Most readers who are fans of the Ampico are aware of the demonstration
concerts that were performed in promotion of the Ampico.  Those concerts
are well documented.  The instruments used were very special.  Not only
were they concert grand size, but they contained special components to
aid in the demonstrations.

Many of the normal home instrument controls were removed from these
pianos.  The remaining mechanism was bolstered with a high speed pump
that required two motors.  The pump operated much like the later Ampico
B pump with three distinct stages of output, but the expression was
otherwise, pure Ampico A.  Additionally, the roll drive within the
drawer could be stopped and started by remote control while the rest
of the mechanism continued to operate.

To my knowledge, only one of these pianos has ever been found with the
entire mechanism intact.  Some six more gutted instruments have been
located, and there are probably more.

The one intact instrument was restored in the late 1970's and in 1983
it was featured in a re-creation concert much like the Demonstration
concerts of the 1920's.  Tickets were sold to the public to make the
event plausible as the cost of the orchestra was too much for the
convention attendees to bear.  With an audience of over 2,000, the
piano orchestra performed three separate concerto movements and various
other solo selections.  The performance was recorded with the intent of
broadcasting selections on National Public Radio.  That never occurred,
but the rights to broadcast remained.

In lieu of the NPR broadcast, I now invite this audience to listen
to one selection from that wonderful evening in Chicago.  Tune in at

http://web.me.com/bobtaylor5/Concert_Performance/Podcast_20/Podcast_20.html 

Bob Taylor