Hi all.  I feel somewhat sheepish today; after all the years I've
fooled with player-pianos, I've been taken in by a stencil piano!

I found a Monarch piano on eBay; cheap enough -- I bought it for
one dollar, thinking it was a Baldwin-built Monarch and I planned
to rebuild the piano for personal use.  Upon arriving in Kentucky to
pick up the piano I realized at once that this was not a Baldwin-built
instrument.  The stack and the scale was wrong, and the nameplate
(removable) had no trade name on it whatsoever.  The "House of Baldwin"
badge was nowhere to be found.

However, I took the piano anyway, being obligated to do so.  Later,
upon closer inspection I determined that the stack was an H.C.  Bay,
serial number 24747.  I will of course rebuild it, as it is quite
restorable.

This manufacturer, whoever it was, was quite clever.  On the main
casting on the top it simply reads,  "This instrument is warranted,"
then on the name plate "for 10 years by the MFR".

I also have a photo of a "Singer" piano that also has the identical
script on the main casting, except on the name-plate it simply reads
"By the manufacturer".  This was also a very clever way to offer these
units with different warranties simply by changing the fonts on the
nameplate.

So far, the only names I have been able to associate with this type of
piano have been Singer and Henderson, both of which are stencil names.
I am most interested in finding out the real maker.  If any of you have
a similar instrument, I would be most interested in what name it was
marketed under.  It is not an American Piano Company product, either.

The "Monarch" [brand name] belonged to Baldwin.  I have a strong
feeling that the reason the nameplate was left blank on this
player is because the trade name on the fallboard decal was put on
right before the instrument was sold.  The fonts are different than
the Baldwin product, and it looks original.  This was to hoodwink the
public that this was indeed a true 'Monarch', and now 80 years later,
the trick still worked!

I have some photos of the player, and also one of the Singer, at
http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/tempola

Maybe I will just use Steinway decals during the rebuilding to impress
my friends!

Andy Taylor