Hi all -- In response to Ed Gaida's reference to the Seeburg KT Special
reproduction from Mechanical Music Center (Bill Edgerton), I believe
that the entire run was somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 machines,
with the eagle stained-glass front being an option.

And, although Ed's catalog refers to the $9,800 price tag, I seem to
remember them selling for $13,500... but then I may be mistaken, for I
was simply a youth smitten by all the unique and exciting instruments
and automata housed under one roof there.

The Mechanical Music Center, located in Darien, CT, was a haven in my
youth.  I had always had an interest in mechanical music, having seen
coin drop machines at various country stores and the like during summer
vacations, but nothing prepared me for the rows upon rows of upright
88s and reproducers one faced upon opening the doors to that collection
of unrestored and restored machines.  There were also no less than ten
unrestored reproducing grands at any one time that lined the far wall,
all waiting for some enthusiast to take one home and restore it.

There were restored reproducers on legs where one could test any of
the thousands of rolls that lined another wall.  There were several
Violanos at different times, a Tel-electric, nickelodeons, and barrel
and monkey organs all around.  There was a separate room full of music
boxes and automata. There were, at times, arcade games and slot
machines.  And, behind the showroom wall, a shop reproducing the KT
specials.

I picked up my first player piano soon after I discovered that shop and
would bring in parts from it on occasion to learn how to rebuild it and
what materials to use for an authentic restoration.  I spent countless
hours learning restoration techniques from Fran Mayer, who was always
willing to explain the proper way to do the work.  It was the start of
a love for all things mechanical and musical that is still very strong
today.  By and by, I took a job at MMC.

Later, the shop was moved to the old gymnasium in Bill's house, a
converted convent out on the point in Darien, where reproducing pianos
were the mainstay of the restoration business.  The shop in the
showroom was sublet to (I believe) a printing concern.  As time went
on, the shop became smaller and smaller as business diminished and Bill
lost interest and became involved in other endeavors.

He eventually sold out to two of his employees, Fran Mayer and Ike
Halsey, who kept the business going for another couple of years, moving
the shop and showroom to a very small space in South Norwalk, about
ten minutes from their Darien location.  Eventually the showroom and
consignment side of the business was dropped and they really only used
to location for restoration and sublet some of their space to a piano
restorer.  The business closed up shortly thereafter.

Fran, last I had heard, was living in Bridgeport, CT, and working as
a driver for Fed Ex.  Ike, it turns out, went into tuning and minor
repairs, preferring only straight pianos.  Neither, from my under-
standing, has gone near any restoration work since they fulfilled their
rebuilding commitments at the time that they closed their doors.

Still, in its heyday it was quite a shop.

David Fowler