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MMD > Archives > September 2011 > 2011.09.30 > 03Prev  Next


Frank Milne, Ampico Piano Roll Artist
By Ben Gottfried

Here's a little video I shot the other day of a Fischer Ampico I just
finished up.  This is an early Ampico with the remote primaries and the
push rod stack with upside down valves.  I like this style of Ampico,
I think the larger pneumatics in the stack and the lightweight push
rods give them a little edge over the later design with the smaller
pneumatics and heavy flange fingers.

I'll go ahead and assume other Ampico enthusiasts out there in MMD-land
find Frank Milne's recordings of pop music to be the very best. The
styling of those rolls -- with the art deco labels and lush arrangements
of the popular tunes of the 1930's -- to me, at least, represent the
pinnacle of player piano sophistication in marketing.  Too bad the
depression and the decline of the player piano was in full swing as the
martini glasses tinkled away in the apartments and music salons of the
Ampico owners in this era.

Milne went on with his music career at QRS after Aeolian-American Corp.
stopped punching rolls in 1941.  I think he recorded into the 1960's?
Anyway, enjoy the music:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g31fckQCKDE 

Ben Gottfried - Ben's Player Piano Service
Richfield Springs, New York
http://www.bensplayerservice.com/ 


(Message sent Thu 29 Sep 2011, 14:49:28 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Ampico, Artist, Frank, Milne, Piano, Roll

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