Atlanta & North Georgia Player Piano Specialist
Ampico, Duo-Art, Welte-Mignon, Aeolian, Gulbransen, Nordiska and nickelodeon instruments. Not sure what you have? Start below — we will help you identify it.
Start Here
Most people who call us have inherited an instrument and do not yet know what it is. There is one question that splits the whole field: is there a paper roll behind a panel above the keys? If yes, you have a pneumatic player — it runs on suction, not electricity, and it is almost certainly worth saving.
A paper roll, a vacuum system, and (on many) two foot pedals you pump. The player plays whatever the roll says at whatever volume you pedal. The most common thing we are called out to.
American Piano Company's reproducing system. Encodes the original pianist's dynamics, so it recreates a performance rather than just the notes. Found in Chickering, Knabe, Mason & Hamlin and others.
Aeolian's reproducing system, and the main rival to Ampico. Fitted to Steinway, Weber and Steck instruments among others. Worth identifying before anyone opens it up — these are the valuable ones.
The German original, and the system that started reproducing pianos. Rarer in the States and mechanically distinct from Ampico and Duo-Art, so it needs someone who knows the difference.
These names are on the fallboard, not the mechanism. Gulbransen built the famous "easy to pedal" players; Aeolian built both pianos and the Duo-Art system. The nameplate and the mechanism are often two different companies.
Same pneumatic principles with added ranks, percussion, and a coin mechanism. More moving parts, same leak-hunting approach.
Have a modern electronic system instead — a screen, an app, or a box under the keybed? That is a different animal: see Disklavier, PianoDisc, QRS or Spirio.
Common Issues
Nine times out of ten the piano is fine and the pneumatic system has aged out. All of the below are repairable.
The single most common failure. Original rubber tubing and bellows cloth harden, crack, and leak after several decades. A pneumatic system that cannot hold suction cannot play — and every other symptom usually traces back here.
Individual pouches or valves have failed rather than the whole system. The player works, but a handful of notes never sound. Tedious to trace, straightforward to fix.
Tracking mechanisms drift out of alignment and take-up spools slip. The roll wanders, tears at the edges, or stops feeding entirely. Usually adjustment rather than replacement.
You are moving air and it is escaping before it reaches the notes. Points to a major leak in the exhausters, the reservoir, or the main supply — and it is the symptom people most often assume is fatal. It usually is not.
On instruments fitted with a suction box, motors seize, bearings dry out, and switches fail. Repairable or replaceable without touching the pneumatics.
The player is doing its job and the piano underneath needs tuning, regulation, or hammer work. Easy to mistake for a player fault — and much cheaper to fix.
The Process
No guesswork, no sight-unseen quotes. Every job starts the same way.
Call, or send a photo of the nameplate and the roll mechanism through the form. We will tell you what system it is before anyone comes out.
We come to you — no moving the piano. $100 flat. At the end you know exactly what has failed and what it costs to put right.
Written estimate, no pressure. If we cannot diagnose it, you do not pay. Repair labor is $125/hr with parts at cost.
What We Take On
We get antique players working reliably again — leak tracing, tubing, pouches, valves, tracking, motors, and the acoustic piano underneath. We are straight with you about scope: this is focused repair and light restoration work, not museum-grade full rebuilds. If your instrument needs a ground-up restoration we will say so and point you somewhere that specialises in it.
We come to you, find what has failed, and tell you what it costs. If we cannot diagnose it, you do not pay.
Written estimate before any work begins. Parts billed at cost, with progress updates as we go.
FAQ
Get Started
The fastest way to find out what you have is to show us. Send a photo of the nameplate and the roll mechanism and we will identify the system, tell you whether it is worth reviving, and quote the next step. No charge for that.
Metro Atlanta & North Georgia — we come to you