Hurricane Rag played on North Tonawanda Pianolin with Flute & Violin Pipes

The Pianolin uses a fascinating 'endless roll system' which you will see illustrated in this video. The advantage of this system was that, without a roll, the tempo remained consistent throughout playing. The disadvantage was that it was far from easy to change the music program!

In this video clip you'll hear the instrument (which dates from 1910) playing 'Hurricane Rag' which is tune No. 1 on 'roll' No. 496. The video shows the outside of the Pianolin and then some views of the roll mechanism and the endless roll system.

The North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works of New York operated between about 1906 and 1929, and its most well-known instrument produced in that period was the Pianolin, a 44-note cabinet-style coin piano which benefited from the accompaniment of 31 treble violin and 13 bass stopped flute organ pipes, as well as a mandolin rail.

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Entertainment

Tags:

• north
• tonawanda
• pianolin
• violin
• flute
• organ
• pipes
• piano
• coin
• nickelodeon
• orchestrion
• endless
• roll
• waltz

[nickn5nl]

@balmesh Yes it has quite a unique sound - very loud too, for a small cabinet.

[balmesh]

Smashing. I think it's interesting, the sound being quite different to some other mechanical beasties!

[nickn5nl]

@bietebouwer I think it is a similar type of paper - maybe slightly thicker. It is quite clever how the paper doesn't rip or tear when being pulled up from the storage bin - but then on a normal roll you have the roll flanges causing wear on the roll edge, which doesn't happen here.

[bietebouwer]

Is the roll made of pianola-like paper or is it stronger? Seems to me that this system puts some more strain on the roll than the regular mechanisms, or am I wrong?