Greetings folks,

Far be it from me to argue, but ...  Hubert Kennedy wrote:

> I recently purchased a Sterling reproducing baby grand with an Auto
> Del Luxe expression action ... although I cannot find out who
> made this player action.

And Lynn Bullock replied:

> It sounds to me like you have a Simplex Recordo grand player. [snip]
> I know of no other grand player that had all the action in the drawer.

I must disagree with Mr. Bullock.  I'm sitting here looking at the
service pamphlet for the 1926 Auto DeLuxe Expression Action for Grand
and Upright Pianos.

This was the Recordo player made by the Auto Pneumatic Action Co.,
makers of Standard Player Actions, Autopiano Player Actions, the Welte
(Licensee) Actions, Auto DeLuxe Expression Actions and way back in the
mists of time, the Pianista.

Sterling Pianos with 88-note foot-impelled players used Standard and
Autopiano player actions (at least after a brief fling with a
nightmarish one of their own design).

In any event, by 1926, the Auto DeLuxe Recordo in grand installations
also had everything except the pump and motor in the drawer. (including
the hammer-rail lift pneumatics and sustain pedal pneumatic). The stack
is similar in construction to that normally found in Auto Pneumatic and
Standard Player Actions, but with vertical valves.

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that this mechanism plays only
78 or 80 notes. It's been many years since I've seen one "on the hoof".

Like the Simplex-Recordo to which Mr. Bullock refers, this late Auto
DeLuxe uses hollow duralumin rods to transmit the blow from the stack
pneumatics to the hammer action no matter what the position of the
drawer.

This is what I believe Mr. Kennedy has, especially since in his post he
specified "Auto DeLuxe" action.

Cheers from only slightly soggy Puget Sound,

Dean Randall
mailto:pianolists@earthlink.net