player piano rebuild

this is my first attempt at rebuilding a player piano. it was a baldwin player destined for the dump. i had it delivered to my home and spent about 200 bucks to get it playing. kept all the original valves, just re-covered the pneumatics and re-tubed it. this is ukelel lady played a bit slowly, wanted to make sure it didnt eat my music roll.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• player
• piano

[pm0501]

Actually that tempo is about right. I've been gulity of playing some of my rolls too fast in my postings her which is largely due to an ungraduated tempo control dial on the Kimball Electromatic. I'm in the process of acquiring a 1920's upright so... out goes the Kimball!

[hebechoc]

i wouldnt chuck the kimball, just relegate it somewhere. i think the sound that comes from a big upright cant compare to a spinet. even if the upright is out of tune, it still sounds richer and more full in my opinion.

[pianoman1984]

nice to see the pneumatics move too, on most players you never see them play.

thnx for this video...

[hebechoc]

this was an odd baldwin because it had unit pneumatics. between each was a large washer and a nut to hold them to a brass manifold by compression. it made recovering a breeze and remounting wasnt a hastle either.

[hebechoc]

i went digging in my box of old rolls and found it!! its an imperial roll number x5800 copyright 1925.

[bandit289]

Thanks for keeping it from the dump.

[AugustusOakstar]

My I recommend the bible of restoration of PP's and reproducing pianos, "Automatic Piano Playing Devices", SAC had a copy.

Gd Luck

backley@satx.rr.com

[alsouthstuff]

What brand name or company made this roll? I like the arrangement!

[whitgreene1]

Nice job! It's great to save something like this, isn't it. I presently have a work in progress Baldwin project myself. I've retubed the tracker and it works, but it will get better. Also am working at a Aeolian restoration. That one should be awesome. These are my first projects also. Keep at it and post more music. Has a great sound.

Whit

[spiritbrother]

Ukulele Lady is an old evergreen song by Gus Kahn and Richard A. Whiting. Published in 1925

[hebechoc]

a good book called player piano rebuilding and restoration by arthur reblitz. i highly recommend it, it helped out a lot and leaves nothing out.

[mtk51]

Very nice job of recording.

I've just started work on my first player piano rebuild. Unfortunately, my valves need to be replaced.

[pm0501]

I have been searching for this tune for a year! I just found a copy at an antique mall for two bucks! It's Rialto, Roll # X5800. All it needed was a little repair work on the right edge of the first 20 inches and it plays perfectly! Your post inspired my quest to own this roll!

[pm0501]

My patience has paid off. I am in the process of having a 1925 Grinnell Brothers upright restored. Hopefully it will be ready by the end of summer. I anticipate re-taping all I've posted here and adding many more tunes.

[MacinStitch]

Sounds great. Tempo is right there and the key is perfect.