Well, it seems like the player piano repair business, and the following
of player piano collections in general, plus the interest in them, is
waning fast.  I see so many "Free!" players in Craigslists all over
that it makes me very sad.

There is the story (I won't bother to repeat the whole thing) on the
MMD, "While us kids were sobbing outside a closed door so we were
spared the sight, my dad and our uncle literally chopped up that
wonderful piano."

What kind of musical instrument can give such a wonderful feeling?
Certainly not some "highly advanced" electronic organ which "plays
itself!"

There is something about the good old fashioned stack-and-foot-pump,
real stringed player piano, that gives me a great feeling of joy
when I play it.  Unfortunately, there is so much distaste for that
"ugly piano which my ex-wife left" that makes me recoil in horror.

The unavailability of rubber cloth is a tremendous misfortune.  The
whole fun of a player resides in the availability of this currently
scarce material.  It is expedient then, to _keep your players in good
condition,_ so that the rubber cloth can last for as long as possible.

The (original) Aeolian Co. was noted for having "the very finest cloth,
etc.," and the added stops which kept the cloth from collapsing all
the way on a playing note, really helped their player actions to last
a long time.

Let's not let (pun not intended) these fascinating automatic musical
instruments go to waste any longer.  Cherish them for what they are,
not what some wine-bibber wants them to be -- "Hey, look at my fancy
wine bar!  Guess what it's made from?  A rare 1920s reproducing
Steinway!  Far out, dude, huh?!"

Luke Myers
Whitewater, Kansas
ldmyers95@gmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]