[ Received by John A. Tuttle from "Ask Me a Question" Internet
[ message service:
> From: spots@execpc.com (Bill Thiel)
>
> Help! Do you know anyone in the Milwaukee or Madison Area that could
> tell me about my player piano. It is a Manualo. I don't have the
> serial number yet, but I will get it to you when I find it. It was my
> mother inlaw's and is special to me. Thanks, Bill Thiele
Hi Bill, Sorry, I don't know any techs in Wisconsin. Check with some
of the local piano tuners, they may know one. The Manualo, "The
Player-Piano with the Human Touch", was made by Baldwin. According
to the Presto Buyers' Guide of 1926,
"It is a completely distinctive instrument -- a player-piano built as
a player-piano -- a unit. No other player-piano is a Manualo.
A few features are the accented pedal action, giving the instrument
the human touch, standardized and replaceable valve and air finger
units, direct striking pneumatics, an original bellows arrangement,
short rounded air passages and the simplest and most responsive tempo
arrangement. ... was awarded the grand prize at the London Exposition
in 1914. This is the greatest recognition ever bestowed upon a
player-piano. Manualo ranks as one of the leaders in the player-
piano world."
I'll forward this letter to the Mechanical Music Digest. Maybe one of
them will know somebody up there. It may take a few days to get a
response if they do.
Musically,
John A. Tuttle
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