With much help I am in the process of rebuilding and restoring an
'O' roll buildup orchestrion which has not been played in many years.
It currently uses a standard player piano spoolbox, slightly extended
in depth to play the 'O' rolls, which have had to be re-spooled onto
88-note piano cores and then some giant 3.5" diameter spool ends used
(which I understand may be from a type of Ampico roll).
Obviously this is rather unsatisfactory as I have no further supply
of these oversized spool ends, and so any new 'O' rolls I purchase are
unplayable unless I split them in half. Not something I wish to do.
So my question is: is it still possible to purchase an 'O' roll
spool frame and roll chuck assembly? The buildup uses a suction box,
not a mechanical pump, so it would presumably really need to be a spool
frame using electric drive, as I gather some built by PPCo did have.
Does anyone out there have such a thing going spare, or know of such
a thing still being built?
Many thanks.
Nicholas Newble, UK
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