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 > February 2013 > 2013.02.18 > 08Prev  Next


Ampico "A" Restoration Guide On-line
By Paul Manganaro

Thank you, Eli Shahar, and the others who have sent emails about my
restoration guide to the Ampico A, at

  http://antiquemechanicalrestorations.com/Ampico_A.html 

This week I shared some information with a hobbyist who was adjusting
his pump so I thought I'd send the information along to MMD.

Here's a tip for regulating the amplifier pneumatic on your Ampico "A"
pump.  Set the Modify switch to Brilliant and play a heavy classical
piece with lots of loud crescendos in the music and watch the behavior
of the amplifier pneumatic.  Of course your piano will have to have a
good rebuild with plenty of power to do this.

As the music gets loud the amplifier should start to collapse.  The
pneumatic should not close all the way (limited by the bolt adjustment)
before the music climaxes in volume.  If your amplifier pneumatic
closes before the music reaches its peak, strengthen the coil spring
at the very end of the amplifier lever.

There are two springs on the amplifier lever.  Don't adjust the spring
for the spill to make this adjustment, [but] increase tension to the
spring at the very end of the lever.  This will give the widest range
of amplification.

The pneumatic should 'float' while the music increases in volume,
closing only at the loudest point.

Paul Manganaro


(Message sent Tue 19 Feb 2013, 00:40:52 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Ampico, Guide, On-line, Restoration

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