If the owners took care of these pianos they can be _very_ nice
pianos.  When they were new I, as a pianist, noticed that they were
_far_ better pianos than the same piano without the player.  This was,
I suspect, because they knew the players would be played ten times
more than the silent pianos they made.

I have restored numerous of these players now and I can tell you
that every single one, as it was from the factory, needs one thing:
all new plastic valve blocks.  I find about half of these stacks need
pneumatics recovered and half are airtight.  I find that half of them
need the bottom bellows recovered as well.  Most of them need the
electric motors either replaced with a new one in the box or needs
the motor brushes and contacter area cleaned with fine sandpaper.
Bearings often need some lubrication.  When all this is done, the piano
will last another 20-30 years like any restoration.

The problem with the factory valve blocks was with the sponge neoprene
valve.  The travel I have measured from these valves varies from .060"
(60/1000 inch) to .150".  This means that these pianos were never able
to play at less than a mezzo-forte volume level.  It also means that
lots of suction was being lost by every valve activation.  The symptom
would be becoming breathless while lots of notes were moving, like an
arpeggiated run or lots of marimba work.  The breathlessness would
cease when music goes to sustained notes.  Also, these valves of sponge
neoprene are not totally airtight for more than a few months.  Somehow
the inside valve surface deteriorates and seeps.

The new valves made by Denis W. use a silicone biscuit that is totally
airtight and his valves are designed to have a travel around .035",
which is optimal for this system.  After you remove the old valve
blocks, resurface and attach the new ones, the system loses less than
1 inch suction if everything else is sealed.  The player will play
softly for the first time ever and pedaling is a dream.  The motor no
longer overworks and breathlessness is not a problem.  When you do this
for a built up nickelodeon as I have done with several of these, the
nickelodeon has suction to spare and plays extremely well.

These pianos are definitely worth rebuilding. With a new set of
hammers, and a regulation and tuning, the pianos will astound you at
their quality sound.

D.L. Bullock
www.pianoworld.us