Pianos and Rolls in New Zealand
By John Phillips
It's just as well that Dan Wilson has admitted that he was stirring the possum over New Zealand pianolas, because I'd just finished getting together a team of Bennett's Wallabies, with a support crew of Pademe- lons and Tasmanian Devils, to head over to Kent to give him a good kicking. Luckily his last message appeared before I bought their air tickets.
I must say that I've had a lot of fun poking around in New Zealand antique shops, looking for rolls. I've come across Recordo rolls there and even Solo Carola rolls. In Hamilton, in the North Island, was a dealer who said he had a big pile of rolls at home, but he didn't have time to go to get them. And we were just passing through. Tragic, but we've all heard that sort of story, I'm sure.
There are lots of players in Tasmania, too, although not many of them are reproducers. There must be thousands of rolls around, but most of them will be Mastertouch rolls, played by Lettie Keyes with her boxing gloves on.
Speaking of players, is anyone interested in buying a Melville Clark 58-note pushup with clockwork roll drive? I have one in my basement.
John Phillips.
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(Message sent Thu 29 Aug 1996, 02:05:18 GMT, from time zone GMT+1000.) |
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