Well, I've returned from the Deansboro auction with my new-to-me single
Violano.  For those of you who own them already and use auction prices
to establish the value of these machines, I'm afraid I have just
(foolishly) set the price a little higher than I should have.  (It's
all borrowed anyway.)  The double at that auction went for $52K and
the single for $29K (plus 10% buyers premium to the auctioneer).  Call
it mid-life crisis insanity.  Fortunately, my wife of 25 years is being
understanding (for now).  Now comes the task of restoration.  I have
called the National Book Network who took over the old Vestal Press
stock and they do not have Art Reblitz's book on restoring the Violano.
Could someone out there please give me the correct title for the book
and authors?  Also, does anyone have or know of a copy that I could
buy or borrow, or know where I could start looking for one?

I have another basic question.  Is it preferable to refinish the case
or does this degrade the value of the machine?  While this Violano is
in reasonable shape, the finish is the usual dark, cracking varnish
mahogany.  Will it be a mistake to strip it down and refinish it?
Part of the problem is that the lower doors were stored in a place that
must have leaked because the veneer is separating and in really bad
shape.  The museum had put a glass panel on the bottom to let people
see inside.

One final question for today.  Is there a solid-state AC to DC converter
available commercially that will go from 110AC to 110DC, and handle the
20 amp peaks that the old converter will?  This one is so noisy that it
overpowers the music.  Because this is one of the last things that I
want to work on in rebuilding this machine, I'd like to replace it with
a solid state device so that I can listen to it for a while until I
really start to tear into it.  I am starting by fixing the functions
that don't work so I can enjoy it for a while.

Jack Breen
Southboro, MA

 [ A portion of Terry Haughawout's catalog of Violano parts can be found
 [ at:
 [     http://www.millsnovelty.com/terry/index.html
 [
 [ A "DC Rectifier" is listed and I believe this is a "drop-in" replacement
 [ for the motor-generator.
 [
 [ Terry can be reached at:
 [
 [      Haughawout Music Co
 [      560 N. Garfield Street
 [      Bloomdale Ohio, 44817
 [
 [      419-454-3671 Phone
 [      419-454-5291 Fax
 [
 [ Jody