Yes, there are some specialized parts only found in player pianos.
The player piano industry is very small, so how does a manufacturer
keep his doors open catering only to player piano rebuilders?  The
answer is a simple one -- these specialized parts also fit other
industries or else they make a lot of other items not for the piano
industry.

The tubing in a player piano is used in the food industry.  Player
Piano Company was able to have one of the suppliers also make the
tubing to fit the player piano.  That company only wants to sell
large lots.  I gave their name to Schaff Piano Supply yesterday but
the response was not as warm as I would have liked.

John Tuttle is scrambling to add more parts to his parts offering
at Player-Care.com.  Lynn Bullock is also starting to offer supplies
from his web site.  For band organ builders Dana Johnson is offering
the Wurlitzer top valve plates.  I am not doing anything except
watching and offering encouragement to them.  The tubing is going to
be a big chuck of money for someone to invest for a stock item.

National Casein Company (tel.: 1-903-877-3443) in Tyler, Texas,
supplied the glue for nylon cloth.  It is PVC-E glue.  The company
that made most of the hardware for the player industry is in business
and planning on a web site of their own.  They made over 2,000 items
for the player piano industry in their 110-year history.  Several
player people have contacted them to see if they can be a distributor.

All is not lost.  There are still a small number of people working on
becoming suppliers.

Don Teach
Shreveport Music Co.