Rhythm

THEAMPICOIN THE

KNABE

WHEN you own an

Ampico you will own

the art of the world's

great pianists. Tone

for tone, touch for

touch, you will hear

the glowing chords of

great music, exactly as

if an inspired pianist.r

were seated at your

piano playing with the

poetic magnetism and

rhythm that belongs to

genius.

ItJ~d1l,~ , I

'I.'I {\\~

( ..

1~' ab i/~...::.J!n.~ _ t/wnnrooma

Ylfth Rurnue tit Thirtlj-ninth 15t.I

Uprights $1200 and $1300 Grands $1950C?nvenient Terms Arranged.Ptanos Taken in Exchange

Daily demonstrations in the Ampico Studio

AMICA INTERNATIONALMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

FULL FORMAL NAME (including name of spouse or second household member) :

COMMON FIRST NAME (salutation/nickname) (including spouse or second member) :

ADDRESS:

CITY:

COUNTRY (if not in USA) :

TELEPHONE: HOME

OCCUPATION:

RECOMMENDED BY:

STATE:

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ZIP:

Do you repair or restore your own instruments as a hobby?••• for others part-time?

••• full-time?

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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES:(Bulletin Mailing)

[Check One]

COLLECTION LISTING: Please be complete for directory listing accuracy.(optional) Use back of form if additional space is needed.

EXAMPLES: 1909, AEOLIAN, PLAYER PIANO, UPRIGHT, STANDARD1932, KNABE, REPRODUCER GRAND PIANO, 6'6", LOUIS XV, AMPICO B1928, WURLITZER, BAND ORGAN, WITH MARIMBA, 153

YEAR BRAND/MAKE TYPE SIZE CASE STYLE MECHANISM/TYPE-MODEL

Please circle any of the following miscellaneous items in your collection:MUSIC BOXES JUKE BOXES PHONOGRAPHS OTHER

REGULAR USA (Bulk Mail) $22.00 []REGULAR USA (First Class Mail) $37.00 []CANADIAN (Surface Mail) $28.00 []OVERSEAS (Surface Mail) $28.00 []OVERSEAS (Air Mail) $48.00 []

ENCLOSE A CHECK (FOR CANADIAN AND OVERSEAS AN INTERNATIONAL MONEY ORDER DRAWN ON AUS BANK IN US DOLLARS) FOR THE REQUIRED AMOUNT PAYABLE TO AMICA INTERNATIONAL ...-,-..

RETURN TO: AMICA MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Michael A. Barnhart919 Lantern Glow TrailDayton, OH 45431 Phone (513) 254-5580

THE AMICA NEWS BULLETIN-..I\UTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION

Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distribution and enjoymentof musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls. AMICA was founded in san Francisco, California in 1963.

JOHN ALAN FISCHER, PUBLISHER, 73 NEVADA, ROCHESTER HILLS, M148309-1565 - PHONE/FAX 313-651-4563Emmett M. Ford and Richard J. Howe, Associate Editors

VOLUME 29, NUMBER 2 MARCil/APRIL, 1992 AMICA BULLETIN

15

FEATURES _

Nominations for International Officers 4Yamaha's High-Tech Piano Pays Off-

reprinted from the New York Times 6.Q-R-S Marking Piano Gains Landmark Status 8Roll Repair: From the Ridiculous to the Amuzing ­

by Emmett M. Ford 9Ampico Research Laboratory and Recording Studios -

By Richard J. Howe 10Ampico Technical Ads (1929) -

By Richard J. Howe

Preserving Piano Rolls -

By Steven Herrod 26

DEPARTMENTS _

AMICA Officers, Chapter Officers; Affiliates 2PresidentJ Publisher's Notes 3In Brief 25Chapter News 27Classified Ads 33

COVER ART:

Display and Classified AdsArticles for Publication

ConsiderationLetters to the PublisherChapter NewsSingle copies of back issues

($5.00 per issue - basedupon availability)

John Alan Fischer73 NevadaRochester Hills, MI 48309313/651-4563

UPCOMING PUBLICATIONDEADLINES

July/August Issue - June 30September/October Issue - August 30

DISCLAIMER: Acceptance ofarticles for publi­cation in the AMICA NEWS BULLETIN doesnot imply a guarantee of the accuracy of thefacts contained in any article. nor an endorse­ment of an author's recommendation.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

New MembershipsRenewalsAddress changes and correctionsDirectory information updates

Outside front

Outside back

1917 Knabe/Ampico Ad (reconfigured) - from the collection of Emmett M. Ford

December 9,1922 ad which appeared in Musical America.. Original from the

collection of Emmett M. Ford

Mike Barnhart919 Lantern Glow TrailDayton, Ohio 45431513-254-5580

.""I Entire contents © 1992 AMICA InternationalTo ensure timely delivery of yourBULLETIN please allow 6-weeks advancenotice of address changes.

AMICA INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERSPRESIDENT Ron Connor

Route 4, Rogers, Arkansas 72756501-636-1749

COMMITTEESTECHNICAL Harold Malakinian

2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI 48098ARCHIVES Bob Rosencrans

109 Cumberland Place, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010PUBLICATIONS John Fischer

73 Nevada, Rochester Hills, MI 48309AUDIO·VISUAL Harold Malakinian

2345 Forest Trail Drive, Troy, MI 48098CONVENTION COORDINATOR Liz Barnhart

919 Lantern Glow Trail, Dayton, OH 45431HONORARY MEMBERS Dorothy Bromage

157 School Street, Gorham, ME 04038

MEMBERSIDP SECRETARY

r

r-

SOWNY (Southern Ontario,Western NY)Pres: John CairnsVice Pres: Rick DrewniakSec: Anne LemonTreas: Holly WalterMembership Sec: Mike Walter(Amer.) Laurie Taylor (Can.)Photographer: Bill McClearyReporter: Ada CairnsBd. Rep: Nancy & Ed Group

SOUTHEAST AREAPres: David OppenheimVice Pres: John DalySec: Wayne FisherTreas: Don WinterReporter: Wayne FisherBd. Rep: John O'Laughlin

PHILADELPillA AREAPres: Paul DietzVice Pres: Brian HelfrichSec: Diane WagnerTreas: Bob TaylorReporter: Lynn WigglesworthBd. Rep: Bob Rosencrans

SIERRA·NEVADAPres: Bob PattonVice Pres: Kathy CochranSec: Tom HawthornTreas: Virginia ClarkReporter: Ed BaehrBd. Rep: Ray Bauer

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAPres: Shirley NixVice Pres: Herb MercerSec: Frank NixTreas: Ken HodgeBd. Rep: Mary Lilien

TEXASPres: Sal MeleVice Pres: Wade NewtonSec.trreas: Janet TonnesenReporter: Bob ButtersBd. Rep. Richard Tonnesen

CHAPTER OFFICERSNORTHERN UGHTSPres: Craig RemmonVice Pres: Donald JonesSec: Jason BeyerTreas: Robert & Katheryn DumasReporters: Kay Dumas

Ruth AndersonBd. Rep: Craig Remmon

BOSTON AREAPres: Bill KoenigsbergVice Pres: Tony MisianosSec: Charlie Randazzo &

Barbara McFallTreas: Alan JayneReporter: Don BrownBd. Rep: Sandy Libman

FOUNDING CHAPTERCo-Pres: Jack & Diane EdwardsVice Pres: Pat ClemmensSec: Rob ThomasTreas: Lyle MerithewReporter: Bill WherryBd. Rep. Rob Thomas

GATEWAY CHAPTERPres: Joe LorbergVice Pres: Gary StevensonSec: Cynthia CraigTreas: Dorothy RuprechtReporter: Larry HollenbergBoard Rep. Yousuf Wilson

CHICAGO AREAPres: Marty PerskyVice Pres: Dee KavourasSec: James DohenyTreas: Elsa PekarekReporter: Rob DelandBd. Rep: Mike Schwimmer

LADY LIBERTYPres: Bill AlbrechtVice Pres: Joe ConklinSec: Richard CarlsonTreas: John EllemsReporter: Randy HerrBd. Rep: Diane Polan

HEART OF AMERICAPres: Linda BirdVice Pres: Bill PohlSec.!I'reas: Betty Ann OlmstedReporter: Willa DanielsBd. Rep: Ron Bopp

MIDWESTPres: Edwin WardVice Pres: Robin PrattSec: John FischerTreas: Alvin WulfekuhlReporter: Jim WeisenborneBd. Rep: Liz Barnhart

Mike Barnhart919 Lantern Glow Trail

Dayton, Ohio 45431513-254-5580

Mel Septon9045 North Karlov

Skokie, Illinois 60076708-679-3455

Terry Smythe55 Rowand Avenue

Winnipeg, ManitobaCanada R3J 2N6

204-832-3982

Janet Tonnesen903 Sandalwood

Richardson, Texas 75080214-235-4497

Sally Lawrence837 Coventry Road

Kensington, California 94707415-526-8438

John Fischer73 Nevada

Rochester Hills, Michigan 48309313-651-4563

PAST PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

PUBLISHER

VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

--------- AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS---------

AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORSOF MECHANICAL MUSICALINSTRUMENTSdo 4 Lobellia StreetChatswood, N.S.W. 2067,Australia

DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC.Nederlandse Pianola VerenigingKortedijk 102871 CB Schoonhouen, Nether­lands

INTERNATIONAL PIANOARCHIVES AT MARYLANDNeil Ratliff, Music LibraryHornbake 3210College Park, Maryland 20742

NETHERLANDS MECHANICALORGAN SOCIETY - KDVJ.L.M. Van DinterenPostbus 1476160 A C Geleen, Netherlands

NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANOASSOCATIONRaymond and Dorothy Ince4 Barrowby LaneLeeds LS15 8PT, England

PLAYER PIANO GROUP(England)Frances Broadway39 Sydner RoadStoke NewingtonLondon N16 7UF, England

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONDivision of Musical HistoryWashington, D.C. 20560

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OFMECHANICAL MUSICALINSTRUMENTSJurgen HockerEichenweg6D-5060 Gergisch, Gladbach,Germany

.-

2

A Note From The PresidentThe success of any organization depends on its members and AMICA is no

different. We need the active participation of our members to remain a vital andinteresting association. At present we are in need of articles for the BULLETIN. It isdesirable to have enough articles on hand for several future BULLETIN issues so thatwhen an issue is made up we can choose articles covering many aspects ofourfield so therewill be something for everyone in each issue. When we have only a few contributing, eventhough their contributions are excellent, the scope ofthe BULLETIN is limited. We wanta wide variety ofarticles on every aspect ofautomatic music. Among us collectively thereis a great deal ofknowledge that should be preserved and shared with others.

I know that most people feel that they can't write and that what they know everyone already knows anyway. Wrong!I understand the fear ofputting something down on paper for all to see and criticize, a fear probably learned from schoolteachers with their red circles around mispelled words and wrong grammar. Grammar is not nearly as rigid as it oncewas and the modern word processor can deal with spelling. If you don't have one, don't worry, the editor does. As forthe importance ofyour contribution, remember a puzzle with one little piece missing looks incomplete and you may havethat piece. Don't be afraid to contribute. Together we know a great deal, individually a little.

Keep in tune

Ron Connor, President

PUBLISHER'S NOTE ...

I hope that you will find the contents of this BULLETIN envelope pleasing. We thank Past President, TerrySmythe for offering use of the Artrio Angelus GENIUS IMMORTAL original. It is extremely rare and filled with goodinformation. We were all astounded at the quality ofreproduction our printer was able to provide from images that werefirst thought to be impossible to capture. It is hoped that from time to time in the future when exceptional historicmaterials are presented that we can continue to reproduce and share them with the membership. In so doing, not onlydo we "renew" the life ofthe publication and the information it contains, but also create a vehicle that members can enjoythemselves and share with others.

The BULLETIN contains many items and articles that should be of interest, not the least ofwhich is the NewYork Times article on Yamaha's Diskclavier.

We have received some questions about the publishing of a new Membership Directory, and I'm pleased to tellyou that Membership Secretary, Mike Barnhart, is putting the finishing touches on the data, and we expect to mailcopies by mid-July.

John Fischer

3

MAURICE WILLYARDNominee for International Vice-President _(

.r-

Maurice is a retired naval offi­cer, living with his wife of 38 years,Fran. Together they acknowledge onegrown daughter, and one cat - ,bothresiding in Bremerton, Washington.

Maurice is no stranger to playerpianos as he acquired his first, an H.C.Bay, in 1967, rebuilt it and still has it.Mter joining AMICA in 1973 through ,Ythe help of the late Mel Luchetti. "i'-.

Maurice was briefly Chairman of ourFounding Chapter in 1974-75 whilestationed in the San Francisco Bayarea. A transfer to Bremerton necessi­tated the departure from the chair­manship.

He does his own restorationsand comes by his skills honestly. Agraduate of the North Dakota StateSchool of Science, he later joined theU.S. Navy and worked his way throughall ranks from Apprentice Seaman toLt. Commander, serving in a numberof positions requiring skills and tal­ents in electrical engineering. He servedon most major types of ships, includ­ing the USS Forestall and USS Mid­way, in all major bodies of water, andin three wars - WWII, Korean, andVietnam.

Maurice is now fully retiredand able to explore his many interestswith a passion. As a member of theLincoln and Continental Owners' Club;he owns three Lincolns including hismost prized, a 1965 Lincoln Continen-tal convertible which he restored from

44 years of age, and a gradu­ate of Lane Technical High School(Chicago), and Elmhurst College(Elmhurst, Illinois), Mel has workedas a salesman for industrial supplies,cutting and machine tools for 14 years,up to six and a halfyear ago. He is alsocurrently a member ofthe Board ofDi­rectors of the Skokie Caucus, a localbi-partisan political party.

For some 18 year he rebuiltplayer pianos as a hobby, then six anda half years ago he became a profes­sional rebuilder of reproducing pianos,specializing in Steinway Duo-Arts. Hiscrowning achievement here was thetotal restoration of a magnificent 9-1/2-foot Steinway original Duo-Art con­cert grand. He was also responsiblefor extensive rebuilding effort of theCecilian vorsetzer in the Frank LloydWright home and studio in Oak Park,Illinois.

His contributions to the pres­ervation and enjoyment ofour uniqueslice ofmusical heritage have includeda number of technical workshops atboth AMICA and MBS Conventions.

Within the Chicago Area Chap­ter of AMICA, Mel was President in1986, and is currently Chairman ofthe Chicago 1992AMICAConvention.Within AMICA International, he hasbeen faithfully serving us as Interna­tional Vice-President for the past twoyears and International Secretary forfour years prior.

MELSEPTONNominee for International President

The process of identify­ing, selecting, and persuading

certain of our more skilled andtalented members to be futureleaders of our fine organizationsis a particularly sensitive one.Every effort must be made to seekout Qualified candidates, strikinga balance between regional rep­resentation, commitment, abili­ties, and the willingness to serve.

From our efforts, the followingnominations are offered for yourconsideration.

Terry Smythe

Immediate Past PresidentNominations Committee

NOMINATIONS1992

For International President

Mel Septon,Chicago Area

For International Vice-PresidentMaurice Willyard,Bremerton, WA

For International Secretary

Sally Lawrence,Founding Chapter

For International Treasurer

Janet Tonnesen,Richardson, Texas

Following are brief biographicalsketches ofeach nominee for your

information and judgment. Vot­ing for these positions will take

place at the Annual General Mem­bership Meeting at the July 1992

Chicago Convention.

4

the ground up to a point rating of95!In 1988, he was chairman of

the North West International Chap­ter of MBSI, during which time hisChapter hosted the National SeattleConvention of MBSI. He is currentlythe Chairman of the 1994 AMICAConvention which will be held inSeattle.

In their collection, Maurice andFran has a stunning 5'-8" Weber Duo­Art in an awesome art case which con­tains 12 beautiful scenic oil paintingswhich are surrounded by gold filigreeand highly-figured natural walnut. Itis a most unusual instrument ofgreatbeauty and tonal quality. Other in­struments include a 5'-2" ChickeringAmpico "A", a Knabe upright Telelec­tric in fully-restored operational con­dition, a Baldwin Welte upright, aRadle Recordo, an Aeolian OrchestrelleV, a 1937 Mills juke box, and many,many more waiting their turn to gainentry into his workshop for restora­tion.

LSALLY LAWRENCENominee for International Secretary

.sally Lawrence and her hus­band, Dale, are Founding Members ofAMICA. Sally is currently serving asInternational Secretary, and we areindeed pleased to have a foundingmember as an International officer.

Sally has been active with theFounding Chapter in a number ofrolessuch as Secretary, Membership, Chair­man, and Convention Coordinator.

Following an early retirementfrom her career in Interior Design,she spends a great deal ofher time ina variety ofcharitable endeavors asso­ciated with the Children's Hospital inOakland. Dale is also now retired fromhis position as Superintendent of theMechanical Engineering Test Lab atthe University of California.

Like many AMICAns, bothshare a common interest in automaticmusical instruments, but still main­tain individual interests in other pas­sions - Sally collects old-time sheetmusic and ribbed poison bottles; whileDale, when traveling, seeks out andphotographs old water towers all overthe continent.

Over the years, Sally hasclearly demonstrated love and com­mitment for AMICA, and she hopes tocontinue by making a contributiontoward helping AMICA grow andstrengthen its member cohesiveness.

JANET TONNESENNominee for International Treasurer

Janet and Richard Tonnesenhave twochildren, the youngest just out of col­lege and about to be married. TheTonnesens have lived in Richardson,Texas for the past 27-years. She is agraduate ofRichland Community Col­lege with an Associates Degree in Ac­counting.

They share a special interestin ragtime, and have attended a numberof Ragtime festivals around the na­tion. In their collection is a fine Weber

Duo-Art grand, a very nice Marshall& Wendell upright, and a stunninghand-crafted computer-driven rollreader/punch machine which they useto create the absolute finest-qualityrecuts available on special order toenthusiasts around the world.

A member of AMICA since1972, Janet has been active in theTexas Chapter as its SecretarylTreas­urer for eight out of the past 12 years;was a key player in the 1981 DallasConvention, and served one year as itsReporter. For 11 years, Janet workedfor a CPA firm in accounting and as acomputer operator. For the past twoyears, she assumed responsibility asGeneral Manager oftheir family roll­cuttingbusiness, Custom Music Rolls.

5

YAMAHA'SHIGH-TECHPIANOPAYSOFF

By Eben Shapiro

Since the Yamaha Corpora­tion introduced the Disklavier, a high­tech version of the player piano, in1988, it has gone from an expensivenovelty to a major new form of homeentertainment.

The Disklavier now accountsfor 25 percent of Yamaha's acousticpiano revenues worldwide and hasbecome a major source of profits forthe company, the world's largest makerof musical instruments.

The Disklavier is an acousticpiano equipped with a computer thatprecisely replicates performances. Thesame 3.5-inch floppy disk used inpersonal computers can deliver everytouch, every nuance, even the exactpedaling of a performance.

A remarkable 54 percent ofthe Disklavier's buyers do not evenknow how to play the piano. Fourmonths ago, Carl Anthony, a LongIsland chiropractor, bought a $22,000baby grand version.

"It was a choice of buying awhole new CD setup or getting thepiano," said Dr. Anthony, who canplay the piano's computer disks butnot the keyboard. "It's an entertain­ment center. We always have it on."

. - Over the year-end holidays,Dr. Anthony had several parties thatrevolved around the Disklavier, amus­ing his friends with flamboyant per­formances by Liberace.

The Disklavier has also at­tracted fans among the more musi­cally gifted. Kathleen Battle, the op­era soprano, said, "I'm consideringgetting a second one," for her secondhome. She often sings along with theone she has in her New York home, "Ilove it," she added.

Although some musical sophis­ticates still regard Yamaha as an in­strumental arriviste, some ofthe mostvenerable piano makers are ready tofollow its lead. The Baldwin Piano andOrgan Company plans to bring out itsversion of the Disklavier next year,and even Steinway & Sons is studyingthe technology.

With the Disklavier, Yamahahas demonstrated how to rescue afaltering product line by adding a newtwist. United States piano sales havebeen dropping steadily since 1978.

"This is a classic case of a sortoftired and over-the-hill product cate­gory," said DavidA. Aaker, a businessprofessor at the University ofCalifor­nia at Berkeley. By providing newways to use a piano, he said, theDisklavier is "going to revitalize theentire category."

The tempo of piano sales needssome quickening. In 1991, about110,000 pianos were sold in the UnitedStates, down from 282,172 in 1978.,according to the Piano ManufacturersAssociation International and theAmerican Music Conference, a non­profit group in Chicago that collectsdata on instrument sales.

The emergence of new formsof home entertainment - electronickeyboards, video games and video­cassette recorders - has contributedto the decline in piano sales. Sohas thedurability of the 17 million pianos inthe United States; they tend to lastabout 50 years.

A New Type of BuyerThe typical piano buyers is a

35-year-old woman with some musi­cal trainingand a household income of$35,000. The Disklavier is attractinga new type of buyer: older, wealthiermen with no musical background.

"The Disklavier overcomes theultimate objection on the piano dealer'sfloor," said Terry Lewis, generalmanager of the keyboard division ofYamaha Corporation of America inBuena Park, California. ''You neednot refrain from buying itjustbecauseyou can't play it. Now Chick Coreacan play it."

The computer technology doesnot come cheap, adding about $4,500to the piano's cost. The Disklaviersrange from $7,700 for a basic upright·to $40,000 for a grand piano.

It Records More Than the NotesThe Disklavier computer digi­

tally records not only what notes arebeing played, but also the volume and (tone, through a sophisticated fiber­optic system that measures the speedofeach keystroke. Piano students andperformers can record their perform­ances and then hear them instantly,and precisely replayed, clinkers andall.

"I can put my own piano play­ing in there and see how bad it is," Ms.Battle said.

In addition to playing backperformances, the instrument can, atthe touch of a button, change temposor keys. Ms. Battle said her singingcoach used the feature to allow her toexperiment with passages in differentkeys.

"It is a practice device that I'vecome to depend on," Ms. Battle said.

Music retailing experts saidthe Disklavieris providing some badlyneeded activity in piano showrooms."Dealers really fight for this product,said Paul Majeski, publisher of TheMusic Trades, a Ridgewood, N.J., trade r­publication

SALES OF NEW ACOUSTIC PIANOS

A Kit to Convert Pianos_ Pressure from piano dealershas prompted other companies topursue technology similar to Yamaha's.Pianodisc, based in Sacramento, Cali­fornia, sells a $5,000 kit that allowspiano owners to convert their acousticpianos themselves.

Kirk Burgett, the president ofPianodisc said that several makersplanned to buy his system to install iton their pianos. Yamaha has hintedthat it, too, may begin selling kits toretrofit existing pianos.

Ken Edgington, Baldwin'sexecutive vice president, said that hiscompany hoped to introduce its ver­sion of the Disklavier in time for animportant industry trade fair nextJanuary. "We are in hot pursuit," Mr.Edgington said. ''We think it is a veryviable product."

The venerable Steinway istaking a glance at the technology, too."Our core and our heart is on theacoustic side, and we are doing quitewell," said Leo Spellman, Steinway'sdirector of advertising and public re-

~ lations. "But certainly we are activelyinvestigating any development thatmight be relevant to the future of thetechnology."

Yamaha has produced 140disks for the Disklavier, costing about$30 each and including performerslike Jorg Demus, a classical pianist;George Shearing, thejazz pianist, andothers playing collections of Beatlessongs, Christmas carols and moodmusic (Cocktails for Two," Volumes 1,2, and 3) "It's becoming a profit cen­ter," Mr. Lewis said.

Working With Record CompaniesYamaha is working with rec­

ord companies interested in releasingmore recordings on floppy disk for theDisklavier.

"It is probably one ofthe finestrepresentations of an artist's work thatwe've ever heard in terms of purityand clarity," said Roy Gattinella, di­rector ofmarketing for Windham HillProductions, Inc., a record label thatplans to release a computer-disk re­cording for the Disklavier soon.

Yamaha has also tested abroadcast in Japan that allowed tele­vision viewers to watch a piano recital

while their Disklaviers replicated thesound.

Even without the benefit ofsuch performances, Dr. Anthony, thechiropractor, is delighted with hisrecent purchase. "CD's are really clear,but being in the room and seeing thekeys move - it's so intense," he said."I've been watching Liberace play infront of me."

Copyright © 1992 by the NewYork Times Company. Reprinted bypermission. .

13,000 Sold in U.S.Yamaha, with headquarters

in Hamamatsu, Japan, has, sold 13,000ofthe Disklaviers in the United Statessince 1988 and more than that in Japan.With an eye on the future, Yamahamarketing executives are studyingsales data from the 1920's, the heydayofpiano retailing in the United States.

Mr. Lewis, Yamaha's market­ing director, finds it intriguing that ofthe 354,000 pianos shipped in 1924,more than half were player pianos."The player piano business in 1924was bigger than the entire piano busi­ness today," Mr. Lewis said.

He would not say whether heexpected Disklavier sales to somedaysurpass sales of the company's tradi­

I -,tional pianos. But Mr. Majeski said heu.cxpected the product to continue to. gain market share. "Over time, its

going to be a real significantseller,"hesaid.

300 thousand

200

100

o'40 '50 60' '70 '75 '76 '77 '78 '79 '80 '81 '82 '83 '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90

Portable keyboard sales began to be charted in 1983 with sales of roughly 150,000rising steeply to sales of nearly five million in 1987 and then steadily declining to justunder two million in 1990.

Electric pianos sold 20,000 units in 1975 rising slowly and steadily to sales around110,000 in 1990.

Source: American Music Conference

7

PUBLISHER'S COMMENTS: Q-R-S PIANO ROL"

8

The "Yamaha· article contains informa­tion of historical interest as well as a potentialchallenge to our thinking.

I recall a chapter meeting I attended acouple of years ago in which we discussedwhether or not to invite Yamaha to exhibit theirDisklavier at the Cleveland convention.

There were members with intense feel­ings against embracing new technologies thatthey felt (feared?) would be contrary and det­rimental to our organizational purposes.

On the surface, I might agree. But therealities are that vintage instruments have be­come, and will continue to be, increasinglyscarce and costly,

One viable way of attracting peoplewho are interested in mechanical music repro­ducing devices is to invite them to learn moreabout the origins of the early devices, the musicrecorded forthem and, certainly, the social sig­nificance of it all.

By relating our own thinking to newmechanical developments and their historical

predecessors we could enter, as an organiza­tion, into an exciting new dimension in our growth.

Yamaha has sold 13.000 Diskalvier pi­anos in the United States alone. If AMICA couldreach and relate to even a fraction of thosebuyers and interest them in our organizationand its purposes, we would experience a growthin membership. This would lift and sustain us farinto the future.

The thoughts expressed here are myown. What do you think?

John A. Fischer,Publisher

It is no secret that player pianos entertainedmillions of Americans from 1900 to 1930, and the ma­chines that increased their popularity greatly are therecording devices that produced master rolls. One of thefirst of these devices, the Q-R-S marking piano, recordedactual performances -- including those ofFats Waller andJelly Roll Morton. It preserved the keyboard artistry ofmany performers, while documenting the history of pre­radio 20th century American popular music.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers(ASME) designated the Q-R-S marking piano a NationalHistoric Mechanical Engineering Landmark in a cere­mony on March 18, 1992 at Q-R-S Music Rolls' offices inBuffalo, Ney York. ASME Past President, Charles O.Velzy, presented a bronze plaque to Ramsi P. Tick, for­merly President ofQ-R-S Music Rolls, Inc., and an AMICAHonorary Member.

In a press release about the designation, Q-R-Sofficials cited the player piano as the first widely success­ful consumer device to use binary encodement ofdata in its"software" configured as piano rolls. Prior to the develop­ment ofrecording devices, sheet music was transcribed tomaster rolls by hand. Founder of Q-R-S and piano-de­signer from Chicago.

Melville Clark (c. 1850-1918) invented the Q-R-Smarking piano in 1912. Other roll recording devices weredeveloped within this time frame, but as far as is know, theQ-R-S machine is the only example still inexistence andin service.

The Q-R-S marking machine is a modified piano,with each of its 88 keys pneumatically-connected to astylus in the recorder. These styli are suspended horizon­tally above blank roll paper at a point where it passes overa carbon cylinder. As an artists depresses the piano keys,the corresponding pneumatics collapse, pressing the stylion the moving roll paper as it passes over the carboncylinder. This leaves marks on the underside which effec­tively "record" the performance. Upon completion of therecording, the carbon marks are cut out and a productionmaster is made from the rolls by pneumato-electricalmeans.

Q-R-S Music Rolls, Inc., is the world's oldest andprincipal manufacturer of player piano rolls. Its salespeaked in 1926 when more than 10 million Q-R-S musicrolls were sold. The first ''hand-played" popular roll thatQ-R-S released was Pretty Baby by the ragtime pianist,Charlie Straight.

This marking piano, in particular, originally sawservice from 1912 to 1931 when the Depression anddeclining roll sales made alternate means of creatingmaster rolls more economical. Following a player pianorevival in the 1960's that increased demand for rolls, themachine was restored and refinished in 1972 (at which

I

,

AECORDER GAINS· LANDMARK STATUStime the roll drive motor was replaced).Demonstrations are held regularlyduring plant tours at Q-R-S.Artists who have recorded on the re­stored machine include Liberace, PeterNero, Ferrante & Teicher, GeorgeShearing, Roger Williams, and EubieBlake.

The ASME History and Heri­tage designation program recognizessites, collections and landmarks, eachrepresenting a progressive step in theevolution of mechanical engineering.Each is judged by its influence onsociety and whether it is of signifi­cance in its region, the nation, or in­ternationally. To date, six sites, threecollections, and 149 landmarks havebeen designated in the United States,Puerto Rico, Australia, China, Eng­land, France, Germany, the Nether­lands, and Switzerland.

We thank Robert Berkmanforsharing this historical news with theNEWS BULLETIN.

Liberace photographed in 1972 at the Q-R-S recording piano, withthe marking machine clearly visible in the foreground.

ROLL REPAIR: From the Ridiculous to AmusingBy Emmett M. Ford

During the past seven or eightmonths I have been fortunate to attendtwo estate sales to buy boxes of Ampicorolls and some 88-note rolls.

I was contacted by an antiquesdealer who had read in the local paper ofmy piano and roll collection. The dealercalled to offer me an Ampico roll cabinet,82 Ampico rolls and 2188-note rolls - allfor $675.00.

Soon the cabinet and rolls werein my home and I discovered many of theAmpico rolls were duplicates in my al­ready large collection. Many rolls lookedas though they had never been out of theboxes. I was informed by some membersofAMICA that Ampico roll cabinets are ararity, and nearly always expensive toacquire - I considered myself fortunate.

What I would find in one of theAmpico roll boxes was amusing to say theleast. I had seen roll repairs approached

in many ways. What I found in the newacquisitions was only equalled by one earliersituation.

Once a man called to tell me hehad about 25 Duo-Art rolls for sale at$1.00 each. I hurried to his house and thefirst box opened showed a good Duo-Artroll (composition and pianist), but the leftand right edges of the rolls were darkbrown and glass-like for about an inchand a half in toward the center. I ques­tioned the owner who replied. "... theedges looked fuzzy so I sprayed the edgeswith my wife's hair spray."

This so-called "repair" ran alongthe entire length of the rolls. The rollswould not playas the stiffedge let air intothe return hole ofthe tracker bar. I was ina daze and near cardiac arrest! I left anddo not know what happened to the rolls tothis day. I never again contacted thisperson who had revealed such stupdity.

In the recently acquired 88-noteroll collection was the only Ampico roll­Number 202321 of Harry Shipman play­ing"3 O'Clock in the Morning." The leaderhad been mended by strands of threadthru the leader and the black fastener, asthe graphic portrays. rve seen many strangerepair jobs, but this "tailoring" methodwas the most amazing.

9

Stoddard measuring thickness of leather

r1

1

.;-n... t I

-if;

Stoddard and Hickman at work

Hickman making an adjustment

All ofthe photos in this articlewre 0 btained from Larry Givens aboutfive years ago. Although many ofthemhave appeared in various places be­fore (such as the Ampico "B" ServiceManual and Larry's book Re-Enact­ing The Artist), it is interesting to seethem all together. It is also of interestto see how neat the research laborarywas. I have a hunch that it was alsokept that way even when pictureswere not being taken.

These photos, when combinedwith text and images contained in thenine "technical ads" which follow pro­vide a powerful glimpse into the seri­ousness with which research wasundertaken and quite probably arenewed insight into maximizingperformance in intruments whichremain to this day.

byRichard J. Howe

AND

RECORDING

STUDIO

PHOTOS

TH E

AMPICO

RESEARCH

LABORATORY

Chickering recording piano with control desk

Knabe recording piano

11

S8JnlX1JpUE!S/00.1

8DE!JOIS/E!18W

dOI/S8Ull/:JE!W81/.1

E!8JE!DUfJlJOMPOOM81/.1

-'

One part of the Research Laboratory

Another view of the Lab

Above, top to bottom: The golf ClubExperiment, I, II, 11/

13

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Sl88l1S810UaliI01S1U8WaJnSe8W:J!WeUApOU!JJ8JsueJlJOUAef)aU8/apew

THE AMPICO TECHNICAL ADSby Richard J. Howe

At the time the Ampico ModelB was being launched in 1929, theAmerican Piano Company ran a seriesof eight monthly ads, May throughDecember, 1929, in The Tuners Jour­nat. A ninth ad appeared in the De­cember, 1929 issue of The Music TradeReview.

After an introductory ad whichstressed the role of their ResearchLaboratory, the other eight ads de­scribed tests which were being madein the lab and showed the equipmentbeing used to make these tests. Dr.Hickman, inventor ofthe Ampico B, ispictured in three ofthe ads. All nine inthe series ofads are reproduced in thisarticle.

These ads were remarkablefor the amount of technical informa­tion they contained compared to priorads published by American and theother companies that produced andsold reproducing pianos (and 88-noteplayers for that matter). It is ironicthat these ads were among the lastAmpico ads published by American.The stock market crash occurred whilethe ads were running. Hickman leftthe company in January, 1930. Stod­dard left shortly thereafter to open arestaurant on West 119th Street inNew York City.

The party was over, but Ameri­can and then Aeolian-American con­tinued to manufacture the Ampico andrelease new Ampico rolls until 1941.

Kansas City, Missouri

52.00 a ,ear(Canada, $2.50; Foreiah, $3.00)

25 cent. a copy

Publiflhed on the 15th day of each month

DEVOTED TO THE PRACTICAL, SCIENTIFIC andEDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT of the TUNER

Entered aa Second Claas Matter July, 14, 1921, at the Poat Office at Kansas City, Mo., Under Act of March 3, 1879.

15

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - MA Y ,1929

FORWARDMARCH ,

••

in pianosThe Research Laboratory of this Company is

constantly working to improve the piano-in

design and in working parts.

It is our policy to follow up every idea that

may hold the germ of advancement in piano­

building.

Because of this constant striving for improve­

ment, plus the care and conscience that goes into

every instrument we produce, money cannot buy

greater value than that in the pianos listed below.

·-+-jE)t 1911+-

MASON fj HAMLIN

KNABE

MARSHALL fj WENDELL

CHICKERING

J. fj C. FISCHER

New York

16

THE AMPICO

··+-Joel I0Il • .

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANYAmpico Hall

584 Fifth Avenue

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - JUNE, 1929

The Microscopeof the ear

The ordinary microscope revealsmarvels imperceptible to the unaidedeye. The Chronograph does the same

for the ear.

The well-trained, sensitive ear ofthe tuner hears differences in soundsthat are not apparent to the ordinarylistener. Yet, were his ear 100 timesmore sensitive, this instrument couldmeasure hammer blows more accu­rately than he could determine differ­ences in the resulting sounds.

The Chronograph is used to deter­mine hammer velocities-to make such

difficult measurements as the time re­quired for a valve to travel from itslower seat to its upper seat-and tomeasure other intervals of less than thethousandth part of a second.

The Chronograph is one of manyscientific devices used in the ResearchLaboratory of the American PianoCompany, in developing and testingthe Ampico and the piano.

Each month we will tell you moreabout the work this Laboratory is con­stantly doing to further refine and im­prove the Ampico and the pianosnamed below.

/

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANYMason & Hamlin, Knabe, Chickering, ].&C. Fischer,

Marshall & Wendell, Haines Bros.

584 Fifth Avenue New York

17

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - JUL Y, 1929

"

O~"'Re.5S'O",

RESEARCH LABORATORYAMERICAN PIANO CO.

Vertical figures show pressure inounces. Horizontal figures show key de­pression in 64ths of an inch.

THE PIANO TOUCH ANALYZER tells wh,thi1pp~ns in the action when you strike the key.Turning cr3nk shifts balance weight within th~

Ahollow beam. causing vertical rod to depress whilestylus makes record on graph

nalpzing piano touch /'

The piano key journeys down ;J.i ofan inch-and up again the same distance.Let's follow its itinerary:

We start at zero. Approximately2 7/10 ounces of pressure sends the keydown to 9/64th of an inch. at whichpoint the damper is picked up. Noteupper line in chart.

At 14/64 jack engages stop. Still morepressure required-and recorded. At17/64 r~petition lever engages its stop.and combined effect of jack. arm andrepetition lever brings sharp rise in record.Before the maximum is reached. frictionof jack rubbing on knuckle comes in. Thecomplete depression of the key. as shownhas required 7 ounces of pressure minutelyanalyzed.

Now-as jack moves free of knuckle

recording line becomes horizontal. Thekey has completed its downward journey.

The lower. return line. shows force re­quired to hold key at any given position.Distance between upper line and lowershows amount of force needed to over­come friction in the action. Area enclosedby the two lines denotes amount of en­ergy wasted in striking that particularnote.

Digging Deep Into a Small Matter

Small in lineal measure-but large inits importance in helping develop moreperfect action. This is an example of theexacting care used in the American PianoCompany's laboratory. where research andexperiment are constantly carried on toimprove the Ampico and the pianos listedbelow.

Be sure to read captions under pictures.

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANY

18

Mason & Hamlin, Knabe. Chickering, J.&CFischer, Marshall & Wendell, Haines Bros.

584 Fifth Avenue New York

.r

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - AUGUST, 1929

THE GREAT AMPICO MYSTERY

Two holes iaentical in size. Whg does one pass

more air than the other?

And thus are explain­ed some of the strangepranks in which theold cell uloid diskbleeds are prone toind ulge.

was traced back. Theerror was corrected sothat all boles wouldcome exactly center.

To avoid such annoy­ing errors, and to a-chieve precision in

bleeds, an extremely accurate meth­od of testing pneumatic mechan­isms was developed in the labora­tories of the American Piano Com­pany. No care is toO great, no de­detail too small to receive cI ose at­tenrion in building the Ampico, andthe pianos named below.

The bleed was pass­ing more air than itshould. The appar­atus was taken apartand inspected min­utely. Amazement!The hole in the bleedproved to be of exact­ly the right size. Thatbeing the case, howin the name of QueenAnne could it pass This is the pneumatic test so finely ac-more air than its con- curate that it disclosed "off-centering"

of the bleed hole-an error barely per-temporaries? ceptilJle to the eye.

Two days-three days-of painstak­ing search. Then-the mystery wassolved. The bleed hole was slightlyout of center. The error had set updifferent eddies. These changedthe flow of air, making it equivalentto that of a hole two drill sizeslarger. The manufacture of bleeds

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANYMason & Hamlin, Knabe, Chickering,J. & C. Fischer, Marshall & Wendell,

Haines Bros.

584 Fifth Avenue New York

19

THE TUNERS JOURNAL· SEPTEMBER, 1929

/

TESTING THE PIANOThat Isn't Built Yet

~.~.. ~.~.. ~.~..

f

But something new in piano mechanism isdifferent. You can't build a miniaturepiano. and learn from it what the new de...parture will do. And bUilding a full sizedinstrument for such experiments would bemighty costly.

When a new type of airplane is projected.a model. tried out in a wind tunnel. tellsthe engineers how the full sized job willwork out.

" ~~;.a, if

-\ ~"I ", .a(''\~

.",",' i~,:y;..-- '~~'I!fu~!~J q<>T:.' ' >. ~~.~~~.t .,...

__' r!-i~I);; ~'i\>'!='IBno; . '~;;.$.-<:'r"'f!i:."",,·~~i"

;- ~:." ,,·\_'1

C .~.,~

With the PIANO UNIT TESTER it issimple to tryout sounding boards of anysize or shape. strings of any gauge orlength. hammers of any hardness or shape-and any other units which represent a de­

parture from dyed-in-the-wool precedent.

fHE PIANO UNIT TESTER makes it possible to"start something" without having to build a com­plete piano to see what that "something" will do.

In th~ foreground is a section of a sounding boardmounted on the Piano Unit Tester The tone ofone string. which is mechanically struck by unitpiano action, is bein~ photographed. Supportedon springs in the square box in center of picture isthe Microphone.

The Oscillograph is used to analyze the tone produced. and with this team-upcan be determined exactly what may be expected from the new departure-beforethe piano is even built.

The Piano Unit Tester is one more of the scientific devices used in the Re­search Laboratory of the American Piano Company to make steady advanceand improvement in the Ampico and the pianos listed below.

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANYMason & Hamlin, Knabe, Chickering,

J. & C. Fischer, Marshall & Wendell, Haines Bros.

584 Fifth Avenue New Yorkr

20

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - OCTOBER, 1929

L

When rVolumetric Measurin~

was perfecteda lot of question marks found themseloes out of a job.

theTank

L

Here is the Volumetric Tank being used tomeasure the leakage in crescendo valve units.

This Tank tells exactly how manycubic inches of air per minute arerequired to operate the Ampico orany part of it.

In split-hair accuracy it rivals themeter which the Gas Company in­stalls in your home. Water-sealedand working on the principle ofan inverted gas-ometer, it elimi­nates guesswork as to how muchair is used in operating any pneu.matic mechanism and will measureeven so small an amount as mightescape through a diaphragm leak.

Like other scientific instrumentsused in the Laboratory of theAmerican Piano Company, it tellswhat we must know to work forgreater efficiency in the Ampicoand the pianos named below.

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANYMason & Hamlin-Knabe-Chickering­J. & C. Fischer-Marshall & Wendell­

Haines Bros.

584 Fifth Avenue New York

21

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - NOVEMBER, 1929

Not the usual mal de mer, to besure, but the sort of sea sickness thatcomes in a cottage by the sea-wherethe air is super~damp.

Nine-tenths of the piano action iswood, and wood, you know, is alltoo apt to swell and stick in dampweather. Witness your bureaudrawers.

Thus a piano that would be perfectlywell behaved in New Mexico wherethe air is dry, may cut queer capersat New Orleans, or on Long Island,or when it's making a trip on theocean.

What hoiseasz·ck • •

the piano getsTo overcome this difficulty the pinjoints are sometimes treated, andas many as a dozen piano manu~

facturers can't agree on the bestmethod.

We have our own ideas-but insteadof guessing whether they're good ornot, we use the Hygrometric ActionTester.

Here in the Research Laboratory,with the aid of this tester, we cantryout many methods aimed tokeep pin joints from sticking, andlearn the exact value of each.

The good results are passed alongto the public in the pianos namedbelow.

·fl

(1

22

The Hygrometric Action Tester consists of an hermetic­ally sealed cabinet in which widely varying atmosphericconditions are artificially achieved. In this cabinet wecan simulate any degree of atmospheric dampness and.with the Piano Touch Analyzer, observe its effect uponthe piano action. We can also ascertain definitely thevalue of various treatments aimed to overcome stickingdue to dampness. Through the glass top of the cabinetare seen 42 actions under test. Their frictions are beingmeasured by the Piano Touch Analyzer at the operator'sright.

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANYMason & Hamlin-Knabe-Chickering­]. & C. Fischer-Marshall & Wendel\­

Haines Bros. and the Ampico

584 Fifth Ave. New York

No. IRelative humidity B%: moisture con­tent 2 grams per cubic meter (extreme­ly dry). At 8·64" depression, thegraph shows a friction of I% ounces.

No.2Taken 231 months later. Relativehumidity 96%: moisture content 2431grams. Friction at B·64 " has increasedto 3 ounces. While in dry weatherB31 ounces was required to trip theaction, under the extremely humidconditions 1131 ounces had to beexerted.

'1

THE TUNERS JOURNAL - DECEMBER, 1929 ,

Step up GENTLEMEN! and see the

MOVIES of the TONE of [NOTE A]

lw>======~",_~:q:-~,,_.l!..'_' ~'_"~'''~''~'"~(~'_)_~":"''''''_''"-''_'JQ..1_0=====~=

~:.=====+=~===~=

Small graph shows Ihe eomposile lone as ilappears in 1M re.oloing mirrors.Lar~e graph shows same lone broken downinlo ils elemenls-IM fundamenlal and o.er­lones.

AMERICAN PIANOCOMPANY

Mason & Hamlin, Knabe, Chickering, ]. & C.Fischer, Marshall & Wendell, Haines Bros.

and the Ampico

The waving line shows the eye what

the ear is hearing. By mathematical

and graphic processes it is possible to

analyze its complicated curves and to

reduce them to their elements which, in

this case, prove to be as shown in the

larger graph.

The Oscillograph, as used in the lab­

oratory of the American Piano Com~

pany, provides a means of studying

tone quality-what it consists of-and

how to improve it. What we learn

from the Oscillograph movies helps us

move closer to tone perf~ction in the

pianos listed below.

New York584 Fifth Avenue

In the revolving mirrors appears an lr~

regular waving line ... wide ... then

narrowing as the sound diminishes and

dies away.

The Oscillograph lets the eye see what the ear Mars.

~ prism with four mirror-sides, re-

volved swiftly by an electric

motor. Note A, No. 25 of the scale, is

struck on a grand piano close by. The

tone is caught by a microphone.

....

23

MUSIC TRADE REVIEW - DECEMBER, 1929

Soft-pedalling the effects of(

FOG • • HEAT and COLD!In the research laboratories of the American Piano Company, investigation and experiment go on

unceasingly. Tone is photographed and analyzed. New units are tested without need of building a

piano to incorporate them. Hammer velocity is measured, so it may be accurately controlled. Climatic

conditions are simulated and their effect noted, so resulting troubles may be mastered-and so on.

H!r~ is I,U VOLUMETRIC MEA$URJNG TANK

which cells exactly how many cubic inches ofair per minueeare required co operate the Ampico or any part of jl. Thecini"c leu chat might escape notice of eye or t'ar, andperhaps give trouble later, is instantly revealed by chis de­vice. This precision testing makes for mechanical3ccuracy)which reduces the need of :servicing to the minimum.

-and~'tjfIk HYGROMETR Ie CABINET {"TimingpitlnO drfiant

In this hermetically sealed. cabinet un be simulated. alml»­

pheric conditions found anywhere from Singapore to Saska.toon. The damp air of Long Island''s dog days, the dry heatof Arizona summer, the crisp cold of Quebec winter, thesaltsea fog the ship's piano meets off the Grand Banks-arecreated to order-and forty anions may be tested simul·taneously. In the picture above the Piano Touch Analyzeris recording the results of the Hygrometric Test.

tZnJ~r~ in t~ ACOUSTICAL ROOM of lix Lc.bo,alo,'1

you see the Oscillograph ut up to measure piano tont'quality. The draperies and rugs in this room reduce thereverberation period to correspond to the ideal home con·ditions. The OsciUograph shows an actual picrure or thetone produced by the note struck. Through this picturethe tone may be analyzed--reduced Ie its component pans.

r

In these laboratories, no fault in piano action or Ampico mechanism is too trivial to be corrected, and

its recurrence forestalled. Always the quest is for improvement-in tone, in smoothness of action-in

making the piano more and more fault-proof. The results reRect credit on the dealers identified with

the pianos named below, and bring increased satisfaction to the public that buys these instruments.

AMERICAN PIANO COMPANY5 8 4 F 1FT H AVENUE NEW Y 0 R K

MASON & HAMUN KNABE CHICKERING

HAINES BROS.

]. & C. FISCHER

AND THE AMPICO

MARSHALL & WENDELL

r

24

The Music Trade Review. Publisbed Monthly by Federated Dusine5~ PublicatiDns, Inc., 420 f.,(oxington Avenue, New York, Single copies, 20 cents; $2.00 per )'ear. Vol. 88, No. 29.Entered as second·class matter September 10, 1892, at tbe Post Office at New Yorio. N. Y., \lnder the :'let of Congres:> of March 3, 1879.

MUSIC MUSEUMOPERATOR

-' AMICAn Stan Aldridge ofTonawanda, New York sends word ofthe death ofJacob DeBence who, alongwith his wife, operated the DeBenceAntique Music Museum in Franklin,Pennsylvania. DeBence, who was anAMICAn had amassed over 100 musicboxes, nickelodeons, German organs,band organs, orchestrions and othermusical instruments and memorabiliain his collection.

"JUKE" BOX DEFINEDAlfWerolin spotted this inter­

estingtidbit in the San Mateo, Califor­nia Times. Responding to a reader'squestion about the origin of the juke­box, the Times came up with this toexplanation of the coin-operated rec­ord player which is often installed inbars and restaurants.

Its name has an interestinghistory. A juke or jukehouse was abrothel. The workjuke comesfrom theblack dialect called Gullah, spoken on

./ the islands off South Carolina, Geor­gia and Florida. To juke is to misbe­have or lead a disorderly life. It's de­rived from a West African word "Dzug,"also meaning to misbehave. "Juke"began to identify anything connectedwith a juke house - such as juke­organs, coin-operated music boxes.

The earliest ancestor of thejukebox was a music player devised byLouis Glass in 1889 and installed inSan Francisco's Royal Palace. It usedcylinders, had a listening tube andprovided two minutes ofmusic for fivecents. This was followed by the "Auto­matic Entertainer," made by GabelCo., in 1906 - the first coin-operatedphonograph to offer a choice of discs.

In 1927, Swedish immigrant,J.P. Seeburg ofChicago, invented the"audiophone," a coin-operated phono­graph offering a choice of eight rec­ords. When these became popular inthe 1940's, they began to be calledjukeboxes, because of the early his­tory of such contraptions. From that

../ came the expression "to juke" - tomake the rounds dancing to jukeboxes.

A regular feature of the AMICABULLETIN. It is a place to shareshort items of current interest tomembers; questions and com­ments.

ANOTHER AID FORAGING ROLLS[Here is] an addition to Rich­

ard Howe's article "R/X For OriginalAmpico Rolls".

I think one of the most com­mon causes of torn Ampico rolls is theroll flanges or spools. They have beensubjected to extreme heat and coldover the years, not to mention age.They warp and thus tear the edges ofthe roll - usually on reroll.

A solution to warpage wouldbe to chuck the spools in a lathe andclean up the inside edge ofthe spools.The right could be left on the corewhile doing this operation.

I have found this to be themajor problem on my original Ampicorolls.

Sincerely,Larry SmithLomita, CA

THAT SPECIAL ROLL"Melodies in Blue #1 & #2" ­

Ampico #71463 and #216073. Must bein original boxes with original labels.

Larry Smith2349 W. 247th St.Lomita, CA 90717310-326-0181

THAT SPECIAL PHOTOI would like to get a photo of

the front ofthe Welte-Mignon roll boxof "La Sonnambula Fantasia - Thal­berg - Anetta Essipoff - G1084. I will

pay for the photo and postage. I desirethe photo for a research article onSigmund Thalberg.

Emmett M. Ford649 N. PinecrestWichita, KS 67208

PLAYER PIANOS MAKENEWS IN PITTSBURGH

EileenJacobs sent a copy ofanarticle which appeared late in 1991 inthe Pittsburgh Press. The six-columnarticle with four-column photo is basedon the life and interests of67-year-oldJohn Mayr. Mayr, who was born inMunich, Germany, has been a pianotuner for some 37 years. During hiscareer, Mayr says he has tuned ofrepaired about 500 player pianos. Mayracquired a badly damaged player threeyears ago that he intends to keep forhimself. Given the time involved, Mayrcalculates his labor rate on the projectat about 50 cents an hour. ManyAMICAns would probably concur withthat rate, based on the time involvedin their own restoration projects.

MORE DATA?I thought in this computer era,

this would not be too bad a question [toask]. I was wondering how many dif­ferent piano manufacturers are rep­resented in the collections ofall AMICAmembers - and what are the mostpopular makes. Another question wouldbe, what is a ''large'' roll collection, ora "small" collection. I believe many ofus would like to know some of thesethings in order to place ourselves inproper perspective.

We put a lot of emphasis onSteinway, and Mason & Hamlin, butdo most members collect only them? Iknow these are the "chosen" ones, butare these the most popular?

Another question - are theearly 30's Weber grand Duo-Arts, [thesame design] as the Strouds, with thetubing around the keys (not thru thekeys), and all the controls above thekeys in the spool box?

Bill Dean627 10th AvenueBethlehem, PA 18018-5037

25

We are pleased to publish the following letter and accompanying listing of guidelines received from StevenHarrod. It is encouraging to find, in particular young, people who's interests are so clearly defined and soimportant to the preservation of the heritage of mechanical music reproduction.

JAF, Publisher

,Havingjust acquired a Mans­

field Concertone last summer, I amvery new to the ranks ofplayer pianoenthusiasts. However, I am a full­time graduate student at the Massa­chusetts Institute ofTechnology, andthe flexible spare time and wonderfullibraries I have access to have greatlyaccelerated my introduction.

I became alarmed last fall whenit was brought to my attention that[my] original piano rolls are nearingthe end of their functional lives. Theloss of original rolls would be a com­plete disaster, as my main interest isin the use ofthe player to study earlymusic. I immediately set out to contactpaper preservation experts at leadinglibraries to learn how to keep my rollcollection alive.

Sadly, the strongest statementmy paper preservation friends madewas that the best way to preserve therolls was to not play them! They stronglyurged me to make copies of all myrolls.

I also made another excitingdiscovery while researching paperpreservation. The LibraryofCongresshas a piano roll collection! The collec­tion numbers in the multiple thou­sands of rolls. The collection is notcatalogued, and is not accessible at all.It is boxed and stored in a warehouse.Luckily it was recently moved to anenvironmentally controlled building,and the word is that the rolls havebeen played very little, if at all

Anyone interested in this col­lection is encouraged to contact me.There is no hurry, the collection isvery safe. The roll collection is a lowpriority. I would like to either form avolunteer group to preserve the collec­tion or lobby for preservation money.

I encourage other collectors tocontact me with their experiences.

Sincerely,Steven Harrod26 Vernon StreetHartford, CT 06106

26

Preservin8 Piano Qolls

The following guidelines are advised for preservation of old rolls:

(I) Do not use any retail adhesive tape. These tapes do last a "'ong" time, but they eventually fail ina manner identical to cellophane or other tapes. When tapes fail, the adhesive crystallizes on thepaper. leaving the paper brittle. This includes "magic" tape. Do not use "magic" tape.

(2) Store piano rolls in the dark. Shield rolls from any light, especially sunlight. This means nomore gla~s front cases. Sorry guys

(3) All changes to rolls must be reversible. Anything you attach or do to a roll must be removable.Do not fool yourself into believing you are making a "permanent" repair.

(4) Use only archival grade materials. This means no rubber bands. cheap paper, or white glue.Each of these common household items has chemicals which accelerate the deterioration of paper.The archival quality Of commercial roll leaders is unknown. and may also be a problem.

(5) Store rolls at a stable temperature and humidity. If you are a loving piano owner, you alreadycontrol the environment in the piano room. Keep the rolls in there.

(6) Do not play your old rolls more than once a year. If you fmd yourself playing an old roll often,get it copied. Exposure to air is what causes paper to react chemically. Pulling a roll across atracker bar is a excellent way of accelerating deterioration due to airborne chemicals and pollution.Incidentally. if you can store a roll in a vacuum or inert gas, you will stop paper deterioration in itstracks. One expensive solution is to store rolls in an old freezer filled with inert ga~.

(7) Keep rolls rolled tlgbt and tied or wrapped. Use archival cotton tying tape or wrapping.Rubber bands have sulphur which encourages acid formation in the paper. Ever notice how thefust few feet of roll are always the most deteriorated? Anything you can do to reduce aircirculation around the paper helps.

Contact University Products (U.S. 800-628-1912, MA 800-336-4847) and/or Light Impressions (800-628­6216) for catalogs of archival supplies.

Here are some of the products I suggest:

Filmoplast tape: This is high quality, stable, archival tape. It is reversible, which means that it may beremoved with care in the future. The adhesive is water soluble. Tape "P" is light and transparent. Tape"P90" is a little heavier and white.

Cotton tying tape: This is the ribbon used to tie old books. Use this instead of rubber bands. Use thelightest weight you can find.

Drop front boxes: A good, safe, inexpensive method for storing individually boxed rolls. These boxesare made with archival card stock. are stackable, and allow individual rolls to be located and removedwithout damage. They come in many styles and sizes. Think about your needs before choosing.

Starch paste: Instead of commercial glues. See products catalog for details.

Many thanks to Gary AlbrightNortheast Document Conservation Center, Andover, Massachusetts

Steven Harrod, 26 Vernon St., Hartford, CT 06106 (203) 527-2799

1

'1

Tommy "Butch" Bond, star of the Our Gang movies, left, with Dick Reutlin­ger at Dick's 1920 American Photoplayer. "Butch" was the honored guest,with his wife Polly, at the Christmas party.

After that the guests retired tothe living room to exchange Christ­mas presents which was followed byPhil McCoy's screening of the 1938Laurel & Hardy film "Blockheads" inthe downstairs "ballroom." Still later,Dick came down and manned thephotoplayer to accompany Laurel &Hardy in the 1926 short "Big Busi­ness" - the business?? Selling Christ­mas trees.

Well, all good times must endsooner or later. The Chapter thanksDick Reutlinger and helpers immenselyfor hosting us this Christmas 1991.

The new officers will take theirannointed appointed posts in the

FOUNDING(SAN FRANCISCO)CHAPTER

Bill Wherry, Reporter

Christmas at Reutlinger's ­December 14, 1991.

With a ho ho ho and a tra la laa sizeable number of Northern Cali­fornia AMICAns converged upon Rich­ard Reutlinger's vintage 1886 Victo­rian "row" house to celebrate the Yuleseason. Boy! A lot of gussied-up folkshere tonight! Lady Dianne Edwardswas dazzling in her GOLD lame (lamepronounced like LA-MAY) dress. WW­ERED Jack Edwards was rather con-

..-/ servatively dressed; not the usual clash­ing tie and shirt combination we areaccustomed to seeing. Maybe Jack ischanging political parties again. GarySage of Seaside was splendid in redbow tie and cummerbund.

In the living room at the frontof the house, Earl Scheeler, PhilCartwright, Clint Baker, and GarySage, played intermittently on brass,woodwinds and piano...some real goodjazz.

In betweenjazz sessions, DickReutlinger's Steinway Duo-Art andKnabe Ampico "A" played.

Downstairs, the Style 35American Photoplayer dominated thescene,ASeeburg"E" with violin pipes,an American Welte upright, and asmall reed organ spoke out in turnwhen the photoplayer rested.

Well, dinner time soon came.This year the Founding Chapter de­cided to underwrite the Christmasdinner for all AMICAns and one-guest

...// each; and even any out-of-town AMI­CAns attending. Dick really did him­self proud tonight! Excellent dinner,Dick!

, ,

Founding Chapter in January 1992.Retiring will be the Edwards (Jackand Dianne), Rob Thomas, and BillWherry.

This will be my last Chapterreport. I have enjoyed working withthe Chapter members, and wish mysuccessor the best of luck!

###

Founding Chapter Secretary,Pat Clemens, offers the following list­ing ofChapter meetings scheduled forthe remainder of 1992 - FoundingChapter welcomes all AMICAns to itsmeeting. Contact Pat at 408-395-7972

27

Tom Hawthorn playing Dick Reutlinger's Knabe Ampico at the Christmasparty

GATEWAY CHAPTERGary and Cynthia Craig,Reporters n;

The following are upcoming eventslisted for those AMICAns who may bein the area - check with a Chapterofficer to confirm details.

"--HOSTtrOPICILOCATION

Mid-America 17th BandOrgan Rally in Medina,OhioThird Gateway Chaptermeeting in Columbia.Details are forthcoming.Call Chapter President,Linda Bird, at816-767-8246for detailsFourth Gateway ChapterAMICA meeting at the newhome of Yousuf and MaryWilson. In case this home isnot completed, this meetingmay be rescheduled to theStudio of Gary and RoseStevenson.

DATE

October 17-18

December 6

June 18-20

S.Q.W.N.Y. CHAPTERMike Walter, Reporter

The S.O.W.N.Y. Chapter of AMIC.::=Jheld its annual Christmas Party andDecember meeting at the home ofFredBuchwald. The evening proved to be ajovial occasion that was enjoyed by all.The tree was trimmed brightly, smellsof delicious foods were coming fromthe kitchen. The piano, a J & C Fis­cher Ampico "A:', was playing the GriegPiano Concerto and various Christ­mas tunes. Everyone had a chance tocatch up on recent events, meet newmembers and talk about the holidaysahead. Once the buffet had been spreadand everyone had their fill ofdeliciousfood from two countries, the Chaptermeeting was called to order. Officersfor 1992 were announced and otherbusiness was discussed. When themeeting was adjourned the party con­tinued with a gift exchange that provedto be an armful (Sorry Ken!). Every­one enjoyed themselves a great dealand are looking forward to future eventssuch as a trip to the Music House i~,Traverse City, Michigan. So went til ,

Left: Lyle Merithew pumping his1922 Wurlitzer at the FoundingChapter's January Meeting.

Above: Lyle Merithew feeding hisnew 1925 Western Electric Mascot,which was manufactured by8eeburg.

if you plan to be in the San FranciscoArea to verify meeting information.

DATE HOST(S) LOCATIONJune 20 Tom & Ida Fryer Saratoga, CAJuly No meetingAug. 15 Richard Quigley

Jack Gustafson San Jose, CASept. 19 Bing Gibbs Cupertino, CAOct. 18 Gene McGraw S. Francisco, CANov. To be determinedDec. 12 Dick Reutlinger S. Francisco, CA

28

A Christmas mug was one of the delightful gift whichwere unwrapped during S.O.W.N. Yo's annual gift ex­change.

evening. We are all looking to ourfuture visits during 1992.

Randy and Barb Sockovie werescheduled hosts for an April 26, 1992meeting at their home in Welland,Ontario, Canada.

Their collections include cam­eras, three player pianos and a pump

Gorgan.

To "8" or not to "B" is that thepump? We ponder as Mike Walter

inspects the underside of Fred'slate "A" J. & C. Fischer Ampico.

Knowing full well that the gift she selects may only stayin her possession for a short while, Barb Sokovie care­fully makes her choice

SOUTHERNCALIFORNIACHAPTER

. Frank Nix, Reporting

The Southern California Chap­ter ofAMICA gets involved in the com­munity from time to time and, moreoften than not, when we do it is ar­ranged by Mary and Ben Lilien.

January was a busy month forL .some members in this regard, starting

/' with a day at Heritage Square here inLos Angeles.

Heritage Square is an areawhere some of the old homes from theLos Angeles area have been gatheredtogether to preserve a sense of thearea's heritage. The homes are gradu­ally being restored, and tours allowvisitors to see the structures and hearwhat is known about the history ofeach.

Members Bill Toeppe, LloydOsmundson, Bill Blair, Frank andShirley Nix and, ofcourse, our leadersBen and Mary Lilien brought streetorgans, music boxes, and phonographsand set up displays around the areafor the enjoyment of the public. Benand Mary's Tangley Calliope coupled

Lloyd Osmundson with his A. Bar­tuner organ from Czechoslovakia.

29

Bill Toeppe with his instruments.

Frank andShirley Nix with a Bacigalupiorgan.

Ben Lilien with a Bacigalupi organ.

30

with the presence oftwo clowns (look­ing somehow familiar... like Maryand Shirley), helped to make the daya joy. Our Chapter likes this type ofactivity ... education and enjoyment,offered in equal parts.

Another public service whichoften involves AMICA members isfashion shows for charity which MaryLilien organizes. She furnishes theclothes, for the most part, and prevailson chapter members to act as models.

On January 21, 1992, for ex­ample, there was a fashion show for achurch located near the University ofSouthern California.

Both the community andAMICA are indeed fortunate to havepeople like the Liliens, and we here inLos Angeles are fortunate to have themas friends.

###

Our Southern California Chap­ter had a joint meeting with MBSI inFebruary, and it was a meeting to beremembered for a long time.

The meeting itself was at thehome ofRalph and Gloria Schack, andfor a bonus two more homes were openduring the day. This made for a busy,musical and fun day. Lots of musicand the kind offellowship we alwaysenjoy when fellow collectors get to­gether. All three of our hosts wereextremely gracious, and even man­aged to order a lull in our unusualCalifornia weather - rain.

Shirley and I started our tourat the home ofTony and Lucille Ciuffiniin Palos Verdes, where we saw andheard a fine collection of music boxesand their Weber Duo-Art piano.

Ciuffini's music box collectionincludes a 13-5/8" Symphonion wal­nut table-model, a 19-5/8" Poly coin-opwith base cabinet, a Gloria Christmastree stand, a Symphonion alarm clock,a Swiss chalet, and others; includingan assortment of new Reuge pieces.Tony is now the Reuge Service Repre­sentative for the United States.

Our next stop was the beauti­ful, all newly-remodeled and enlargedhome of Ralph and Gloria Schack.

Everything was magnificent, even theview of the Pacific Ocean with Catal- Fina Island offshore. .

Ralph and Gloria's collectionincludes a very impressive, easy-to­listen-to Weber Otero, a Steinway "OR"Duo-Art grand and a one-of-a-kindBechstein green Welte art case fromBerlin. The Bechstein was left inBeverly Hills when its owner was forcedto return to Germany at the beginningofofWorld War II. They displayed toomany lovely pieces to list here, andeverything was in beautiful condition.

We had a short business meet­ing. The Chapter is solvent. We arelooking for members to come up withtechinical, historical, and biographi­cal information for the newsletter andmeetings.

After the meeting, Ralph dis­played one ofhis hidden talents, sere­nading us with the Tanzibar. Veryimpressive!

The last stop of the day was atRobin and Jenny Biggins home. Theyhave a large, and again extremely ,A

well-maintained collection of music '1boxes, which Robin's talents have putin order. They also have a very inter­esting organ clock, a Molinare mon-key organ, and an Autophone. Theyhave a Chickering Ampico piano, plusa Mills Violano. They also have abeautiful Phillips Orchestrion, whichRobin is slowly restoring. We are alllooking forward to hearing it when it'sdone.

Everyone had a great time. Itisn't too often you get to see three suchgreat collections, let alone seeing themin one afternoon. Southern Californiais fortunate in the number of collec­tions we have available to us. We arealways grateful when our membersopen their homes for a meeting, shar­ing their instruments and their time.

April 25th will find us at thevictorian home of Reese and TerryBannister in Riverside. The programwill be technical - considering the threeprimary types of piano reproducingsystems. -=-l

The June meeting - also withan educational format - will be at thehome of Ben and Mary Lilien.

~,~~'~

I ·rS~.'i;;'

Ralph Schack, Bill Blair, Dick Rigg,Frank Nix, Larry Norman and CalSoest studiously enjoying Ralph'sgreat music room.

Barbara and Dick Tieskoetter havinga conflab with Chapter President,Shirley Nix.

Hosts, Tony and Lucille Ciuffini wih the Poly upright.

Florence Cherney "pumping out atune."

Hosts, Ralph and Gloria Schack, with their Weber Otero.

Hosts, Robin and Jenni Biggins, talking to Bill Blair.

J

31

ADVERTISING INFORMATIONCLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: 20¢ per word, $3.00 minimum for members.Non-members may advertise at 40¢ per word ($6.00 minimum.)

1920 WEBER 5' grand, Aeolian Duo-art.Great value for fixer upper. $2,000 orbest offer. 141 piano rolls, most Duo-Art,47 have no boxes, $500 for all -list avail­able. Doug McWilliams 430 Spruce Street,Berkeley, CA 94708.510-525-9275.

PAYMENT: in U.S. funds must accompany order. Make checks payable toAMICA INTERNATIONAL.

DEADLINES: 30th of the month preceeding publish date, e.g. June 30th forthe July/August issue.

PAYMENT: in U.S. funds must accompany order. Typsetting, layout or sizealteration charges will be billed separately. Make check payable to AMICAINTERNATIONAL.

We recommend that display advertisers supply camera-ready copy. Copy thatis oversized or undersized will be changed to correct size at your cost. We canprepare an advertisement from your suggested layout at cost. STEINWAY - Haines - Weber - Fischer­

Chickering. Regular and art cases. Ampico,Duo-Art. Some as-is from $3,000. Victor,300 NW 54 St., Miami, FL 33127. 305­751-7502.

GEORGE STECK GRAND PIANO. 5'­6" light Walnut finish. Mint original con­dition. Plays beautifully, with 40 rolls.$5,500. 708-259-8229.

ORGAN CASSETTE TAPES: Bopp'sBruder (52-key Bruder Fairground Organ);French Fanciness (49-key LimonaireFairground Organ); 31/84 Raffin Orgel(31-key Raffin Street Organ) and Calli­ope Capers (Tangley Calliope Reproduc­tion). Tapes $9.00 each postpaid. Bopp,4015 McClelland, Joplin, MO 64804.

$180.00$100.00$ 65.00$ 40.00

71/2" x 10"7 1/2" x 4 3/4"35/8" x 43/4"3 1/2" x 2"

DISPLAY ADVERTISINGFull pageHalf PageQuarter PageBusiness Card

Each photograph or halftone $8.00.

DEADLINES: 30th of the month preceeding publish date, e.g. June 30th forthe July/August issue.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ALL ADVERTISINGIN THE AMICA BULLETIN

All advertising should be directed to:

STYLE 335 "MUSICAL CHINACLOSET" made by Regina with 15-1/2"automatic disc changer. Only 11 made.This is #335006. Solid Cherry with alloriginal glass. Contact Richard Lee, 1201Walsh, Lansing, MI 48912.517-485-4268.

John A. Fischer, Publisher73 NevadaRochester Hills, Michigan 48309-1565USAPhone!Fax 313-651-4563

PIANO ROLL MAIL AUCTION. Allkinds rolls, plus unusual musical items,musical trivia quiz, more! FREE, FUN!Send name, address to RAG DADDY'SMUSIC, 1039 Manor Place, Shreveport,LA 71118.

All ads will appear on the last pages of the BUUETIN at the discretion of thepublisher.

Publication of business advertising in no way implies AMICA'S endorsementof,any commercial operation. However, AMICA reserves the right to refuseany ad that is not in keeping with AMICA's general standards or if complaintsare received indicating that said business does not serve the best interests of themembers of AMICA according to its goals and bylaws.

The BULLETIN accepts advertising without any endorsement, implied or oth­erwise, of the products or services being offered. Ad copy must contain textdirectly related to the product/service being offered. Extraneous text will bedeleted at the Publisher's discretion.

MASON & HAMLIN 1925 Ampico "A",5'-4" Mahogany. Ampico rebuilt. Pianooriginal. Perfect ivory keys. Excellentsound and condition. $8,000. 212-988­4482.

PIANOCORDER VORSETZER (hardto find external unit) with tapes. At­taches easily to most all pianos. Goodworking condition. Call Judson Murphy,602-966-8675. Tempe, AZ. $1,300 or makeoffer.

33

AMPICO SYMPHONIQUE 5'-0" grand.Late model A, 1928. Rebuilt and refin­ished. Excellent playing condition withgood expression, $5,400. Ray Brunner,Lancaster, PA. 717-285-3534 days, 717­898-2201 evenings.

PIANO ROLL AUCTIONS, reproduc­ing and 88-note rolls. Bennet Leedy Rolls,4660 Hagar Shore Road, Coloma MI 49038.Phone 616-468-5986.

FOR SALE: COMPLETE REBUILD­ING of pneumatic actions, roll motors,pumps, auxiliary pneumatics, chests andall mechanisms related to player pianos,band organs and coin operated pianos.Reproduction-part service available.Drumbeater units and other percussionunits made to order. Since 1950, workcarefully done and best quality materialsused. Call or write, R.H. Hartman, 4072Juddville Road, Fish Creek, Wisconsin54212. 414-868-2183.

KNABE AMPICO A, parlor grand sin96870. Player rebuilt; piano used regu­larly. Price includes over 100 original rolls.Reduced to $14,500. Make offer, Prof. &Mrs. Baird. 510-635-5688.

1923 WEBER DUO·ART 5'-8" William& Mary inlaid Walnut case, excellent restor­able condition, late-model spool box, match­ing bench, 100 rolls, still plays. Near com­plete 1927 Chickering Ampico grand sys­tem. Duo-Art, Ampico, Welte, pumps,motors. Collection ofrefmished piano stools.5 piano-roll cabinets. Rare Edison cylin­der cabinet. 17 large bells F thru A fromlarge orchestrion, metal strikers andreso­nators. Stan Aldridge 161 Morgan Street,Tonawanda, NY 14150.716-693-1718.

MASON & HAMLIN Ampico A drawer,rebuilt recently, $1,750. 215 player ragand blues rolls, mostly old; offers? Up­right Licensee expression unit, valves andpneumatics completely rebuilt, $1,000. 400never-played QRS, 300 old player rolls,best offer for all. 1919 Aeolian book matchedburled Walnut Themodist Upright, in­cludes complete Duo-Art expression mecha­nism, electricpump and trackerbar; $750.55 old Licensee Rolls, excellent condition,list available, $600. Licensee 4-roll auto­graphed set of all Ruth Bingaman rolls,$150. Call John McClelland, 512-331-0141.

MARSHALL AND WENDALLAMPICOupright Marquee with crescendo units.Foot-pump and electric suction. Refin­ished Mahogany with matching bench,new deluxe keys; restrung, rebuilt piano

34

action and Ampico mechanism rebuilt.Very impressive. $4,800. York foot-pumper,simplex - rebuilt, original perfect ivory[keys], refinished Mahogany, originalbench. Reconditioned piano action, veryclean original condition. $3,500. BehrBrothers foot-pumper with double valvestandard extensively rebuilt; rebuilt pi­ano action, refinished Mahogany case.Unusual single sliding door, smaller case- about 50" tall, matching bench. $3,800.Call anytime 508-435-5191.

1924 CmCKERING 5'-8" model A Ampicoin standard Mahogany case with match­ing bench and Ampico roll cabinet; piano,player and all casework professionallyrestored; both appearance and perform­ance are first class; rolls included; mustsell, $9,500. 904-357-2862.

1917 SCIDLLER UPRIGHT grand,matching bench and built-in mandolin,expertly restored, only $3,000. Dale Snyder,1417 Greenwood Drive, Ottumwa, Iowa52501.

ORIGINAL COACH LAMPS for Seeburg"E", $400 or will trade for "A" and "G"rolls. Mark Forer W) 714-757-9516 or H)310-434-4744.759 Gladys Ave., umgBeach,CA 90804.

FOR SALE: SEEBURG E Nickelodeon$12,500. SEEBURG G Orchestrion$70,000. SEEBURG K Nickelodeon wipipes $18,000. SEEBURG KT Special(not replica) Orchestrion $26,000.SEEBURG L Nickelodeon $10,000.WURLITZER Theatre Orchestra w/150pipes & duplex mech. (Encyc pg 696)$22,000. WURLITZERA Nickelodeon wipipes $20,000. WURLITZER IXB Nick­elodeon wi bells & roll changer $22,000.WURLITZER 105 Band Organ $32,000.WURLITZER 150 Band Organ $39,000.APOLLO Ampico 6'-2" Player Grand Pianow/art-case $22,000. REPRODUCO w/or­gan & chimes $10,000. FISHER AmpicoPlayer Grand Piano w/Queen Anne Case$18,000. CIDCKERING 6'-5" AmpicoGrand Piano $15,000. LINX AX Orches­tion $26,000. 228 DUO·ART rolls avail­able. 7 AMPICO Jumbo B recut rolls$140. 200 Orthophonic RCA records$200. ALL INSTRUMENTS IN CHOICECONDITION, restored & refinished.WANTED Mills Violanos, Music Boxes,Changers, Rolls, Collections, Nickelode­ons, Orchestrions, Large Cylinder Boxes,Welte Purple Seal rolls, Link A rolls, &Mills Violano rolls. WAYNE EDMON­STON, 2177 Bishop Estates Road, Jackson­ville, FL 32259. TEL 904-287-5996. FAX904-287-4131.

WANTED: Music boxes in any condition.Disk or cylinder. Top prices paid. Alsowant Welte pipe organ. Arnold Levin,2634 Woodlawn Road, Northbrook, IL60062. Phone 708-564-2893.

WANTED: Mills Violanos, art-cased pi­anos, orchestrions, nickelodeons bandorgans, monkey organs coin-operatedmachines, automatic disc changers, up­right/console or table-top disc music boxes,large interchangeable cylinder boxes onmatching tables. Am also buying collec­tions (large or small), with fast paymentand pick-up at your door. WAYNE ED­MONSTON, 2177 Bishop Estates Rd.Jacksonville, FL 32259,904-287-5996, FAX904-287-4131.

AMPICO B REPRODUCING COMPO­NENTS. Willpay$1,500fororiginal,com­plete, unrestored Ampico B pneumaticstackwith 33 valve blocks per deck layer.Spacing of striker pneumatics is notimportant. Other Ampico B parts needed(separatebass and treble expression regu­lators from type 2 Ampico B). Please canor write Bill Koenigsberg, 77 High Pin\,. ,Circle, Concord, MA01742.508-369-8523.

PEDAL ELECTRIC STEINWAY Duo­Art Grand. I would like to purchase one ofthese instruments, originally marketedin Britain. Let me know ifyou have infor­mation that will help. William Gottes­man, 100 Overlake Park, Burlington, VT05401. 802-864-3714.

AMPICO A PUMP and motor with mount­ing brackets for grand. Will accept justpump or pump and motor if rest is un­available. Bob Garner, 5555 Concord Dr.,Jackson, MS 39211. 601-956-8888.WANTED ROLLS: Coinola ReproducoOSINOS in good condition, Wurlitzer Or­ganette/Style W, and Coinola "0". Alsowant Steinway upright Duo-Art piano.Patrick Desnoulez, 44 Rue Ampere, 59130Lambersart, France. Tel 20.22.08.12

WANTED: Mills violin machines restoredor unrestored; also parts and rolls. Discmusic boxes, high-quality cylinder boxes,automatic changers, monkey organs, ban~organs, coin-operated phonographs an tjukeboxes. Coin-operated music machines.Celebrating my 19th year full-time in thebusiness. Paul Manganaro, P.O. Box 535,Coopersburg, PA 18036. Telephone 215­965-5538.

WANTED TO BUY

Ragtilne-Calliopes4218 Jessup Road - Ceres, CA 95307Ph. 209-667-5525 Fax 209-634-2667

Air CALLIOPES, band organs,nickelodeons. Kits or ready-to-play.

Wonderful sounds made in U.S.A. Freebrochure or $5 for catalog. Low wholesale

prices, factory direct.

~-=~:.~;y-=:~-)-P-[--~~r~·~~a7~~:,!~) -ti~K2;:~- .i~"'=;~1

BROUGHER RESTORATIONS ff ......",-l-JI; Reproducers, Orchestrions 1r;~:1'1C;... and Fine Grand Pianos 1-, ~l~, COMPLETE RESTORATION l!~lil

FACILITIES

\.~' Expe~:~eEi~ ~P::~;~:ldS of II!~~I'1;(I'restoration since 1967. ~

CASE AND VENEER REPAIRS

1~1'11, HAND-RUBBED MIRROR il~l~·,:i'~J OR SATIN FINISHES IN VARNISH ~~

VOICING AND TONE SPECIALIST

Concert Quality Regulation I'

~ I Lowest Prices, Known References, ~(~J Guaranteed Work. I. J

~' 11; only the worlds finest known grades of materials are used. ~I"'c;. They are always fresh and continually checked. ..~: I Hot glue and original materials used throughout ..~ wherever possible ~

-\~l Craig Brougher ~ t3500 Claremont Independence, MO

I' (816) 254-1693 :J4052 ,

I .." .~ --~.,;r ~ ~j I-', I~.::.-~'n~[[~2~..::::;:~;"2}Sl}~~~ ...~ ... ..\

r=MU$IC SOXI$ •

MU$ICAI. CI.OCK$MICHANICAl OnCAN$

Always in the market for better quality disc andcylinder music boxes, musical clocks, singingbirds, band organs, player organs, monkey organs,Wuriitzer 78 rpm jukeboxes, slot machines. Anycondition.

MAnTIN nO!NICK26 Barton Hill

East Hampton, Connecticut 06424Phone (203) 267-8682

L -----------------------------

..'/

35

***** NEW BOOKS Available Now From AMR: *****JUKEBOXES 1900-1992, Obscure, Mysterious and Innovative American Jukeboxes(A Myriad ofManufacturers and Their Models) Volume I First Edition by Frank Adams, Ph.D.Various works have previously appeared that fully cover Wurlitzer, Seeburg, Rock-Ola and Rowe-AMI jukeboxes; but prior to this, nothingcomprehensive has been written that covers the multitude of manufacturers who produced only one or two models, or those who sportedmany models over a span of several years. Original and extensive research has resulted in an accurate presentation of the other Americanjukeboxes of the past. A few of the firms and their respective models in Volume I include Edison and several other phonographs of the era;coin-operated disc-playing music boxes such as Regina, etc.; coin-operated cylinder machines such as Autophone, Kalamazoo, etc.;Ristaucrat, Link, Mills, Evans, Aireon, Filben and numerous others totaling over 35 manufacturers and over 90 models. With descriptions,photos, plus additional historical information. Several pages are in full color. 182 pages, spiral bound, with quality heavy duty plasticcovers. Printed by AMR Publishing Company, U.S.A. Volume I Order No. R-550· $29.95

AMR is the Exclusive Distributor for the following three books:

JUKEBOX ART by Pearce. The evolution of the jukebox from coin-operated record changer to shrine of the rock and rollgeneration is a journey through the popular aesthetics of pre- and post-war America. Focusing attention on the enormous variety of stylesproduced in 'the jukebox years' of the forties and fifties and the development of the art forms of the jukebox with emphasis on Wurlitzer,Seeburg, Rock-Ola and AMI, along with a variety of other firm's models. Includes several previously unpublished jukebox photos in fullcolor. Over 120 full color photos, text. Hardback, 128 pages. Order No. B·4X $29.95

PINBALL ART by Temple. The definitive guide to the evolution, both technical and stylistic, that has taken place over half acentury of pinball manufacture. Featuring interviews with some of the early American pinball artists and pioneers. Keith Temple has writ­ten many articles on the changing designs of pinball graphics and is very knowledgeable in this field. Foreword is by pinball artist GordonMorison who also supplied some of his original artworks. Six chapters include The Art of the Backflash; Looking Back - Bagatelles andBumpers; The Rock 'N' Roll Years; The World of the Pinball Artist; The Pinball Hall of Fame; Revelation; The Men and Their Machines; and ayear by year listing of Pinball Milestones. Reviewed by Ted Salveson, a long time pioneer operator, who states, "Well written, includessuperb color photos - this is a choice book!" Over 120 full color photos, text. Hardback, 128 pages. Order No. B-5X $29.95

RADIO ART by Hawes. A chronological illustrated history of the radio containing over 150 specially commissioned color photosand 100 black and white photos that celebrate the technical and stylistic progress of the radio. From the elaborate and intricate machinesof the Victorian era to high-tech and beyond, Radio Art traces the development of this fascinating practical invention. Robert Hawes is aresearcher into design aesthetics and the history of technology, and is the editor of Vintage Wireless, the magazine of the British VintageWireless Society. Hardback, 128 pages. Order No. B·6X $29.95

~

JUKEBOX ART Postcard Set (Order No. B-8X)postcards in each set from book at a reduced size.Or save $3.90 and order any 3 sets for $25.95

and RADIO ART Postcard Set (Order No. B-9X): 30 full-color picture ~

Order No. B-8X or B-9X (Set of 30) $9.95'(Pinball Postcard Sets Not Issuedl

SLOT MACHINES and COIN-OP GAMES. A Collector's Guide to One-Armed Bandits and Amusement

Machines, (Nov. 1991), by Kurtz. A fascinating history of coin-operated amusement games. Beginning with a five-pageIntroduction, followed by nine chapters divided by categories including Penny Arcade Machines, Baseball Machines, Gun Games, BowlingMachines, Pinball Machines, One-Armed Bandits, and parts one and two of Novelty Arcade Games, Owning Your Own, Index. Theimportant innovations from decade to decade are covered in detailed text, along with a huge assortment of color photos that show thevarious machines. Hardback, 128 pages. Order No. B-7X $14.95

NEW THlhD EDITION: AN AMERICAN PREMIUM GUIDE TO JUKEBOXES AND SLOT MACmNES.

1991 Identification and Value Guide by Ayliffe. Includes information on good investments, pitfalls to avoid, restoration, aswell as fully illustrated sections on Slot Machines, Trade Stimulators, 46 pages on Jukeboxes, Arcade Items, and Vending IGumballsl.Current values listed in five categories according to condition. Paperback, 344 pages. Order No. R-406X $14.95

NEW EIGHTH EDITION: COCA-COLA COLLECTIBLES PRICE GUIDE. The Encyclopedia of Coca-Cola

Collectibles, 1992, by Petretti. A collection of thousands of photos showing and describing the advertising and production materialused by The Coca-Cola Company and its many bottlers over the years with an approximate value provided for each item. Completelyrevised with current values. Hardback, 406 pages. Order No. R-541 X $34.95

NEW THIRD EDITION: SLOT MACmNES, A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years, (Oct. 1991), by Fey.Numerous changes over the second edition. Written by the grandson of the inventor of the slot machine. The complete and colorful storyof coin-operated chance machines from the time they first became prevalent in the early 1890s up to the coin gaming found in today'scasinos. Included in the exciting history of this industry are the pioneers, inventors, manufacturers and operators. 611 photos, 326 in fullcolor of slot machines of every imaginable genre; mathematics, mechanisms, advertisements, line drawings, maps, etc.Hardback, 256 pages. Order No. R-428X $29.95

NEW FOURTH EDITION: AMERICAN PREMIUM RECORD GUIDE, 1992, by Docks. The No.1 reference sourcefor old records. Thousands of listings, over 7500 artists, with photos of record labels. Covers records issued from 1900 through 1965.

This book gives range in prices that each record is worth, artists, titles, etc. Paperback, 400 pages. Order No. R-404X $22.95 t=

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Send $2.00 for our catalog listing over 450 different jukebox service & parts manuals along with other items for sale. Upon request,catalogs are sent free with orders. Add $3.50 shipping

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From the Automata Press...

the fPnetmttltic Sorcerer'S .Rpprentice!

!TinaI(j;. A treasury of the complete art of pneumatics. New, solid, powerful, and vastlysuperior designs, all meticulously explained and described during the actual construction bythe author. Not a glossed-over and fanciful treatise after the fact. This is a beautiful book youwill be proud to own and the only one of its kind. A must-have reference handbookfor everycollector, builder, and rebuilder of pneumatic automata.

Four and a half years in the making from a professional builder/ rebuilder and former designengineer, the art of pneumatics ames ttI/lftfor you in a way tliat few can tfescrwe it. 'I1U OJU.

ana onfy 6ool(tlUlt fins ever unfock;gtf tlU. rea! secrets 0/ tlU. art. Find out what you have a rightto expect from good pneumatic design, and give the breath of life to real, live music.

Sixteen chapters, ten appendices, fully indexed, 256 large and clear illustrations with 163 drawings, 250 pages. $49.95perfect bound, $59.95 ring binder. $4.55 shipping and handling. Mention this ad and receive free of charge anextensive supplier's list referenced by item.

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(816)-254-1693Independence, ~o. 64052

The ORCHESTRION BUILDER'S MANUALby: and Pneumatics HandbookCraig Brougher3500 Claremont Ave.

Arranged for the Player-Piano By

Eric D. Bernhoft

The Harbour Rag (Glenn A. Jenks) 1977Texas Fox Trot (David W. Guion) 1915Live Wires Rag (Adeline Sheperd) 1910"Uncle Tom's Cabin" Rag (Harry Austin Tierney)1911Medic Rag (Calvin L. Woolsey) 1910Horseshoe Rag (Julia Lee Niebergall) 1911Cleopha - Ragaphrase (Scott Joplin) 1902

Ragtime That IsDifferent

8·92028·9203B·9204

A-91018·91028·91038·9201

O ur B Series issues include a full size, fullcolor reproduction of the original sheetmusic cover incorporated into the roll

leader. These are mechanical arrangements whichgo well beyond the published musical score.

For more information, including a complementary audiocassette, please telephone (415) 885-3335 or write to P.O.80x 421101, San Francisco, CA 94142.

No ExpenseHas Been Spared

to make our B Series the mostdistinctive music rolls offered to

the public today.

FREDERIC LAMONDRECORDS EXCLUSIVELY FOR

THE ]])lUO~AR1r"What a pity Liszt, Chopin and Rubinstein had not made

any records for this marvellous invention for the present gene­ration would then have had a chance of judging what pianoplaying at its greatest was."

17ery sincerely and truly yours,

~.~~-=::::::::: ~

THE AEOLIAN COMPANYNEW YORK LONDON PARIS MADRID SYDNEY MELBOURNE