I picked up a Marshall & Wendell Ampico yesterday.  The serial number
dates it to 1924.   I have an earlier Franklin that's in pretty tough
shape, and since the M&W is the better of the two pianos, I figured
that, between the two, I would be able to get a pretty nice player out
of the situation.  Of course I didn't realize that there were so many
variations in those things.

After reading what has been said about them on the MMD, I thought I'd
ask a few questions and get some input on what I should do here.  I do
have a large number of Ampico rolls and would like to have a piano to
play them on.

The later Marshall & Wendell has a ratchet-spring motor on the bellows
and an expression system which is totally different from that normally
seen in the electric Ampico players.  The earlier Franklin has more
conventional expression units, with crescendo units, and basically
looks like the electric system, with bellows in there.  The later piano
does have some pot metal issues with the transmission, and I'm not sure
at this point whether it is salvageable.  Assuming it is, does anyone
have any ideas about which of the two systems is better?

The Marshall & Wendell has the later style valve blocks, and a huge
model B type take-up spool.  It also has a pressure indicator.

The Franklin piano is in tough shape.  It was given to me a few years
ago, and had been in a hot, tin farm building and was falling apart.
The back of the piano had dropped out of the case and most of what was
under the keyboard had been put in a box on top of the piano.  It had
also been moved a few times in that condition; so I just hauled it
home, thinking that someday I might do something with the parts from
it.

Would it make more sense to change the system over on the later piano?
Or is the variation that is in the Marshall & Wendell better, or was
that just a variation to make the piano cheaper?  The later one looks a
lot more involved than the earlier one does.  At least that spring
motor and the other parts seem like they would have been more expensive
to make.

I took some pictures of the Marshall & Wendell, if anyone is interested
in seeing its construction.  I read what I could find on the MMD about
these pianos, but didn't really see any discussion of which of the
three systems that are commonly found in Ampicos is the best one.

Thanks in advance for your time and trouble.

Earl Hennagir
Mason City, Iowa