Category:Kastner Autopiano
See also categories: Autopiano Company and Kastner Autopiano.
Note: Should be distinguished from The Autopiano Company, New York (1903-1930).
Further reading edit
- Dan Wilson (London) (1998-11-02). Kastner Autopiano. Mechanical Music Digest (mmdigest.com)." ... Kastner was a first-generation German immigrant to England, remembered as breezy and cheerful. He emigrated because "there were too many piano makers in Germany already !" The Kastner factory in London was in business for several years before they started making players. ",
" The Autopiano was in production for only 16 years (1908-24), the rarer post-1916 examples usually being 88n only, and yet they're quite well-known in England, despite having had to compete with the Orchestrelle (Aeolian) Company's wide range of very good value player pianos. ... ",
" Before the Great War the pop player was in its infancy and the market was heavily weighted towards classical. Here Aeolian's "Themodist" system outclassed the Kastner and around 1912 Kastner introduced the Kastonome which was an ingenious but very complex instantaneous-theme system requiring half as many pouch valves again as in the normal stack. The rolls had theme perforations on the edges which could only accentuate one note on the keyboard. I described this in MMD 980510 but have learnt since that this was an "A" system and there was a later "B" system which was quite different. ",
" Kastonome rolls remain fairly common but the pianos were swines to overhaul, especially when they were 65/88n as well, and are now very rare. In 1925 Kastner merged with the low-budget Triumph Autoleon concern and gradually sank from view, though Kastner pianos were still being advertised in 1930 and pink-label non-theme Triumph ("Kastner & Co") 88-note rolls are still very common today. "
Media in category "Kastner Autopiano"
This category contains only the following file.
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Autopiano2.jpg 1,920 × 2,560; 2.08 MB
