In MMD 2019.01.10 Andrew Lardieri referred to the style X-A-1 on
public display at C. W. Parker Carousel Museum in Leavenworth, Kansas,
as "The Best Sounding Artizan Band Organ On Display." As he notes,
this organ has been converted to play Wurlitzer 125 rolls, so it is
arguably not truly an Artisan any more, it has been re-scaled.
I accept that it is a nice instrument, and it is good to see it
entertaining the public in connection with a carousel.
As "The Best Artisan Band Organ On Display," I would nominate the
Style D at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum of North Tonawanda,
New York. Not only is it much larger, with a more complex sound, but
it is playing Artisan rolls. The museum also now possesses punching
machines to make Artisan rolls available to other owners, or builders
of replicas.
Doug Hershberger, the current lead caretaker for this machine, has even
taken it to a COAA rally at Olcott Beach, where a wider audience would
see it. See "A video tour of an Artizan "Style D" Band Organ" at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDDYUJhCDf0
Wallace Venable
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