Marysville Music Machine Trail - Seeburg K with violin pipes

1921 SEEBURG STYLE K COIN PIANO

This instrument is featured in the 2023 Marysville Music Machine Tour, a public display of working, music machines, all a century old. ( https://www.visitunioncountyohio.org/... )

After the Prohibition Act was ratified in early 1919, many large saloons and taverns were forced to close, threatening the prosperity of the mechanical music industry. Within a short time however, a vibrant business developed for small coin-operated pianos and orchestrions in smaller speakeasies, restaurants, ice cream parlors, and the like. J. P. Seeburg Piano Company saw an opportunity and revamped its product line, simplifying and standardizing the cabinets, art glass, and mechanisms. Production of the larger orchestrions was scaled back in favor of small keyboardless cabinet pianos like the style K.

This style K plays 58 piano notes with mandolin attachment accompanied by 25 violin-toned organ pipes operating from type A 10-tune music rolls. The double-acting pump collects vacuum to operate the mechanisms as well as pressure to play the organ pipes. The oak cabinet features the traditional patriotic American Bald Eagle art glass design.

This and the other instruments on display are from the Nickel Music Collection, a collection of coin pianos and orchestrions started by the late Bart Off.