Introduction
By Brian Thornton
Howdy, All
I'm Brian Thornton. I've been on the mailing list for a few weeks now but Ive been real busy with projects that I haven't had much time to write up an intro. First I thank Terry & Jody for put this list together. I look forward to reading and maybe posting a few things myself. I've had a strong intrest in player pianos and phonographs since I was 5. After years of pleading, my parents gave me an Edison D.D. Lab. model for my 13th Birthday. Getting a player was a little tougher. When I was 17 I had fixed a victrola for an old farmer in the area. They had built a new house up on a hill in the late 20s. They purchased a Kholer & Cambell studio w/standard player. It was dilivered to the old house and NEVER UNCRATED. My parents refused to let me bring a piano into the house. While they were away on a trip, I got some friends togther and brought it in. Luckily, my parents didn't make too much of a fuss about it.
I began working for Tom Sprage in LaGrange Indiana in 1972 learning the restoration trade. He taught me the wisdom of doing things exactly as the old timers did them. I restored my own player, and boy, did I play that thing. By the time I sold it 4 years later, I had worn 3/4 slots where pedals tie into the linkage. After I graduated high school in 74, I did work for dealers in the area (very poorly paid) while I put myself though college. In 78 I moved to Lafayette Indiana and restored player actions for a large music company . I must have done at least 250 players in the seven years I worked there. The reccession of the early 80s caused a steep decline in the piano business, and I was becoming tired of just doing regular players all the time.
In 1984, I started working for a small woodworking company. A few Amish and one german craftsman composed the main workforce. I learned alot of European techniques, inlaying, lathework, carving, etc.... I learned about the American & European systems of grading lumber. (I will try to post something on the suject in the future.) We also had very high-tech knife cutting and molding machines, I discovered that I had a natural talent for design as well as construction. I ended up designing and constucting period peices; Backbars, staircaes, fireplace mantels. I also made cabinets for sterios and Big-screen TVs that were almost direct copies of German orchestion cases!
In 1989, The company made some serious management errors and by mid- summer it was forced out of business. I went back to players again, taking over pneumatic restorations for James Brady in Indianapolis, and much more intresting and challenging work than I had in Lafayette. At the same time I was seeking to get out of the city to more primitive and cost effective surroundings, which I found in Cannon county Tennessee, and where I have been set up for the last five years. During this time I have tackled a wide variety of difficult projects; the most extreme being a Weber Unika that was *completly dissassembled* and water damaged, Others: Organs for Swiss boxes that were nothing more than kindling wood, Barrel pianos with their tuning scale erased, retrofitting gutted player grands, complete fabrication of reed, pipe chests and player stacks. I've always played around with arranging rolls. The Unika I was restoring had a large library of rolls. I was very impressed and inspired by the arrangements. Mr Brady had just sold a Wurlitzer Photoplayer to a Fancy amusement "Mall" They wanted some Holiday music that wasn't available on AAP rolls, so I did a 5 tune roll for them. After that I did a version A'la Nashville of "Rocky Top" in the "O" roll format....That was fun! Presently, Ive just started doing Rossini's "Semeramide" for the Welte Brisgovia, (ugh). I've pretty much given up on collecting any thing big and exspensive. I'm in process of building an Arts & Crafts style cabin up in the hills here, and I put a lot of capitol back into the business. I've slowly amassing ranks of pipes and other parts to build my own orchestrion based on the Maesto scale. Anyway, I have found once I acquire something, (like a 15 1/2" Regina), I have fun with it for a while, then it just sits. When things come in for restoration, I get them going, probe all their mysteries, enjoy what I have accomplished for a time, then move on to the next... I do have one piece that I will probably be buried with me: A Fancy carved Weber 65-88 note Themeodist- Metrostyle Pianola-Piano. I got for the hauling from a house in South Bend that was being torn down. It has the most Bawdy rich sound.... a gift from the gods! I'm always looking for Standard 65 note rolls- heavy classical and orchestrial works.
Well, I better wind this novel down here, again Thanks!
Brian Thornton (a.k.a.Goatboy)
c/o Short Moutntain Music Works
109 N. Cannon St
Woodbury, TN 37190
615-563-5814
bthornton@delphi.com
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(Message sent Mon 8 May 1995, 04:59:03 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.) |
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