Name This Instrument

[William Maxim]

Sy --

This is what I came up with from the Reed Organ Society today

Bill Maxim, RPT

>Subj:	Re: Name This Instrument
>Date:	96-10-12 10:56:07 EDT
>From:	tylerj@crl.com (Jim Tyler)
>Sender:	owner-ros@mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk
>To:	WMaxim@aol.com
>CC:	ros@mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk



On Sat, 12 Oct 1996 WMaxim@aol.com wrote:

> List -
>
> This post appeared today on the Pianotech list.  Since I also run
into these
> in my work (e.g. one by Cornish of Washington, NJ), I would also
be
> interested to have any information available and will be happy to
pass on any
> postings to the sender.
>
> Bill Maxim, RPT
>
> >>Date:	Fri, 11 Oct 1996 23:06:41 -0600
> From:	Sy Zabrocki <only4zab@imt.net>
> Sender:	owner-pianotech@byu.edu
> To:	"'Pianotech'" <pianotech@byu.edu>
> cc:	"'Sy Zabrocki'" <only4zab@imt.net>
> Subject:	Name This Instrument
>
> >>One of my customers has an unusual instrument. I promised him I
would use
> this media to at least find out it's proper name.

It is a "piano-cased reed organ".
>
> >>It looks just like an old upright piano but it is an organ. The
name on the
> fallboard is Sears & Roebuck. The cabinet is mahogany with some
flower type
> designs in the music board. It has 88 keys. The left right pedals
are
> actually treadles and the middle pedal is a coupler. There are
three stops
> which pull out like an old reed organ. There are probably three
or four sets
> of reeds. It still plays quite well.

It was supplied by Sears & Roebuck, who had their instruments made
by
others. Piano-cased ROs were developed, apparently, as an effort to
stem
the tide of transition from parlor organs to (player) pianos in the
20s.
As a strategem, it didn't work. But there are still a fair number
of them
around.

> >>This is about the third one of these I've found down through
the years.
> I've seen a couple also that looked like an small old square
grand. I thought
> there was a name like "manualo" or something similar for these
instruments.

The name he's looking for is "melodeon".

> >>Naturally this owner is curious if there is antique value. He
would like
> any information that might be out there in musicland.

Not much value (yet) as an antique. Most folks who collect ROs
don't want
to waste the space on PC-ROs. If it has sentimental value, it should stay
in the family.

> >>Help us out on the name if possible please.

The name is on the fallboard, as given.

> >>Sy Zabrocki<<


Have Mr. Zabrocki check out the FAQ on the ROS web page:

   http://www.mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk/ROS


Jim Tyler <tylerj@crl.com>