July 19, 2015   1:00 pm    
PUBLIC PREMIERE - The Pianocorder Project 2015  
768 Brian Way,  Lansdale, PA 19446-6600 


Dr. Janet Gitney and Mr.Robert McFeeters are hosting the first public performances of my digital P-100 Pianocorder.  Come early, and stay as long as you can.  A musical afternoon affair, showcasing a variety of music past and present.  Here is an opportunity to see and hear the newest digital upgrade for this 37 year old system.  Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be available during the presentation.  A casual setting, lively conversations, and good music should make for a memorable experience for everyone.  This is not a sales event.  No one will be asked to purchase anything.  Please call:   215-353-0350   to RSVP.  Any questions or directions can be addressed either by phone or e-mail:   classic.musical.instrument@gmail.com

It has been several busy months for me

After 17 years of storage, I have refurbished and updated my P-100 Pianocorder and installed it in a 1953 Wurlitzer console piano.  I have posted several photos of the actual work over the past 6 months.  I will be posting videos very shortly now.  The piano was a joint "rescue".  My landlady, Dr.Janet Gitney and I saved this piano from total destruction. It was scheduled to be dumped in the trash.  The piano was in very fine condition, even the case was beautiful in it's original mahogany finish.  The piano from an operational standpoint was in good tune, and fairly well regulated.  Some key releveling and minor action work has produced a very nice player piano.  But it's NOT just a player piano - it can do a whole lot more, as my videos will show.  I am working on transcribing some really great piano performances specifically for the Pianocorder digital system.  Here are some photos of the work as it was accomplished.

The Peacherine Ragtime Orchestra....

The setting is the East Broad Top Steam Railroad...

The orchestra is joined by Frederick Hodges

playing a rare 1922 foxtrot dance version of Felix Arndt's

signature piece... "NOLA"

If you are a train buff as I am, the intro should catch your attention !! 

Welcome 2015  -   A New Year with new goals and aspirations.  Wishing a happy and healthy new year to all of my friends and customers !!!!

A Little something for Halloween !!!!

Everyone always associates this timely classic Bach piece for Organ with haunted castles, and scary movies. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and as played by Virgil Fox, the late, great organist of our times. Play this in the dark, if you dare...

My New Site Is up and Running !!!!!

 You can visit my site at http://www.lansdalepianotuning.net

I now accept credit cards. My store is open, and if you experience any problem purchasing any product, please call me at:  (215) 353-0570 and I will assist you personally.

Feel free to leave comments, likes, dislikes, ideas or anything you would like me to be aware of.

To return to my website, use the return arrow above.

The Sounding Board is now integrated with my new Web page:

http://lansdalepianotuning.net

Please look it over and let me know what you like or dislike. I have tried to make navigation very easy, and accessible. If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments, please feel free to post them here. You can also contact me from the site or via e-mail here. In honor of the introduction of my new webpage, my featured video this month is in the form of a tribute to my late friend and mentor, Mr. Harvey N. Roehl, whose Vestal Press became a valuable source of both historical and practical information on mechanical musical instruments. The rag you will hear is dedicated to the memory of this gentleman and scholar.   

 THE VESTAL PRESS RAG.

The Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina

When I was 15, my friend, Ed Freyer had acquired a Mills Novelty Company double Violano Virtuoso. It was built around 1914 and was unique as a player in that it was solenoid operated and not a pneumatic player, totally electric. Since A.C. current was not in general use at that time, the unit had D.C. motors and needed an internal voltage regulator and converter. That machine operated very well and I was impressed with it's sound. The sound board was hinged like a door, and it opened as such to allow tuning of the piano. Also unique, the bass strings ( the longest and thickest strings in a piano ) were in the center of the sound board, with the mid range strings being to the left side and the treble strings being to the right side. This gave the sound board layout an archway look instead of the normal left to right inclined look of all other pianos. It also used 4 synchronous motors with rosin wheels attached to act as "bows" for each violin. There were no tuning pegs to tune the 4 strings on each violin. The strings were "tuned" by a permanent hanging weight on each string. According to Mills, this was supposed to eliminate the need to tune the violins. 

Today, I am comparing the European competitor to Mills with their version consisting of 3 ONE string violins, a REPRODUCING player piano, string tremelo and a single rotating wheel that played the violins as they were needed, by pneumatic fingers and being individually pushed out to the rotating bow. This machine was built in 1901. Personally, I like the Hupfeld over the Mills. The 2nd video is a FULLY restored Mills Double Violin playing the Tennessee Waltz. Also of note, the music roll of the Hupfeld plays from bottom to top, totally opposite of it's American counterparts. These are both two very unique inventions. When the Hupfeld was built, we had no AC electric, airplanes or automobiles.

Let me know which is your favorite. Drop me an e-mail at:

                     classic.musical.instrument@gmail.com

I will post the results here in a future posting. Enjoy some great sounding music on two awesome machines.

And NOW, from the files of " THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE..." here is the world's LARGEST & LONGEST grand piano, The Alexander. This piano was built by 16 year old Adrian Mann who had NO training in building pianos. He taught himself how to tune a piano when he was 12 years old. This video has this exceptional young man telling the story behind his massive accomplishment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7czXgB7BUY&feature=share&list=PL2FFE2E4BFE1181D5&index=58

Here is Adrian, playing his piano.

Many years ago, when the former WFLN Radio station was operating, they played Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, and called it a Monster Piano Ensemble. I have not been able to find that on Youtube, but in my search, I did come across the Irish Internationale Piano Competitions, where they have the eight finalists play on eight concert grand pianos, several classical orchestral arrangements. I picked THE WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE, because most people from my era associate the last movement with the popular radio and television series, The Lone Ranger. Last month you heard four outstanding organists play William Tell, here is eight equally outstanding pianists playing the full orchestrated version of Rossini's William Tell Overature.  

It's been a long, cold winter. We have had more snow this year since about 15 years ago. Well, time to thaw things out. I have some new videos I think you will like. These two (2) are The Philadelphia Organ Quartet. Most people will recognize this Scott Joplin favorite, The Entertainer.

The second video is a stunning rendition of The William Tell Overture, by Rossini. By the way, these are not pipe organs, all 4 are Allen Digital Quantum models. All electronic. Fantastic sound !!!!

 

A favorite of mine, is Dave Wickerham, a really accomplished theatre organist. This is another Scott Joplin Rag, that is not often performed. Dave is playing the Allen Theatre Organ, an all digital model LL-324Q-SP. The Chrysanthemum Rag.                     

. 

I received this video from another piano technician, who was rather impressed with the idea of a machine like this, but thought it was only fantasy. That may be so, but there is a working automated 12 string acoustic guitar built by Ragtime West in California. You can see those videos here. This video is a product of Animusic. Let me know what you think.....

Let us install a complete Dampp Chaser Humidity Control System in your piano. Call or email us for a free brochure.  www.lansdalepianotuning.com       215-853-0336     classic.musical.instrument@gmail.com

 

 

Most of us remember the days when operating the family player piano gave us a good work out. Pumping those pedals gave us both exercise and music. Now here are some videos showing the ultimate "musical" exercise program. Enjoy...

 

 

You have heard of the "nickle" tour, well Joe gives us the $1.00 tour. In video 1, welcome to the wonderful world of the Fotoplayer by American.

 

Video 2 will give you a beautiful demonstration of how these machines sounded in the days of silent films.

Here's that video workout as promised.

The Little Rascals/ Our Gang

When I was growing up, I remember watching The Little Rascals on TV. I was always fond of their theme song, "The Good Old Days".  Here is a Wurlitzer 165/166 Band Organ playing Roll # 6846,  Hal Roach Movie Music, which starts out with the Rascals theme song. This band organ was built by Bruder Organ Works and converted by Wurlitzer in 1915 to a duplex roll operated system, serial number 4591.  These larger band organs originally used flat perforated cardboard, which folded neatly outside the rear of the instrument

A friend and fellow technician, Joe Appalucci, sent me this video of a piano technician's hand made tool case. This was on The New Yankee Workshop TV series. The workmanship on this project is inspiring to\ say the least. Feel free to comment...


http://www.wimp.com/toolchest/

When people think of a carousel (aka Merry Go Round), this is the sound that usually comes to mind:

A Band Organ

WurliTzer, manufactured a small but sturdy band organ in the late 1800's in their North Tonawanda Band Organ Works division.  Here is a beautiful example of a fully restored Model 12 originally built in 1893.

"EL CAPITAN"  March by John Phillip Sousa

May this New Year be special for everyone, happy and healthy !!

COMING SOON...

Winamp 3        Digital Piano Demo Videos

This is the system you can use to operate most any digital/midi equipped player piano including but certainly not limited to:

Pianocorder (no longer in production)

Baldwin Concert Master  **

Pianodisc - Installed in Mason & Hamlin pianos - MSRP starting at   $ 12,976.00

Syncavision Bundle Package - add $ 1,600.00

Pianoforce - MSRP starting at   $ 5,995.00

Bosendorfer Ceus  **

Live Performance LX  **

Q.R.S. PNOmation - Installed in Story & Clark pianos - MSRP starting at   $ 6,195.00

(Pianomation)

Yamaha Disklavier **

Most of the above units can be retrofitted into most acoustic pianos. You can see videos of these systems on my YouTube page, under player pianos:  www.youtube.com/lilbrobob2008

I have included the current pricing for the various units ( as listed in the Spring 2013 Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyers Guide.  ** indicates no pricing information available )

If you don't see your system listed, please e-mail me the type of system you have and I will let you know if Winamp 3 will work with your system. Or if you have a system  that's not listed here, and you are currently using Winamp 3, be sure to e-mail me so I can add it to the list as well.

classic.musical.instrument@gmail.com

NEW  UPDATE

FOR CLASSIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPANY...

My current webpage is:       www.lansdalepianotuning.net

My blog site is:     http://www.robert-thesoundboard.blogspot.com/?spref=tw
                                              "The Sounding Board"


You can reach me at:           classic.musical.instrument@gmail.com

Phone/Fax:         215-853-0336 between 11:00 am until 6 pm daily
Cell Phone:         215-353-0570 most anytime

Mailing Address:        768 Brian Way
                                  Lansdale, Pennsylvania 19446-6600
                           
                                  Suburban Metro Philadelphia Area

SERVICES AVAILABLE:     Piano Tuning, Repairs, Rebuilding,
                                              Refinishing and Moving.
                                              Pianocorder Servicing and Replacement Parts.
                               Consultation Services For Digital Piano Design & Entertainment.