I am representing a local family who has a Duo-Art Concertola
Steck grand piano which has probably not operated in many years.  The
separate Concertola unit and its push-button control box is missing,
and very recently the piano went through a house fire in which the
piano was located in a room adjacent to the fire.  We want to determine
if a Concertola unit with cable exists to make this piano complete,
enabling future rebuilding, and what the piano's range in value should
be for the fire insurance claim.

The piano is a George Steck & Co. Style NY, s/n 126086, as pictured on
page 296 of Bowers' "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments"
(10th Printing, 1988).  It is 61" long and the case and veneer are in
good condition.  Photos are available on request via my e-mail address.

The recent fire left some soot on the top of the case, soundboard,
plate and keys, and the smell of smoke is evident.  The piano has
not yet been subjected to the standard ozone treatment to remove odor.
I advised the owners to wait because the ozone treatment might damage
the glue joints and veneers.  The owners believed the piano was
subjected temporarily to water during the fire but I found no visual
evidence of any water damage or stains.  I think the piano is
rebuildable.  However, if the piano for some reason were not
rebuildable, the Duo-Art assemblies under the piano still appear
undamaged.

All of the piano and the Duo-Art units and magnet valve assemblies
are present and in original condition (they have not been removed or
serviced).  Again, photos are available on request.  The expression
box, fan-accordions and air governors are much smaller than traditional
Duo-Art assemblies, and the layout and tubing is different.  I have no
Concertola tubing diagram or servicing pages, so would have to obtain
this information before working on the assemblies.  Its motor and pump
measure regular size.

The player note stack is protected by a full length wooden and felted
cover that I have not removed.  The original hand-wrapped (with
friction tape) wiring harness goes from the 1.5 foot-long electric
receptacle (photo available on request) to the expression and cut-outs,
and to the player stack, which probably contain magnet valves.  I have
not removed the covers to verify this.

None of the other New York State rebuilders I have talked with have
seen a Concertola.  Bowers' Encyclopedia (pages 295-299) and Ord-Hume's
books described marketing and design of the Concertola.  According to
Bowers, Concertola control boxes came in at least two different
designs, with either a one- or ten-roll changer, and with automatic or
manual tempo coding, requiring a roll coded for tempo on its leader.
I don't know which Concertola unit this piano had.

Please e-mail any comments or suggestions to me at <scoles@oswego.edu>
Thank you.

Fred Scoles, RPT
Oswego, New York