about transcribing his to move up and down the stacks. Ill health eventually prompted orchestral music for piano roll, “in order to prevent the distortion him to sell the whole of his collection of Duo-Art rolls at auction of my compositions by future interpreters”. between 2006 and 2008. During its peak year of 1925, the Aeolian company man - Gerald Stonehill died on January 14. He married, in 1954, ufactured more than 192,000 instruments. But the reign of the Eileen Peck, who survives him with their daughter and two sons. reproducing piano was short-lived. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which coincided with the advent of “talkies” and the wider Ed Note: Gerald Stonehill was an AMICAn as far back as 1972. availability of electric phonographs, the piano-roll business This notice found and contributed by Tockhwock.
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 167 ADVERTISING FoR SALE
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ALL ADVERTISING IN ThE AMICA BULLETIN ThE GOLDEN AGE of AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS . New reduced price — order now! To celebrate our 10th anniver - All advertising should be directed to: sary, Art Reblitz ’ award-winning reference is now only $99 plus Terry Smythe $5 S/H (single copy USA ground shipment). This book has set a 55 Rowand Avenue new standard with its hundreds of spectacular color photographs. Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J2N6 We guarantee you’ll find it to be one of the most interesting, Phone: (204) 832-3982 (email preferred) inspiring, informative books you have in your library—or your e-mail:: [email protected] money back. Everyone has been delighted, and some readers have ordered several copies. Get your copy today. Mechanical Ad copy must contain text directly related to the product/service being Music Press -A, 70 Wild Ammonoosuc Rd., Woodsville, NH offered. Extraneous text will be deleted at the Editor's discretion. Adver - 03785. 603-747-2636. 6-11 tisers will be invoiced, with payment to AMICA Treasurer. Telephone http://www.mechanicalmusicpress.com ads will not be accepted due to high risk of errors. AMICA reserves the right to edit or to reject any ad deemed inappropriate or not in keeping Retiring NYC area piano & organ business selling: 4 reed organs with AMICA'sgoals and objectives . including circa 1900 Ochestrelle and some 200 rolls, [will sell The BULLETIN accepts advertising without endorsement, implied or rolls separately]. Pianos: otherwise, of the products or services being offered. Publication of busi - 1938 5' Chickering Ampi - ness advertising in no way implies AMICA's endorsement of any com - co B [unrestored], 1936 mercial operation. Fischer Ampico Spinet [Ampico working], Rare AMICA PUBLICATIONS RESERVES ThE RIGhT TO ACCEPT, 1920's Winter 68 note REJECT, OR EDIT ANY AND ALL SUBMITTED ARTICLES "Modeska" piano [piano AND ADVERTISING. hidden in an writing desk]. Also many organ pipes and All items for publication must be submitted directly to the pipe organ parts, piano & Editor/Publisher for consideration. organ tools. Pictures avail - CLASSIFIED AD RATES FOR AMICA MEMBERS: able. All available for best offers. 718 441-2008 or 1-100 Words $20.00 rf Non-member rates are double for all advertising. [email protected]
DISPLAY ADVERTISING NEW PIANO ROLL BOXES - Duo-Art Audiographic series - Full Page color $ 150.00 Exactly like the originals! Maroon with Gold Printing, all 3 Full page B&W $ 100.00 sizes available! (small & medium are "Top Hat" style) $6.00 ea. Half Page B&W $ 75.00 Quantities are limited, so get them before they are all gone! Quarter Page B&W $ 50.00 Business Card $ 30.00 AMPICO boxes in two sizes: "Top Hat" boxes (for small rolls Non-member rates are double for all advertising with false bottom), and Large (for 3" flange). Black Leather with Gold Printing, Exactly like the originals , $5.00 ea. Special 6 for 5 Ad Offer - Place any ad, for a full year (6 issues), and pay for only 5 issues. Payable in advance. Photographs or halftones 88 note roll boxes in two sizes-Large (fits 2 34 flange) covered $15.00 each. Loose Sheet or Insert Advertising: Inquire with Black Alligator paper (Top), Black Leather (Bottom) $3.00 ea. Small (fits 2" flange) Covered with Black Leather Paper We recommend that display advertisers supply camera-ready copy. (Top), White Litho (Bottom) $2.00 ea. Copy that is oversized or undersized will be changed to correct size at Other repair supplies available- Parchment Leaders, Tabs, Tubes, your cost. We ordinarily do not prepare advertisements from suggested Flanges, Repair Tissue. Quantity Discounts available . Rich layout. Ingram 626-824-4404 (1-12) PAYMENT: Advertisers will be invoiced. Make check payable to [email protected] AMICA INTERNATIONAL. Typesetting and layout size alterations charges will be billed if required by professional services. For Sale: Inexpensive book operated 52 keyless German Fair - ground Organ with large façade and 3 animated figures - a VERY attractive organ! Unrestored and inexpensive single Mills DEADLINES: Submissions must be received no later than the first of Violano Virtuoso in Oak Case. Restored Oak Case Wurlitzer the odd months (January, March, May, July, September, November). Pianino with Flute/Violin Pipes & Xylophone! Cremona K The Bulletin will be mailed not later than the first week of the even Orchestrion. Unrestored Electratone "A" roll piano with beauti - months. ful art glass and original reed attachment. Bargain priced Coinola X with Orchestra Bells. Bargain priced Empress Elec - tric with xylophone playing "O" rolls. Wurlitzer Caliola , Wurl - itzer 153, 125, &105 Band Organs , 97 Key Bursens Dance Where words fail, Organ , Tangley Calliaphone . Tim Trager , 30280 N. Darrell Road, McHenry, Illinois 60051. Telephone: 630-269-3059 Music speaks... Fax: 630-214-2552 e-mail: Hans Christian Anderson [email protected] or WWW.TIMTRAGER.CoM You're Home of Affordable Prices in Mechanical Music!
168 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 Knabe grand 5'8", 1919 with Stoddard Ampico system. Much work has been done: all valves, tracker tubing and action pneumatics have been recovered and tubed. It is walnut and has been refinished and restrung. Much other work has been completed. Restoration has not been completed so it is not currently playing. Many Ampico rolls included. $3,500 or make offer . Owen Arnett, Nampa, Idaho 208- 467-4003 [email protected] 3-11 Steinway Duo-Art XR grand piano for sale. Unrestored Mahogany needs full restoration. 2500.00 I also have a Stein - way XR refinished and restrung that really looks fac - tory new with unrestored player action for 7500.00 Western Electric Mascot restored on the inside with new plating, strings, every - thing for 6995.00 Seeburg C Keyboard model with Original lamp post unrestored for 5995.00. I have other nickelodeons for sale if you are inter - ested. Email [email protected] Don Teach 1815 E. 70th Street Shreveport, LA 71105, (318) 518-5805
WANTED I will pay $50.00 each for the following Stoddard-Ampico rolls by Andre Kmita, in good, clean condition: 4059E - Girl From Utah Waltzes 3927D - hesitation Waltz 29901C - Illusion Waltz David Wallis , 547 Marengo Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130, (708) 366-3103 or [email protected] rf6-11
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 169 170 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 PLEASE VISIT THESE SUPPLIERS oF RoLLS
Brian Stahl: Piano Ticklers Music Rolls Joyce Brite: Player Piano and P.O. Box 220, Elizabethville, PA 17023 Mechanical Music Exchange email: [email protected] http://www.mmdigest.com/Exchange/ www.pianoticklers.com http://www.mmdigest.com/Exchange/rollpage.htm Phone: (717) 599-1369 email: [email protected]
Rob Deland: Blues Tone Rolls Dick Hack: Hack Mechanical Music www.bluesrolls.com 2051 Chesapeake Road, Annapolis, MD 21409 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Phone: (847) 548-6416 (410) 279-5859 Cell Days (410) 757-2164 Home Evenings Bob & Ginny Billings: Sierra Music Rolls 14010 Rim Rock Drive, Reno, NV 89521 Frank L. Himpsl: email: [email protected] Valley Forge Music Roll Company Phone: (775) 853-4659 604 Linnet Road, Audubon, PA 19403 (484)-250-7046 roll shop Leedy Brothers Music Rolls (610)-291-1841 my cell 4660 Hagar Shore Road, Coloma, MI 49038 http://www.valleyforgemusicroll.com www.leedyrolls.com Phone: (269) 468-5986 - Fax: (269) 468-0019 Kukral Collection: Larry Norman: Rollertunes Welte-Mignon and 88-Note Rolls www.home.earthlink.net/~rollertunes 216 Madison Blvd., Terre Haute, IN 47803 email: [email protected] Phone: (812) 238-9656 Phone: (540) 721-7188 email: [email protected]
Don Teach: Shreveport Music Co. Julian Dyer 1815 E. 70th Street, Shreveport, LA 71105 5 Richmond Rise, Wokingham RG41 3XH, email: [email protected] United Kingdom Phone: (318) 798-6000 - Fax: (318) 797-4572 www.pianorolls.co.uk email: [email protected] Robin Pratt: Artists' Choice Music Rolls email: [email protected] John Motto-Ros Phone: (419) 626-1903 “Nickelodeon Rolls” 516 Pierce Street, Sandusky, OH 44870-4725 “A” “G” “o” Rolls & Boxes 110 Allen Ranch Road, Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Steve Bentley, SB-"o" Rolls series. 209-267-9252 Play-Rite Music Rolls www.johnnysmusicrolls.com 1536 N. Palm St., e-mail: [email protected] Turlock. CA 95380. U.S.A. Phone. (209) 632-5784. Keystone Music Rolls Fax. 209) 667-8241. P.O. Box 650, Bethlehem, PA 18016 email: [email protected] Gnaw-Vol-ty Rolls QRS Music Technologies, Inc. Stephen Kent Goodman 1026 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213 www.gnaw-vol-ty.com Phone: 1-800-247-6557 - Fax: 1-716-885-7510 E-mail: [email protected] www.qrsmusic.com Fax: 866-828-2165 Magic Melodies D.C. Ramey Piano Company, LLC . 360 Lawless Road, Jamestown, KY 42629 17768 Woodview Drive Phone: (270) 343-2061 Marysville OH 43040 708-602-3961 David Saul: Precision Music Rolls www.dcramey.com 1043 Eastside Road, El Cajon, CA 92020-1414 email: [email protected] email: [email protected]
AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011 171 172 AMICA Bulletin - May/Jun 2011