[ Last night Jerry Slonsky asked two questions regrading
 [ a Beckwith Player Piano

Hello!   I have rebuilt a few Beckwiths in the past but it has been
while.  I don't have one around now to look at and see what bellows
you are referring to.

Some possible uses for bellows or knife switch valves in this area of
the piano could be:

   1) Stack shut off (shut off air to the stack during reroll)

   2) motor regulator or switch (shift from 'regulated' air flow during
      play to 'full blast' during reroll)

   3) sustain pedal

   4) some sort of reproducing mechanism (something the varies the
      volume of the piano)

Usually the regulation to the air motor bellows and mechanisms are on
the right of the pumping mechanism since the motor is usually on the
right, on the top stack. If this is just a 'pumper player', my best
guess is that the devise you are referring to the stack cut off.  This
makes the piano not play during reroll.

As far as volume, you don't say what kind of electric motor you have.
I prefer the type that has a variable speed control.  It works best for
the volume problem you are having.  The vacuum level (therefore the
volume) to the piano from the electric motor is regulated by the speed
of the motor.  The set up has two motor speed controls, one for play
volume, and one for reroll.  An added benefit to this setup is that the
lower the piano volume is, the lower the motor speed (and therefore
noise) is.

Other types regulate volume by restricting air flow, either on the input
or output side of the motor. Doing either one of these tends to make the
motor louder.  Also, when you reduce airflow, you run the risk of
overheating the motor.

If yours is a fixed volume setup of some sort, you might try allowing a
'leak' to the vacuum pump.  This is a bit crude but it may serve your
purposes. You could put a 'T' in the line from the electric pump to the
bellows.  Then restrict the open end of the 'T' with a cloth stuffed in
the hole.  This cloth will muffle the 'leak'.  How hard you stuff the
cloth in the hole would regulate your volume.  If you do this, take
care to not allow the cloth to go into the vacuum line.  It could get
into the electric pump and monkey up the works.

A better volume regulator would be to attach the open end of the 'T' to
a more precise leak making devise.  I would try something on the order
of the slider valve in your piano that allows more or less air to the
air motor.  If you build something like this, you may need to cover it
with a box with felt in the inlet hole to muffle the sound of the
escaping air.

Gary Rasmussen
GRasmus140@AOL.Com