Hello everyone,

I'm hoping that someone in the group has a pipe chest for a Seeburg
M.O., or can provide me with enough details that I might make one.

Recently I came across a couple of boxes of mostly dust and mice debris,
covering a number of small to medium wooden organ pipes.  The owner was
willing to part with them with the understanding that they were sold "as
is",  no wind chest and no guarantees to condition or completeness.
The larger ones were believed to have come from a pipe organ and the
smaller ones maybe from a piano.  The terms and the price were
reasonable so I took them home.

After a lot of cleaning I found I had a complete matching set of 49
pipes, 38 stamped FLUTE & note (5 with miters) and 11 unmarked stoppered
bass pipes (9 of these mitered),  ranging in size from less than 4
inches to 34 inches.  The surprise came when I was throwing the old
boxes away,  written on the sides of both boxes was "Seeburg MO pipes
(duplicates)".  Seeburg MO?  A quick check of the Bowers Encyclopedia
showed me what I wanted to see, a picture of what looks like a common
upright player piano with the bottom full of pipes like mine,  but not
much else.     Oddly, this instrument is called a "Style M.O.
Reproducing Pipe Organ."   Bowers says "The Style "MO," "Celesta," and
"Celesta DeLuxe" organs were made with one or two keyboards and were
primarily intended for the mortuary trade...  These instruments use
MSR rolls." (Basically an H roll without the percussion and traps.)

Later that day I read the 980911 MMD posting from Stephen Kent Goodman
asking about a Seeburg Celesta recording.  Ooooo,  Mr. Goodman, I hope
if you get one you might make me a copy or maybe Jody can post it for
everyone to hear.

I would also enjoy hearing more about the configurations of these
instruments.  Are 49 pipes a full set or did they also have string
pipes.  What kind and how many?   Any pipeless Seeburg Mortuary Organs
out there looking for a good home?

Thanks,
Norman Narmore
Atlanta