Behind the Scenes: Reaching an Exciting Upright Vintage Player Piano Restoration Milestone

Here at Brigham Larson Pianos, we do a lot of full piano restorations—from grand pianos to uprights undergoing complete action overhauls and cabinet refinishing. But some of the most intricate and rewarding work we do involves vintage player pianos.

Restoring a century-old player mechanism takes immense patience, precision, and skill. Our technician, Jake, has been hard at work on a 1918 Marshall & Wendell 54.5" Upright Player Piano for several months now, and we just hit a major milestone in the shop that we're excited to share!

How the Player Mechanism Works

It's easy to forget that these antique instruments are essentially early pneumatic computers! To give you a peek under the hood:

• Creating the Vacuum: In an unrestored or traditional setup, a person pumps the foot pedals to generate a vacuum. In the shop during testing, Jake uses a specially designed quiet vacuum so we can hear the subtle mechanics clearly.
• The Tracker Bar & Paper Rolls: As the paper music roll unwinds across the tracker bar, each hole in the paper corresponds to a specific note via a rubber hose.
• Activating the Note: When a hole in the paper passes over a hole on the tracker bar, it opens the vacuum seal. That sudden draw of air triggers the valve and activates a small striker pneumatic (bellow).
• Striking the String: The pneumatic kicks up, pushing the action forward, which sends the hammer into the string to play the note—just as if a finger were pressing the key!

Rebuilding the Bellows from Scratch

One of the most painstaking parts of rebuilding a 1918 Marshall & Wendell player is recovering the tiny individual bellows. Every single one has to be completely airtight.

Jake has been cutting custom rubberized cloth—a durable, airtight fabric—and wrapping each small bellow individually. Joined by a canvas hinge, these newly recovered bellows allow the pneumatic system to open and close smoothly without leaking vacuum pressure.

Seeing all the valves open and testing the mechanical response for the first time in months is always a huge triumph in the shop. Great work, Jake!

Have an antique or player piano that needs some love?

Stop by Brigham Larson Pianos in Orem, Utah, give us a call at (801) 701-0113, or reach out at info@BrighamLarsonPianos.com to discuss our complete restoration services!