MMD readers, who have put up with my requests for help with the rebuild
of my Steck upright Half Duo-Art during the past four and a half years,
and who have responded generously, will be relieved to learn that it is
re-assembled and going.  It's not perfect yet, but it's at least
listenable.  My current problem is with the air motor.

When I rebuilt my first player over thirty years ago, a Stroud
upright M-T player, I spent hours trying to get the motor to run at
the indicted speed over the whole range of the dial, from 0 to 110.
In the end I concluded that it just wasn't possible, and settled for
reasonable calibration over the range 60 to 90.  As it has transpired,
there hasn't been much of a problem; few rolls demand speeds outside
that range.

I'm having a similar problem with my Half Duo-Art -- at least, it's
looking very much that way.  This isn't surprising, since the two
actions are identical, outside the expression box.  Before I stop
trying, I'd appreciate anybody's views on whether it is possible to
extend the range where the motor's speed corresponds well to the dial
indication.

A possible problem arises for persons who like to use the Metrostyle
pointer to follow the red line on a M-T roll.  I'm aware that there
is some controversy as to whether it was a useful feature or not.  As
I understand the history, the earlier rolls were Metrostyled in batches
by (usually) young women who operated a sort of pantograph, using which
they followed with a pointer, a Metrostyle line that had been drawn on
a master roll by a roll editor.  A number of slave pens then drew
Metrostyle lines on already punched  rolls.  This could have worked,
but I suspect that the operators' minds were not always on the job.  It
must have been exceedingly boring, after all.

Later, I believe, the Metrostyle line was put on using a rubber
stencil, which was as long as the roll.  This should have yielded much
more accurate results.  If my Metrostyle history is complete rubbish,
I'd be glad to learn the truth.

In any event, I find the line usually seems to make sense, although
I usually ignore the small squiggles along the way.  However, deep
excursions to the left (i.e., towards the bass) are to be avoided.
If one moves the pointer so far to the left that the motor stops,
but he is intent on slavishly following the line , what is he to do?
He will be stuck there forever!

It might be interesting to look through coroner's reports from the early
20th Century for cases where neighbors have finally broken into a house
occupied by a pianola owner, but which has become strangely silent.
They may have found the desiccated corpse of the pianolist, still
sitting at the player, feet on the pedals and hand still grasping the
Tempo control.

John Phillips in Hobart, Tasmania