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In April of 2008, I acquired a nearly complete original set of
Aeolian-manufactured reproducing piano parts of the "Duo-Art in
a Drawer" kind that had previously been removed by a piano technician
from a walnut finished Steinway Duo-Art grand, whose model and serial
number were not recorded.  At the time, I did not realize that the
Normal-Soft-Dance switch that is usually under the piano in this type
of instrument was missing.

The opportunity to obtain all the other existing parts as-is was too
tantalizing to pass up, because they could be restored and retrofitted
back into another Steinway of the same type as the unit from which they
were uninstalled, if such an instrument could be located and acquired.
Presumably, an original orphan Normal-Soft-Dance switch could be found
or duplicated.

The Ampico B drawer, whose B-type tracker bar was obviously replaced
by Aeolian Corporation or Aeolian-American Corporation with a stock
Duo-Art tracker bar incorporating the Ampico B shifting rod tracking
mechanism, appears to be of early 1930-ish vintage.  The Play-Reroll
mechanism utilizes the double knuckle configuration and the Ampico B
subdue switch is absent, but a hole had been drilled in the wooden
support structure where one would have gone.

The shallow stack is comprised of two tiers of forty striker pneumatics
that are graduated in four distinct lengths from 4.0 inches to 4.5
inches and are narrower (7/8 inch) than the conventional Duo-Art striker
pneumatics that are characteristic of 1920s Duo-Art instruments.
Judging from the stack section spacing (bass 22-28-17-13 treble), the
piano in which it was originally installed was most likely a Model M
Steinway grand, but it could also have been a Model O or a Model L.

The long style expression box is of the fan accordion type, consistent
with several designs used in Steinway Duo-Art pianos equipped with the
remote single roll or ten roll carrousel Concertola mechanism.  The
main pump is mounted upside-down in the piano with the pulley wheel
facing upward toward the soundboard.  The box pump diameter is smaller
(15 inches) than a conventional Duo-Art box pump because the electric
roll drive in the Ampico B drawer eliminates the pneumatic load that
would otherwise be needed to supply a vacuum-driven Aeolian roll motor.

The main purpose of this communication to MMD is to request help in
locating and subsequently acquiring a compatible Steinway "Duo-Art in a
Drawer" grand piano.  Because a set of "Duo-Art in a Drawer" reproducing
parts is at hand, it does not matter if the piano is gutted (empty) or
full (complete), but it must be of the "Duo-Art in a Drawer" type.  The
requisite piano will not be of the stretched variety because no (so
few) player parts are mounted above the keybed as they would be in a
conventional 1920s instrument.  In all likelihood, the piano would have
single legs, not exhibiting the usual double leg H construction.

The serial number for an original stretched Steinway Duo-Art grand
piano case typically incorporated the letter R, as in XR (model M),
OR (model O), AR (model A).  The serial number for the Steinway Duo-Art
Concertola piano (non stretched case) typically displayed the letters
XY for a Model M grand, OY for a Model O grand, and AY for a Model A
grand.  A normal sized (not stretched) case for a Steinway with a
"Duo-Art in a Drawer" probably also used the letter Y in its identifying
serial number, as in YM (model M), YL (model L), or YA (model A).

These Steinway-associated serial number designations are discussed on
page 164 of The Piano Book, by Larry Fine, published by Brookside
Press, Boston, MA, third edition, fifth printing (green cover),
September 1996.  The first two numbers of the 6-digit serial number in
the piano being sought will likely be 26, 27, or 28.  I would assign
the 27 sequence the greatest probability of occurrence for a Steinway
"Duo-Art in a Drawer" configuration.

The serial number information cited above could be very useful, if not
critical, in identifying a gutted Steinway "Duo-Art in a Drawer" piano
that might otherwise go unrecognized as such because the instrument
would look essentially identical to a conventional non-player Steinway
grand piano.

In addition to the serial number designations, a potential Steinway
"Duo-Art in a Drawer" instrument could be corroborated by inspecting
the underside of the piano, verifying the presence of the below the
keybed slot where the drawer equalizer bar would go, the cutout section
where the stack would go, and various holes in some structural bracing
beams where pneumatic tubing would pass through.

If anyone has a complete instrument of this type, restored or
unrestored, I would like to obtain photographs of the bottom of the
piano, so that I could at least see where all the parts that I have are
intended to be positioned.  If someone has a gutted instrument of this
type, underside photos would also be enlightening.

If you can help, or if you have questions that you might wish to
discuss regarding this musical restoration effort, I would appreciate
a phone call at the number below, or an e-mail message.

Bill Koenigsberg
Concord, Massachusetts, USA
tel.: 1-978-369-8523
billkberg@comcast.net.geentroep [delete .geentroep to reply]