Greetings,  I would like to extend an invitation to everyone at
MMDigest for the unveiling of my 1925 Mason & Hamlin RBB on Sunday,
July 22, 2007, at 3 p.m. in Anaheim Hills, California.  This rebuilding
project is finally coming to a finish.  We will have a short concert of
Ampico rolls and special LX selections, plus a live pianist, to show
this incredible instrument.  This will be a momentous occasion -- not
only is this a rare Ampico player piano (only 74 were made), but it
will also have Wayne Stahnke's new "LX" playback system, a first!

The grand piano has been totally rebuilt except for the plate and
original soundboard.  It has new Able "Encore" hammers, a new action,
new Isaac Profundo bass strings, Roslau treble wire, and a Falconwood
pinblock.

The Ampico has been put together from scratch, and many innovations
unlike any Ampico in existence today, are integrated into the Ampico
mechanism.  We chose to do a late Ampico A with all it's refinements.
Some of the innovations for example, are the proprietary Lexan valves,
a newly built B style stack, a B drawer with a modified Standard air
pneumatic tracker bar, all designed and made by my wonderful rebuilder,
Randy Cox.

There are several other innovations as well.  Randy has also engineered
the installation alongside the Ampico A, of the very first Stahnke
Live Performance "LX" retro-fit playback kits in existence.  I can tell
you that there is nothing like this on the market today: the playback
quality of this LX system is beyond reproach, with over 340 levels of
playback for the pedal solenoid, and 1,020 levels of expression for each
key solenoid.  To be able to fit two systems like this into the piano
is a remarkable piece of engineering.

The address of the unveiling is 6544 East Via Fresco, Anaheim Hills,
California, 92807.  It will be in the clubhouse starting at 3 p.m.
Wayne Stahnke is planning to be there, barring any problems with
his schedule.  We will also have some AMICA members attending.

Rachmaninoff, Godovsky, Lhevinne, Hoffman etc, will be playing for us
on the Ampico, as well as Earl Wild, Katherine Bacon, Gerald Robinson,
and Dick Hyman from the Live Performance LX Library.  My good friend
Jeff Goldberg, a great pianist from New York City, has graciously
agreed to play a few Chopin pieces for us from his recent concert!
If you would like to bring some of your favorite Ampico rolls, please
do so!

We should have a great time.  So if you are in the area, please stop
by, and don't miss the chance to see a one-of-a kind-in-the-world Mason
& Hamlin RBB; it's the best of the old and the new in one grand piano!

Cordially, John Del Carlo