Yes, I saw one in Saginaw, Michigan, several years ago. It did, indeed,
play the Duo-Art rolls, although I don't see how it could render an
effective performance because the Duo-Art could handle 30 ranks of
pipework. This instrument used to belong to John Farnsworth and it may
well have changed hands again.
The last time I heard, the price has increased dramatically and I lost
interest in it. I mean, why drive a Chevy when you can drive the
proverbial Rolls Royce? So I elected to go first class with the Kimball.
To paraphrase dear old Gertrude [Stein], "A reed organ is a reed organ is
a reed organ." ... Oh, quit pumping, for heaven's sake!
Jim Weisenborne
[ Editor's note:
[
[ A good musical arrangement on music roll sounds good no matter what
[ size instrument plays it. Clark Music Rolls made adaptations of the
[ same fine piano performances to play on many, many target machines, and
[ the Bruder firm in Germany likewise used their master templates over
[ and over, often for instruments made by competitors!
[
[ Dave Junchen enjoyed this form of re-use of great arrangements. His
[ 88-note player piano transcription of a Welte organ roll, originally
[ arranged by the master Henry Burkhard, is also a masterpiece. It
[ just sounds more like a piano than a pipe organ. (Keep pumping! :-)
[
[ -- Robbie
|