Hello!  What is "ALP"?  Well, as there was now just yet another
inquiry about restauration of an Ariston instrument, I was wondering
if it might not make at least a little bit of sense of listing as many
original 24-key Aristons as possible.  Therefore "ALP" would be the
"Ariston Listing Project"

I know that it makes much less sense to do this, than of, e.g., Gavioli
or other brands of band/street/fair organs, where the amount of total
produced instruments is much smaller and also the rate of surviving
instruments is smaller (maybe?!), too, or where the loss of yet another
instrument is resulting in a far bigger impact on preservation.

Nevertheless, it would eventually result in getting a giant list of
instruments with each an amazing about 100 year old (hi)story
attached.

Uses of this list can be various:

 - tracking of stolen instruments
 - reconstruction of where and when Ehrlich made their best
   business
 - reconstruction of changes to the model from beginning to
   end of its production

and so on.

So, if there are people out there who want to join in and share the
story of their instrument, write it down to me.  I will store all of
them and at the point of enough collected material I will start sorting
them out with access by MMD.

For my instrument it would read something like this:

---
Serial Number: 96824 or 96324 (not 100% reconstructable)
  Production date: about 1895
  Current Owner: Ingmar Krause
  Current Location: Victoria, Canada

  History of the instrument (including previous owners):

The instrument was purchased by me in the year 1997 (?) (Well, I can
find the exact date.  He-he!) in the city of Frankfurt/Oder from an
elderly man, who got this instrument through his ancestors who themselves
probably bought the instrument right from the factory at Leipzig or
from a retailer in either Frankfurt/Oder or Berlin.  As the instrument
was in unplayable condition, and after a short family consultation with
his wife, he agreed to sell the instrument to me under the condition
that after restauration I would bring it back in 1998(?) for
demonstration of its performance and to show that I keep the instrument
in honour, which I did.

  Restauration-History of the instrument:

The instrument had suffered water-damage through a broken water pipe in
the cellar in which it was stored by the pre-owner.  For restauration
it was brought to a church-organ builder.  The result was a still
not-playable instrument with further damage du to bigger screws used by
the church organ builder in his attempt to give the instrument a better
seal.

The instrument was repaired, in just _one_ day, in June 1997(?) by
myself under instruction by Alois Blueml in Grassau.  The all-over
repair included sealing of the box with an additional cardboard cover,
repairing and re-adjusting the bellows for higher wind output, and
re-aligning of all the keys and springs to the same level and softer
"jump-pressure" to reduce wearing of the disc.  The key surface was
smoothened for this purpose as well.  The comb (as everything else,
too) also got cleaned, to make the keys work easier.

The original pressure-bar was bent and it broke during the try to
straighten it with a hammer.  It was replaced with another (identical)
original pressure bar from Mr. Bluemls sortiment.  (As a side-story:
the broken bar was repaired later by Mr. Blueml for use in another
Ariston.)

The water-damaged case was refurnished as far as possible to keep the
case as original as possible.  All the felt covering the vents was
replaced to assure the seal and to prevent humming when no notes play.
The over-blow vent of the wind chamber got a new leather pull string
and was adjusted to the right length.

The spring for the wind chamber was missing and rebuilt using a
mattress spring which was shaped as needed and fixed in position with
leather.  The counter board of this spring was also rebuilt and
furnished to matching colour.

The reeds got tuned in a special brass reed frequency.

The oversize screws that were inserted by the church organ builder were
replaced with better looking smaller brass screws and supporting
washers.

It was non-original, but as copy from later-on models, the top surface
got a couple round-head brass thumbtacks at the right positions for
supporting the discs.  The inside ends of these "nails" were
hammer-bent so they wouldn't become loose and also to not harm the new
cardboard seal.

Later on I added a round piece of imitation leather to the outside of
the case where the crank sits.  This turned out to be a real pain to
seal.  I also added thumbtacks to the four feet of the instrument, so
it wouldn't rock on a flat surface.

  Current condition: Fully playable, yet not 100% attractive.

  Special features: A complete original set of "Messing" reeds,
providing a very warm sound.
---

This _data_ sheet would be continued with a list of original discs that
came with the instrument (which I don't have handy right now for this
instrument, but as well it is no big deal to include later on).  Also
there might be pictures attached, which usually will look all more or
less the same, but throughout their life they definitely changed.

And so on and so on.  Such a small instrument -- so much to write about.
:-)

greetings by(e) InK - Ingmar Krause

P.S.:  Now think that every instrument has so much to tell...