Around 1982 I purchased a player piano from a dealer in a small town 30
miles east of Vancouver in which I made a custom "O" roll orchestrion.
The dealer had recently brought in a truckload of players, about 30,
from the USA. I guess they all had ivory keys as mine did, so this
would be after 1977. These players were in his warehouse/workshop two
blocks away from his storefront, and he employed his father to take out
all the player actions, etc., and to sell them in a "gutted" state.
For some reason that now escapes me, I returned to the warehouse some
four weeks later and I saw a player action on the floor. I asked what
was to become of this; the reply was "another one to the city dump."
I loaded this into my car, even though I had no use then, and I still
have it, although I cannot find a maker's name. The only clue is that
each pneumatic is individually screwed in place and I don't believe it
is a Standard Player Action Co. unit.
My piano is by Winter & Co, New York, 1918. I believe it spent its
life in St. Louis, as I found an old utilities bill jammed behind the
ivories
Steve Bentley
Vancouver, British Columbia
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