Hello everyone!  My research has confirmed that The Foster & Co.
division of the American Piano Co. in East Rochester, N.Y., installed
the Ampico action in their upright pianos on special order, but were
not production items.  There was the Stoddard, Marquee foot-pumped and
full "A' versions of this action installed.

All of the American Piano Co. uprights from this era, as far as I know,
had a scale count of 25-30-33.  In one example photo I have (from a
MMDer, I think) the nameplate proudly exclaims "The Stoddard Ampico".
The name Foster & Co. does not appear on this unit, but the serial
numbers correspond with that brand.  Most of these pianos were fitted
with single- and double-valve Standard actions.

The Foster I searched the hardest for is of a 1913 vintage, rather
early.  The case quality is better craftsmanship than the later
examples I have.  Also, the bridge has a cap and not just one piece of
wood.  The unrestored piano comes close to sounding as good as the one
I rebuilt (the arranging piano), which leads me to assume that the
earlier pianos were built with much more care than the ones in the
twenties.

If any of you have a unrestored Ampico upright I would be interested in
it, to complete my collection.  Or I would settle for a Ampico action,
with a 25-30-33 scale count.  This could be found from just about any
American piano Co. upright piano (but I would never gut one unless it
was hopeless).  It is still not clear if the Foster division built
grand pianos.  I would really appreciate knowing if these exist.

Also my serial number information on the Foster pianos is very
incomplete at best.  If any of you have the older Piano Atlas around, I
would love a photocopy of the page.

Thanks in advance to all

Best Regards
Andy Taylor
Tempola Music Rolls
http://www.bootheel.net/~tempola/