My friend Bernie Brown from Bristol sent me a recent article, and I
would like to pass it on for others to share.   Here it is:

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An Estey Player Reed Organ

During the eighteen eighties there were somewhere in the region of two
hundred and fifty companies in North America manufacturing reed organs.
Many of these firms were small and have long since been forgotten.

From among this number several companies were successful and made a big
mark on the industry.  The Estey Reed Organ Company of Brattleboro
Vermont must rank top of the list not only for the quantity of
instruments produced, but also for the length of time they remained in
business, well over a century! In its later years Estey diversified and
produced a great many pipe organs, player pianos, player organs and
finally electronic goods! With its heritage of reed organ manufacture
it comes as no surprise that Estey also produced a player reed organ.

Although Estey reed organ production was prolific it seems their
player-reed organ was not! Perhaps it is because they entered this part
of the market too late, the one in my collection dates Circa 1915 which
puts it in the declining years of player reed organ popularity, and of
course the Great War would undoubtedly have had an effect on sales in
Europe.  Nowadays they seem to be quite rare when compared to Aeolian
Orchestrelles, the case style is much plainer than the Aeolian
products, it is much more in keeping with early 20th century style,
being an Arts And Crafts design, in fact the organ bears quite a
resemblance to player piano design of that period, (see fig. 1.  French
Estey advertisment showing an Estey player piano of very similar case
design to that of the player organ)

The organ can play 65 note player piano rolls or 58 note Aeolian organ
type rolls, there being a small changeover lever which can select 65
or 58 notes, the take up spool is adjustable by sliding the ends
inwards to accommodate the slightly less 58 note roll width, and a
small chuck adapter is inserted in the rewind flange to enable the
58 note roll to be fitted in the top of the spool box.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the instrument is its 65-note
keyboard, starting at A in the base and finishing at C sharp in the
treble. The reason for this odd keyboard is because the player action
is directly coupled with the keys which are extended to the rear of the
organ case and pulled by wires connected to the pneumatic stack (see
fig. 2) There are two conventional reed organ knee swells, the right
operating the swell shades and the left operating full organ, there are
four complete sets of reeds breaking between base and treble at middle C,
and are tuned at a 440, there are fourteen stops set out as follows :-

Reading from left to right bass coupler (a mechanical stop) clarinet
16ft. oboe 8ft.  diapason8ft.(loud) dulciana 8ft.(soft on same set of
reeds) flute 4ft. I forte (opens front swell shade) 11 forte (opens
rear swell shade) flute 4ft. dulciana 8ft. (soft) diapason 8ft.( loud
on same set of reeds) oboe 8ft.  clarinet 16ft. treble coupler, a
mechanical stop. play and rewind are controlled by a small lever in the
spool box, tempo is controlled by a lever situated at the right hand of
the keyboard and it resembles an old fashioned tram speed controller.

The history of this instrument is vague, I purchased it from a
Christian Aid Bookshop in Bristol after seeing an advertisment in the
local Free Ad. Paper, it was located in the back of the shop alongside
a broad reeded Estey Philharmonic Organ, the organ could not play by
roll due to the hardening and cracking of the tracker-bar This was
later rectified.   The case and general condition of the instrument was
quite good.

I would be very interested to know if anyone else has details of other
Estey player reed organs and player pianos.

Bernie Brown,  Bristol England

 [ Mr. Brown is Secretary of Wales and West Pianola Group and publisher
 [ of their newsletter.  -- Robbie

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