Fantastic video because it enlightens us very well as to the full and simple procedure for dismantling the player mechanism. Thanks, and you just posted this. Impressed with the 'thumbs up' numbers after less than 24 hours. Shows me there are a bunch of us out there who are digging into these PLAYERS and need fundamental tutorials like this.

Good video, I agree with other comment about replacing clear main hose, I you wrap some wire around that vinyl hose at the bend it will keep it from collapsing. I do this on my older washer machine drain hose to keep it from kinking when I push washer back against the wall.

Thank you for the instructions

Very interesting to learn more about

My family just got a player piano and when you pump the petals, nothing up top in the mechanism moves at all. What do you think the issue could be? Are we able to restore it? There are some small broken off pipes and the materials are brittle

How do you remove the two wooden front covers so you can get to the mechanism in the first place?

Do you have any videos on tuning the player piano? I am looking at getting an older piano (1917ish) and it needs to be tuned.

Dear sir, I want to read somethings over pianola's but I can't find it. I tried "2dehands" and e-Bay. Can you help

Hey there! Would you recommend removing the mechanism to transport one of these and then reconnect it for weight’s sake or is it better to just leave it intact? Also, about how much do these weight?

I have 2 player pianos, I'd like to know how to get them to work! Please help!

@ChrisPlaola

3 жыл бұрын

Well, there's a lot that can go wrong with these pianos. Remember that there is a valve(s), pneumatic actuator, and tubing for every note on the piano, as well as other components. If the entire player action is not working, there is likely an issue with the mechanisms that supply vacuum to the stack. Possibly a tube has fallen off, or the pumps/reservoirs have developed a significant leak. If individual notes are not working, the problem it likely in those specific valves, tubes, or actuators. If the notes work, but the roll doesn't turn, the problem is likely with the air motor of the tempo governing system. Remember to check the simple things first. The whole player piano can be rendered inoperable by removing the 2 large tubes that supply vacuum to the stack and air motor. Maybe these were not reconnected after tuning. I also recommend reading "Player Piano: Servicing and Rebuilding" by Arthur Reblitz. The book goes intothe specifics of how these pianos work, and offers a step-by-step guide on restoring them.

@andrewbarrett1537

3 жыл бұрын

Join the “Player Piano Enthusiast” and “Player Piano Talk” groups on Facebook and you’ll get lots of help! And get Art Reblitz’s books “Piano Servicing, Tuning and Rebuilding” (now in a new 3rd edition, 2019 I think) and “Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding” (only one edition so far, 1986). There’s another book out there by Larry Givens called “Rebuilding the Player Piano” from the 1960s that was well intended for the time, but some of the info in it is outdated or simply wrong, such as advocating white glue for parts that will need to come apart again or be replaced in a future rebuild (which is wrong; one should always use hot hide glue for these parts). I think Mr. Givens’ book is more interesting to a mechanical music historian than actually useful in teaching you how to restore your piano like Mr. Reblitz’s books are. There are also more FB groups you can join like “Piano Technicians International Beginners” and “Young Piano Techs Tips and Training”. For buying and selling player pianos there’s a group called “Player Pianos Free, Cheap, and Sometimes Not... From Any Source!”. If you are not on Facebook or don’t want to be, you can subscribe to the Mechanical Music Digest (since 1995!), get help and supplies on John Tuttle’s “Player-Care” website (since 1997!), more materials available from D C Ramey Piano Co in Ohio and from Columbia Organ Leathers in Pennsylvania. For a real world fun collector group who can help with advice and hands on experience, join AMICA, the Automatic Musical Instrument Collector’s Association, which since 1963 has been the main player piano enthusiast group in the USA and numbers over 2,000 members.

Dropsy!

I hope you can lose those clear hoses. It will turn into a sticky mess in another 10 years. Go with cloth-wrapped natural rubber.