Currently in my shop for restoration is one of the two or three Mason
& Hamlin pianos built with an Ampico.  Like other concert grand Ampico
pianos, this piano had a special, highly modified Ampico unit installed.
In my knowledge, all of these pianos except one have been stripped of
the Ampico.  Therefore, few people have ever seen the special features.
When I saw the complete mechanism in a concert grand Chickering in
1975, I made photographs of everything unusual.  Those photographs have
allowed me to remanufacture mechanisms for two concert grand pianos
since then.

Beside having special valves and tubing which allow remote control,
these pianos have multiple motors and a pump that possess a second
stage of amplification.  Logic devices control the pump output.

The factory had installed a placard in this Mason & Hamlin that gives
various pressure settings.  I have sent a photo of that to MMD for the
Archives.  The terms of the placard seem to indicate an Ampico B, but
that is not the case.  This is an Ampico A.  The placard photo clearly
shows the pianos tension resonator.  It also identifies the piano as
RCC EBONY.  The piano is indeed RCC 36811.

A second photo shows that the beams make for a tricky layout for the
Ampico.  This piano will be playing again soon.

Bob Taylor

 [ See the photos at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/  -- Robbie