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MMD > Archives > August 2024 > 2024.08.09 > 01Prev  Next


Restoring Stoddard Ampico With Selector Mechanism
By Lance Reed

Dear Readers, I am trying to restore an upright Haines Brothers
piano with a Stoddard Ampico player mechanism. This mechanism does
not have the typical expression cut-out block but instead uses
a rotary valve mounted on the top rear of the spool box.

Upon the valve are found 24 nipples with connections to the tracker
bar and running to the sides of the stack where, of course, there
are junctions to continue down into the basement of the piano.
Several of the nipples have no tubes connected to them, and it is
very questionable how the existing tubes have been connected.

The player action also at one time contained the selector mechanism
on top of the spool box in which you could repeat a certain portion
of a piano roll but that was removed and disposed of, apparently.

Does anyone out there have a schematic for this early Stoddard Ampico?
I do have the "Illustrated Views Of The Ampico Reproducing Mechanism",
published by the Vestal Press years ago; however, it does not contain
a diagram of the rotary valve I am speaking of. This valve has a tab
going through the back top of the spool box and the operator may
switch it from 'On' or 'Off' position.

If you do have a schematic for this mechanism, I would highly
appreciate it if you would contact me at the email address below or
give me a call at 1-518-663-8842.

Thank you very much!

Lance Reed - Resurrection Piano Service
Johnsonville, New York (near the Albany area)
resurrectionpianoservice@gmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep"
to reply]


(Message sent Fri 9 Aug 2024, 15:25:05 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Ampico, Mechanism, Restoring, Selector, Stoddard

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