Price of Seeburg G Sold at Auction
By Don Teach
I was the live bidder that bought the Seeburg G and the Wurlitzer
Race Horse Pianino (described as "Wurlitzer Pianola" on auction web
site). Both of these pianos are extremely rare and are the only
known examples. [Ref. 040323 MMDigest]
The Seeburg G has four extra foot pedals to play the percussion and
you can play the pipes from the keyboard. There is a little button
under the keybed that you push operating linkage placing the roll
transmission in neutral. You can then play the pipes from the
keyboard the same as a photoplayer. Somewhere someone has a copy of
a Seeburg ad (which I would like to have) showing this model G.
In the "Player Piano Treasury" book by Harvey Roehl is a picture of
a Wurlitzer Race Horse Pianino. The one at the auction was the only
one known. It is basically complete missing only a piece of trim.
Unfortunately the rolls were auctioned off Friday and I arrived Sunday
morning just in time to bid on these two pianos.
None of the pianos played well and all needed to be restored by a
nickelodeon player technician. All show evidence of prior rebuilding.
The Wurlitzer has all new valves with sponge rubber for the valves.
There was a 15 percent buyers premium if you bid on the Internet.
I saved 5 percent by going in person which easily paid for my trip.
I went on the trip and bought the pianos for someone other than myself.
The Cremona J was a beautiful piano and well worth the $38,000 plus
10 percent buyers premium. I wish I had that kind of money to spend
on myself as I would have bought the Cremona for myself.
Don Teach
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(Message sent Thu 1 Apr 2004, 21:20:29 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.) |
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