Hi All, Joyce Brite and others have made some interesting remarks
about the piano, the player piano and 'Old West Saloons'. But one
thing Joyce said brought back a memory of an instrument I rebuilt
some 20 years ago.
It was a Wurlitzer that had no pin block. The tuning pins were fit
directly into the plate and there were small brass wedges fit into
slits on the opposite side of the plate which secured the pins in
place.
What brings this instrument to mind was its construction. It was most
definitely designed to be dismantled, put into crates and transported
by virtually any means to its destination. Once there, it could be
reassembled by anyone who could follow the directions.
Of all the pianos I've even worked on, this Wurlitzer held it's tune
the best. I went back some ten years later and the piano was still
at pitch and nearly perfectly in tune. I was amazed. (By the way,
it was the Wurlitzer player with the 4-in-1 pot metal valves. I don't
clearly recall the date of manufacture, but 1910 or 1914 comes to
mind.)
Of course, I'm not suggesting that it was transported back in time to
the old west bars (duh!), but it could safely go anywhere a horse and
wagon could go.
Musically,
John A. Tuttle
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