Re: Ampico Reproducers
By Terry Smythe
> Date: Wed, 8 May 96 14:53:49 UT
> From: "Craig Brougher" <craig_brougher@msn.com>
> To: "Automatic Music Mailing List" <rolls@foxtail.com>
> I was interested in the characterization expressed by Terry Smythe
> regarding the differences between Duo-Arts and Ampicos. While I am not
> going to get into that one .....
I do not doubt that each and every one of us feel differently in this regard, and that's what makes it all so fascinating. Music and our reaction to it is something quite personal, almost impossible to define why. I know that some music will evoke a strong emotional reaction within me that will leave someone else quite untouched. To each their own I guess. Perhaps those among us might relate their experience in hearing a certain instrument that evoked such an emotional response.
In 1981, while attending the Dallas AMICA Convention, I took a side trip up to Austin, Texas to see Ken Caswell. He has an innocent looking plain case upright Fuerich Welte converted to accept Licensee rolls. In some 30+ years, I cannot recall being exposed to a reproducing piano that moved me so much as did that one. The nearest I can come to describe the performance of that particular piano would be "sensuous and angelic".
IMHO, most well restored reproducing pianos do perform very well indeed. Leaky eyeballs among my guests emerge for a variety of reasons. One memorable evening about 20 years ago, an elderly Polish priest visited my home, and on my Mason Du-Art, we played all my Chopin rolls, and all my Paderewski rolls. It seems he knew Pederewski when he was Premier of Poland following the 1st World War. The guy was in tears for most of the evening, but not because of the piano; but rather because the music evoked long cherished memories.
I would imagine most of us can relate somewhat similar incidents as we share our instruments with friends, family, acquaintances, and sometimes total strangers passing through with their AMICA roster in hand.
> should consider a new set of expression springs which I
> designed and marketed some months ago. They are now available from
> Player Piano Co in Wichita, KS.
Hmmnnnn..... very interesting. Craig, is this something recent? I just received Durrell's current catalog a few days ago, and there is no mention of these springs in it. What is their part #?
Regards,
Terry
Terry Smythe (204) 832-3982 (voice/fax)
55 Rowand Avenue smythe@mts.net
Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J 2N6 smythe@freenet.mb.ca
Home Page: http://www.mts.net/~smythe |
(Message sent Fri 10 May 1996, 04:42:29 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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