The player piano is like SCI FI considering what it could do during a time when most technology was at its infancy. Even now it seems futuristic. Fascinating.
I bought a player piano at an estate sale for $250 it came with over 300 rolls. I rebuilt some of the pneumatic billows that control the automatic functions and a few of the valves, I had quite a lesson on how a player piano works. Now it plays beautifully, the crescendos, Expression Mechanisms etc. It was so much fun to fix up, I love playing it. My favorite is King Porter Stomp or Kitten on the keys, love boogie Woogie too. Thanks for the player music.
I never realized that this is what's still sitting in my mom's childhood house. Gonna have to see if it still works cause things like this just make me so happy.
a air motor drives the spool box (thing on bottom pulling roll) when the roll goes over the tracker bar(middle) a hole will pass. there are little holes on the tracker bar, ad the coresponding hole will open, allowing vacumm, and air will enter the bellow, thus going to the pneumatic. this air pressure moves the pneumatic, and it will push something up, pushin the hammer against the string. when the hole disappears, the sudden change brings the pushing thing away from the hammer. google it.
Tears in the paper can be fixed with Linco "Document Repair Tape" Item number 901-0198. Dick Blick should have it or can be found on eBay. It's better than Scotch tape but, a little pricey. Apply it to the face of the paper not the side that crosses the tracker. Just a tip for ya'all!
It can be a workout on older player pianos like mine. Ones that have been restored and the internal bellows don't leak are quite easy to play. Thanks for commenting!
Very nicely done! Sounds just like the Tommy Dorsey version of "Boogie Woogie." We had a player piano when I was a kid (a Walters make, out of New York), but a leaking roof in the house ruined the piano without our knowledge, many years ago. Water and pianos don't mix. I am still fond of player pianos, to this day. Please do more YT vids of this great piano!
Dad had several over the years and the last one he took to the dump where someone immediately latched onto it.. (abt 1970) .had about 500 rolls in the bar-b-que house cupboards for years---not sure what happened to those...
BTW, here is a video of the air motor that drives the roll after I rebuilt it. Note the vacuum hose operating the bellows that drive the crankshaft. Quite clever. th-cam.com/video/SEpqvNCVDjY/w-d-xo.html
I saw a player piano on craigslist for free recently, and started to wonder, is there a modern way to convert music (say a MIDI) into rolls this thing could play? That would be some interesting stuff!
Do you know of anyplace I could get my hands on vintage playaaaaaaaaaaaaayer piano in decent shape (actually playing the rolls) that might be for sale right now? It's been watching on on Ebay, but in the end he didn't sell it at all. I think all the positive feedback he got for it reminded him how much he loves it for that. So now he seems with rejection and a sense of paranoia that everyone is out to get him for one thing. When all it is, his his addiction screwing with his mind. So he didn't want to sell in the end, but I'm still looking for a decent deal on a vintage piece. Any leads would be greatly appreciated :)
You might try craigslist. In my area, there seems to be one for sale from time to time. You definitely want to find one locally. I got one off of eBay once and the cost of transporting was greater than the selling price!
Don Erwin Thank you. But between my post and today I found the answer on the internet and it is as you say. It was very confusing because I found a lot of people answering anything on forums but not the answer of my question^^. One mechanism I saw is the following: A pump push air in a chamber which has a constant pressure because of a spring and a safety valve. Then the air go through very little pipes which are ending in front of the paper. Then, depending on the presence of holes, the air get out of the pipe more easily, and the pressure inside the pipe goes down. Now these little pipes are also connected to a box which is commanding the opening and the closing of bigger pipes (which are not the ones I talked before) depending on the pressure inside the little pipes. These bigger pipes are connected to the air chamber in one side and to organ pipes in the other side and between the two ending their is the command box I talked about. Then, when their is a hole in the paper, it commands via the little pipes a corresponding big pipe to blow in the organ.
+Isaac Von Gürtberg These are amazing machines. Here is a video of a test after rebuilding the air motor using a standard vacuum cleaner to provide the vacuum. th-cam.com/video/SEpqvNCVDjY/w-d-xo.html
hey, i can make a similar thing in minecraft :D i can replace the spool of paper with a piston tape... and i can make keys that go down using pistons... have a bunch of noteblocks to play the notes... and sumehow make the piston tape HUGE :D MAH NEXT PROJECT! thx for insperation dude :D (BTW first time ive seen and heard a "self playing piano" or whatever u wana call it :3)
Very curious. Is the Gulbransen actually labelled as a "Registering Piano' and not a player piano? I think that I have a nearly identical model, but mine hasn't operated in years. We had this exact same "Boogie Woogie" roll, but it has been destroyed. My favorite roll was "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues". You've got me humming, "I'm packed to travel and I'm scratching gravel to those Blue Ridge ... :) Ahhhhh! Memories.
Yes, it is actually labelled as a "Registering Piano". There is one hole on the tracker bar that controls the sustain pedal, but it is not working. I am currently rebuilding the air motor, so that it will roll more smoothly. The fabric in the bellows gets stiff and prevents smooth operation. The sustain pedal bellow needs to be recovered as well. Glad you enjoyed it!
The player piano is like SCI FI considering what it could do during a time when most technology was at its infancy. Even now it seems futuristic. Fascinating.
I bought a player piano at an estate sale for $250 it came with over 300 rolls. I rebuilt some of the pneumatic billows that control the automatic functions and a few of the valves, I had quite a lesson on how a player piano works. Now it plays beautifully, the crescendos, Expression Mechanisms etc. It was so much fun to fix up, I love playing it. My favorite is King Porter Stomp or Kitten on the keys, love boogie Woogie too. Thanks for the player music.
Amazing the technology of the 20s. Great video. Just imagine how much enjoyment that player piano has given throughout the many years?
I never realized that this is what's still sitting in my mom's childhood house.
Gonna have to see if it still works cause things like this just make me so happy.
Thanks for this. If I had one of these I would sit in front of it all day and try to convince people that I was playing it!
Thank you for taking the time to show us how the player works in the piano.
I was telling my youngest son about this type of piano. I haven't seen one in about 45 to 50 years. This brought back a lot of memories.
My aunt had a player piano when I was a kid. I loved it!
No kidding, right? They are loads of fun, especially when company comes over.
Now this is BAD ASS!!
Boogie Woogie thanks for your Show :)--
This is Pinetop Boogie!!!!!!! I love it and learned it an year ago :)
QRS apparently stil makes player piano rolls. Gotta love this stuff. To quote Mr. Scott - "Keyboard... how quaint."
This is just too cool
There are so many great songs, King Porter Stomp and Kitten on the Keys, are just two more.
Well before MIDI. Player pianos were the first "MIDI"'s of their time!
love how you show how to load the roll
a air motor drives the spool box
(thing on bottom pulling roll) when the roll goes over the tracker bar(middle) a hole will pass. there are little holes on the tracker bar, ad the coresponding hole will open, allowing vacumm, and air will enter the bellow, thus going to the pneumatic. this air pressure moves the pneumatic, and it will push something up, pushin the hammer against the string. when the hole disappears, the sudden change brings the pushing thing away from the hammer. google it.
Thanks for the video. Seeing this piano play just made me smile. It sounded really good too.
Absolutely wonderful!
Thanks for sharing, love this.
I bet the creator of Synthesia got the idea from these pianola rolls!
How could anyone dislike this!?!?!?!?
Incredible!
This is amazing :D
I wish I had one of those, along with my regular piano. I bet it cost a fortune now.
Tears in the paper can be fixed with Linco "Document Repair Tape" Item number 901-0198. Dick Blick should have it or can be found on eBay. It's better than Scotch tape but, a little pricey. Apply it to the face of the paper not the side that crosses the tracker. Just a tip for ya'all!
It can be a workout on older player pianos like mine. Ones that have been restored and the internal bellows don't leak are quite easy to play. Thanks for commenting!
wonderful machine c:
Very nicely done! Sounds just like the Tommy Dorsey version of "Boogie Woogie." We had a player piano when I was a kid (a Walters make, out of New York), but a leaking roof in the house ruined the piano without our knowledge, many years ago. Water and pianos don't mix. I am still fond of player pianos, to this day. Please do more YT vids of this great piano!
it resembles the mic" rithem *? of a train to me .......
Awesome!!! Thank you for showing us this.
Nice video. I have a couple copies of this roll.
Perfect!!!!!!
Dad had several over the years and the last one he took to the dump where someone immediately latched onto it.. (abt 1970) .had about 500 rolls in the bar-b-que house cupboards for years---not sure what happened to those...
wow, que buen ingeniero hizo eso, mis respetos
Start at 1:15
wurly164 ok
Hahaha has the squeak in the peddles as my 1928 Gulbransen ....
This was the first time my kids saw a player piano.
its like one of them in the horror films that plays jack in the boxx.....(OoO)
I believe my grandma has the exact same player piano. When I have room at my house I plan on bring there and fixing it up.
Pinetops boogie Woogie, I have a record he cut of this song in 1929 shortly before he was killed in a knife fight
this is cool, do you get a good work out by pedaling?
I love it! Do you play piano yourself?
Nope, thus the player!
LOL, I wish I played piano. I'm sort of a guitarist lol when I can find the time. Great video and thanks for posting it.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Ccoool!!!!!!!! :o
Before Midi or the original idea of Midi. Maybe?
o.o... [dancing] lol xP! u just cant resist on dancing to this >:P
Amazing, is it completely mechanical or there some electronics?
It is all mechanical, powered by vacuum generated by pedaling. Quite ingenious!
BTW, here is a video of the air motor that drives the roll after I rebuilt it. Note the vacuum hose operating the bellows that drive the crankshaft. Quite clever. th-cam.com/video/SEpqvNCVDjY/w-d-xo.html
Just like in the old cartoons *___*
Do you have to peddle it the whole time?
Yes! The pedals are attached to bellows that create a vacuum which runs the whole thing. Fascinating stuff!
I loved your video so I went to my piano teacher and I want to learn it!
then why do you always see these pianos playing themselves without someone peddling
Some player pianos have had kits installed that provide the vacuum that is normally provided by the pedalling.
sounds like roll em by benny goodan
that's cool I have a player piano but the player part is broken;(
I saw a player piano on craigslist for free recently, and started to wonder, is there a modern way to convert music (say a MIDI) into rolls this thing could play? That would be some interesting stuff!
Kyle Biggs I'm pretty sure you can buy new electronic pianolas for thousands of dollars that read it straight from your PC ☺️
i guess this is what started what i like to call ' the era of when songs had the up-down beat' or 'the swing era'
Do you know of anyplace I could get my hands on vintage playaaaaaaaaaaaaayer piano in decent shape (actually playing the rolls) that might be for sale right now? It's been watching on on Ebay, but in the end he didn't sell it at all. I think all the positive feedback he got for it reminded him how much he loves it for that. So now he seems with rejection and a sense of paranoia that everyone is out to get him for one thing. When all it is, his his addiction screwing with his mind. So he didn't want to sell in the end, but I'm still looking for a decent deal on a vintage piece. Any leads would be greatly appreciated :)
You might try craigslist. In my area, there seems to be one for sale from time to time. You definitely want to find one locally. I got one off of eBay once and the cost of transporting was greater than the selling price!
Thanks...good idea!
What is the mechanism of lecture?
+Isaac Von Gürtberg The piano mechanism works on vacuum created in the system by the pedals. It is very interesting!
Don Erwin
Thank you. But between my post and today I found the answer on the internet and it is as you say. It was very confusing because I found a lot of people answering anything on forums but not the answer of my question^^.
One mechanism I saw is the following: A pump push air in a chamber which has a constant pressure because of a spring and a safety valve. Then the air go through very little pipes which are ending in front of the paper. Then, depending on the presence of holes, the air get out of the pipe more easily, and the pressure inside the pipe goes down. Now these little pipes are also connected to a box which is commanding the opening and the closing of bigger pipes (which are not the ones I talked before) depending on the pressure inside the little pipes. These bigger pipes are connected to the air chamber in one side and to organ pipes in the other side and between the two ending their is the command box I talked about. Then, when their is a hole in the paper, it commands via the little pipes a corresponding big pipe to blow in the organ.
+Isaac Von Gürtberg These are amazing machines. Here is a video of a test after rebuilding the air motor using a standard vacuum cleaner to provide the vacuum. th-cam.com/video/SEpqvNCVDjY/w-d-xo.html
Don Erwin
^^
How does the roll determine wha the piano plays?
It's a bit of magic, but you can read all about it here: www.pianola.com/ppworks.htm
hey, i can make a similar thing in minecraft :D
i can replace the spool of paper with a piston tape...
and i can make keys that go down using pistons...
have a bunch of noteblocks to play the notes...
and sumehow make the piston tape HUGE :D
MAH NEXT PROJECT! thx for insperation dude :D (BTW first time ive seen and heard a "self playing piano" or whatever u wana call it :3)
Very curious. Is the Gulbransen actually labelled as a "Registering Piano' and not a player piano? I think that I have a nearly identical model, but mine hasn't operated in years. We had this exact same "Boogie Woogie" roll, but it has been destroyed. My favorite roll was "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues". You've got me humming, "I'm packed to travel and I'm scratching gravel to those Blue Ridge ... :) Ahhhhh! Memories.
Yes, it is actually labelled as a "Registering Piano". There is one hole on the tracker bar that controls the sustain pedal, but it is not working. I am currently rebuilding the air motor, so that it will roll more smoothly. The fabric in the bellows gets stiff and prevents smooth operation. The sustain pedal bellow needs to be recovered as well. Glad you enjoyed it!
Mmmm what about a Black MIDI? lelelel
Albert Aamon
Do you need to be bare feet ?
Nope! It was a hot August day when I made the video.
Synthesia, before it was cool
The timing on the piano is badly off
Since I posted this video, I have rebuilt the air motor, which has helped quite a bit. Still need to replace the fabric on the main belows, though.
Don Erwin I would also be thinking about asking a well trained piano technician to do regulation on the piano to make it play more evenly.
terrible spell ...I know