Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

End-of-Year Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > October 2009 > 2009.10.07 > 03Prev  Next


Harold Powell Steinway Recording Piano
By Bob Taylor

When Harold Powell was producing Ampico rolls using the original
masters and perforator, he also was making 88-note rolls.  Some of
those rolls were of current music titles, and thus were new to the
piano roll market.  It was my understanding that Harold used
a Steinway Duo-Art (British) pedal electric piano to record those
rolls.  If anyone has information about the piano, a true 7' Steinway,
I would love to know the details.

This type of piano was only produced for the British market.  A true
Steinway model B scale, (7 foot), was made in Hamburg, and then sent
to England for the Aeolian player system.  Most seemed to be the
PEDA system with full Duo-Art and also the pedal Themodist systems
installed.

Somehow, Harold Powell acquired one of these pianos and had it during
the time he produced rolls.  He modified the roll drive to incorporate
a Bodine electric motor.  The other modifications he made are not
known.  Can anyone shed more light on this subject?

I am researching that piano now, I had seen it when Harold owned it
in the 1970s.  Did it have a contact mechanism on the keys to record
for hand-played rolls?

Bob Taylor


(Message sent Thu 8 Oct 2009, 01:37:07 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Harold, Piano, Powell, Recording, Steinway

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page