I love this piano. It's doing everything it's supposed to do but you really ought to get a redirector for that heating and air vent that's blowing right into your pianos guts. Please!
@aardvaark069 Thanks for the comment! And just to put your mind at ease, it's not a heater but an air purifier, set on low, and there is a small room humidifier behind that. The fringe is very light so it looks like a hurricane is blowing, but it's not. Believe me, coming from the Midwest, I know all too well the ill fate that befalls a piano placed next to a heat source. Fortunately, the Pacific Northwest is far more forgiving. The room is kept at a constant 70 degrees and 40 % humidity.
@knabchic I feel better now. A re-cut or original roll? Perfect reproduction. I am in theprocess of having a 6'4" 1927 Knabe A restored. I'm gonna install a B drawer. It'll be a hybrid but it oughtta be fabulous. Now all I need is a roll collection. Thanks for this post.
@aardvaark069 This is a recut. We are starting the restoration of a 6'6" Bush & Lane, Hepplewhite case with a Welte...WONDERFUL, over-built piano! The 6'4" Knabe scale is WONDERFUL too, and we definitely have our eyes and ears peeled for a 6'4. We have said if one comes up that is too good to resist, we probably won't resist :). The B drawer on an A piano is the best of both worlds in my opinion. Our Knabe has an electric roll drive, but still the original drawer.
@knabchic sounds wonderful. I have a steinway xr 1933 late model with no junction blocks and electric roll drive. A nice piano but I'm an Ampico man and I personally find the Knabe piano to be the ideal piano for a reproducer. It just sounds more musical and less mechanical to me than any other piano with a reproducer. i haven't figured out why though.
@aardvaark069 It's an older Keystone recut. I know what you are saying about the Knabe tone, and I have to agree. I ventured into this hobby without preconceptions, and ended up favoring the Knabe after listening to many reproducing pianos. We also have a 5'4 Chickering Ampico in the same room as the Knabe. We love both of our "children," don't get me wrong, but let's just say the Knabe is what gets played the most.
That is simply awesome. What a beautiful restoration. Its a fine player system, and an even finer piano!
Id like to know how easy it is to play these pianos with the player system under the base... Is the instrument taller than standard grands to allow for leg room?
@Brandotuomikoski Thank you! Actually, they aren't any higher than a standard piano. You can play them by hand, as I do...poorly. Since the piano plays much better than I do, I usually just let the piano do the playing :).
J. Milton Delcamp is the pianist here. He died tragically young of tuberculosis, and this roll is proof of what a loss that was to the musical world. Your Ampico sounds great!
@autopiano I agree. Another one lost far too early was Theodore Henrion, who died during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Although some of the early Ampico rolls sound somewhat primitive (at least compared to later rolls with more sophisticated coding), his rendition of Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" would fool you into thinking it was done some ten years later.
Very nice and love the piano as well as the roll! Please post more. (Another Knabe lover)!
aknabea 10 months ago
I love this piano. It's doing everything it's supposed to do but you really ought to get a redirector for that heating and air vent that's blowing right into your pianos guts. Please!
aardvaark069 1 year ago
@aardvaark069 Thanks for the comment! And just to put your mind at ease, it's not a heater but an air purifier, set on low, and there is a small room humidifier behind that. The fringe is very light so it looks like a hurricane is blowing, but it's not. Believe me, coming from the Midwest, I know all too well the ill fate that befalls a piano placed next to a heat source. Fortunately, the Pacific Northwest is far more forgiving. The room is kept at a constant 70 degrees and 40 % humidity.
knabchic 1 year ago
@knabchic I feel better now. A re-cut or original roll? Perfect reproduction. I am in theprocess of having a 6'4" 1927 Knabe A restored. I'm gonna install a B drawer. It'll be a hybrid but it oughtta be fabulous. Now all I need is a roll collection. Thanks for this post.
aardvaark069 1 year ago
@aardvaark069 This is a recut. We are starting the restoration of a 6'6" Bush & Lane, Hepplewhite case with a Welte...WONDERFUL, over-built piano! The 6'4" Knabe scale is WONDERFUL too, and we definitely have our eyes and ears peeled for a 6'4. We have said if one comes up that is too good to resist, we probably won't resist :). The B drawer on an A piano is the best of both worlds in my opinion. Our Knabe has an electric roll drive, but still the original drawer.
knabchic 1 year ago
@knabchic sounds wonderful. I have a steinway xr 1933 late model with no junction blocks and electric roll drive. A nice piano but I'm an Ampico man and I personally find the Knabe piano to be the ideal piano for a reproducer. It just sounds more musical and less mechanical to me than any other piano with a reproducer. i haven't figured out why though.
aardvaark069 1 year ago
@knabchic Oh I forgot to ask. What outfit re-cut? Sierra or other?
aardvaark069 1 year ago
@aardvaark069 It's an older Keystone recut. I know what you are saying about the Knabe tone, and I have to agree. I ventured into this hobby without preconceptions, and ended up favoring the Knabe after listening to many reproducing pianos. We also have a 5'4 Chickering Ampico in the same room as the Knabe. We love both of our "children," don't get me wrong, but let's just say the Knabe is what gets played the most.
knabchic 1 year ago
@knabchic well....this child sings beautifully
aardvaark069 1 year ago
That is simply awesome. What a beautiful restoration. Its a fine player system, and an even finer piano!
Id like to know how easy it is to play these pianos with the player system under the base... Is the instrument taller than standard grands to allow for leg room?
Brandotuomikoski 1 year ago
@Brandotuomikoski Thank you! Actually, they aren't any higher than a standard piano. You can play them by hand, as I do...poorly. Since the piano plays much better than I do, I usually just let the piano do the playing :).
knabchic 1 year ago
with the black fringe, i can picture helen atop your piano...you know which one...
VTMCompany 1 year ago
@VTMCompany We actually have the roll "Bill" from Showboat too...perhaps I should post that one next to really solidify the image ;)
knabchic 1 year ago
Stunning! Wonderful expression for a parlor sized piano. Please post more...
ampicofan 1 year ago
J. Milton Delcamp is the pianist here. He died tragically young of tuberculosis, and this roll is proof of what a loss that was to the musical world. Your Ampico sounds great!
autopiano 1 year ago
@autopiano I agree. Another one lost far too early was Theodore Henrion, who died during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Although some of the early Ampico rolls sound somewhat primitive (at least compared to later rolls with more sophisticated coding), his rendition of Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" would fool you into thinking it was done some ten years later.
knabchic 1 year ago
Very impressive , thanks for sharing this :)
DuoArtDanOz 1 year ago
@DuoArtDanOz Thank you! It really is pretty amazing what these instruments are capable of...especially considering it's over 100 year old technology!
knabchic 1 year ago