> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTUJa-dnayQ
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJf71Djs9I
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxDGcc9LTek
That piano, although it looks old, is a Universal Piano Co. product
built in the 1990's probably. I am familiar with the bar that goes
across the bottom of the bellows.
Universal player pianos have an electric motor that drives the roll
(like the Ampico B), so all the pedaling goes to play the music.
However, on the YouTube videos, it appeared that the electric suction
box was working. On at least one showing on my computer, the music
started before the pedaling. It is possible to pedal those pianos
while the suction box works. It is as slow as the kids were pedaling.
That said, those units in good condition are quite easy to play. Like
all players, they have there own idiosyncrasies. One is that the roll
drive motor or transmission may go bad. There is a tiny nylon gear
that sometimes splits and looses its pressure fit on the drive shaft.
The cure that I know of is to replace the motor and transmission.
A supplier is getting more and more difficult to find.
Another problem occurs because they used plastic pouches. These split
and become useless. The only cure is to replace them all with leather.
Again, replacements are becoming hard to find.
Jeff Davis
Seattle
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