A furniture store in Roswell, New Mexico, has model L Steinway Duo-Art,
Ser. No. 158233, for sale.  I thought it might be of interest to some
collectors in our group that would like to own one of the earliest
Duo-Arts made.

The piano serial number dates it as 1913 which is before we're usually
told the Duo-Art came to market.  I've seen another such very early
Duo-Art, an upright Steinway.  Although equipped with an electric run
pump with no provision for pedals, this upright's bottom panel had a
blocked opening for the pedals to drop down.

I imagine that both of these pianos were originally intended to be
regular player pianos, but Aeolian retained them for installation with
their upcoming Duo-Art.  Also, there may have been a significant enough
time-lag between the time Aeolian got a piano from Steinway and the
time it came out of the door with a player installed that Duo-Arts were
what were being installed by the time they got around to these pianos.

There are several differences between this grand and later models: the
spool box is not canted back as we're used to seeing, but is oriented
straight up and down like the upright spool box.  To make enough room
for the tracker bar, roll and take-up spool, the roll sits high enough
in the spool box that the roll flanges stick up above the case and
the rolls have to be played with the spool box cover open.  Also, the
controls are different than on the later models.  This Duo-Art grand,
as was the practice with many of the earlier grand players, was
designed with the pump separate from the piano.

The piano was auctioned off about two years ago in my home town of
Carlsbad, New Mexico.  Naturally I had to run down and see it.  I was
told that the piano came from original owners in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
They had gotten too old to retain the big old house and had to sell it
and the piano.  The winning bidder was said to own a furniture store
and had bought the piano with the idea of resale at a profit.  I just
recently found out exactly where the piano was and that it was still
for sale.  The asking price is $19,000.  This is a dry-climate piano
which is a plus for anybody in a similar climate wanting to acquire an
old instrument.

The player has had patch-up repairs done on it through the years to
keep it playing.  It will need a complete restoration.  It appears that
there are no significant or irreversible modifications and everything
seems to be there except the original pump, which was replaced by a
turbine unit of the type usually seen in electrified pumpers.

I suspect that the original owners loved the instrument and had repairs
and fixes applied just to keep it at least playing.  I suspect that as
the old pneumatic system failed, they were advised to get a turbine
unit to supply enough vacuum to overcome the ever increasing leakage.

Unfortunately, it appears they discarded the original pump since it
didn't come to the auction with the piano.  Surely it originally had a
"steamboat pump."  It may be difficult to find a replacement steamboat
pump, but it shouldn't be too hard to pick up one of the more numerous
Duo-Art box pumps and install it remote from the piano.  In this form,
the instrument would perform correctly if it's all properly restored.

The piano is pleasant to play by hand and the action feels okay and
responsive.  Some of the dampers are not quite up to the task anymore.
There're no missing ivories, but I don't know if they are original.
The piano appears to have been well cared for.  It looks like it's been
refinished somewhere along the way and looks great.  The tone is
somewhat weaker than you'd expect on a straight Steinway grand of the
same size, but it has a nice tone.  Any serious restoration would
include a total work over of the piano anyway, and it needs it.

Please contact the furniture store directly if you're interested.  It's
Colony House Home Furnishings, 1410 S. Main St., Roswell, NM  88203.
The phone number is (575) 622-6460.   You can contact the store manager,
Ms. Adair, via e-mail at cadair@dfn.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep"
to reply].

I have nothing to do with the store or the piano and will receive no
commission if my posting here results in a sale.  I'm just interested
in the fine old instrument finding a good home where it would at least
be preserved and hopefully fully restored.

Dick Merchant,
Carlsbad, New Mexico