On the weekend I went to look at a $100 player for sale about an hour
away. I could see in the advertising photograph what looked like
SoloElle on the fall board; this is what I found.
This 1921 Hardman Peck Autotone player piano is a reproducing model
having the Soloelle System installed. The Soloelle Player system
appears complete and original. The hammers and felts are reasonable,
timberwork is good, lacquer on externals is bad, all hoses and cloth
and leather needs replacing. The asking price is AU $100. (I suspect
she will be quite negotiable to get it out of the house!)
I believe these players are quite unusual, there is very little about
them on MMD. Odd, in that they move a dozen different sections of the
hammer rail independently to (as one of the period advertisements put
it) "highlight the melody as a pianist would." Someone else suggested
they may have been a poor man's reproducing piano.
They appear to have been manufactured between 1918 and 1921. This
particular one appears to have Themodist capability, unlike the only
other tracker bar photograph I could find. Perhaps someone is up for
rescuing and restoring it?
I have gathered up what little I can find about it, including a couple
of short mobile phone videos and a few photos and period advertising:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v6h564gy7w74xn7/AAD2E3OwOpf90385vYHDOOCUa?dl=0
I have just the one pictured SoloElle roll in my collection which
anyone who wants to restore the player will be welcome to!
Colin Mills
Lobethal, South Australia
colalimills@gmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]
[ See http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/S/soloelle.html
[ and http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/S/solo_elle.html
[ -- Robbie
|