This was the statement talked about:

> This has got to be about the silliest statement, in an ad for a
> non-working player, that I've ever seen, right here: "The player
> piano diaphragm is shot and will require repair and service in
> order to work."

Yes, I have probably heard them all, usually from the owner of
a player who wants to sell it to me (in the days before Craigslist).

The bellows are referred to as diaphragms, baffles, bags and "bellers"
as in "bellerin' cow".  And then that's followed by the story how
Gramps fixed the bags using plastic table cloth or Gramma's old leather
coat.  Yes, I have seen bellows recovered with red and white checkered
table cloth material and patches from antique fur coats.

Although I agree that the older player is the better choice for tone
and function,  I also should say you have the wrong idea about the
[modern] Kimball.  That Kimball does not use those black bellows
looking things anywhere but on that mandolin rail.

>>  Here's one right here, a working Kimball player
>>  https://wichita.craigslist.org/msg/5326952565.html 
>
> That one is a modern Kimball player unit.  They can have real
> problems with the electronic roll control, and the molded bellows
> used to operate things -- you can see two of them in the pictures
> of the open top.

I have restored several of them like this one mentioned above.  They
are actually well made.  They use plastic valve blocks with two valves
on each.  They usually only have the problem of the plastic valve
blocks coming loose from the wooden pneumatic deck.  They were glued on
with airplane glue which has long since cut loose.  The pneumatics will
usually need recovering.

To rebuild the valves you need only clean out the natural gum rubber
valves and make bottom gaskets for the block, add two screw holes in
each one so you can screw them down to the hard rock maple wooden deck.
I have never had problems with the rudimentary electronics except for
a contact next to the spoolbox that often is a problem.

The problem with almost all of them is the pinion gear found inside
of the gear box.  That gear must be replaced.  I found one from someone
in Florida years ago and I hear John Tuttle is making a run of those
as well.  The gear box must be dismantled and cleaned in carburetor
cleaner or kerosene, but anything that is brown is fiber and it will
melt if you let that part soak.  That is the problem with the pinion
gear -- it was made of brown fiber and has shredded itself over the
years.  Pack that gear box with white lithium grease or other axle
grease when you put it back together.

So if you do all that and clean up the brushes on the little suction
motor you will be good to go on one of those Kimballs for a decade or
two.

Doug L. Bullock
Alton, Illinois
http://thepianoworld.com/