Took a drive down to Whitestone this morning, and picked up my very own barrel organ (piano). There is great news, and not-as-great news.

The great news is that it is in near-mint condition, and everything mechanical is completely operational without so much as a squeak. You couldn’t ask for a better from an instrument that’s sixty years old. The condition is absolutely uncanny — no paint fading, no rust on the strings or gears. Even the hammers are in pristine condition.

The seller didn’t know why it didn’t play. (Something inside.”) The reason is a simple one — It doesn’t have its cylinder. The cylinder looks exactly like a music box cylinder, only big. They came with six songs each, and were interchangeable so you could switch to different tunes.

However. The good news far outweighs the bad. Cylinders can be bought. From what I’ve seen, they come up now and then. I’ll just have to look on the auction sites I frequent.

These were manufactured in the nineteen-fifties and sixties for tourists visiting Italy and Spain. They’re about half size — full size would be about six feet tall.

It must’ve sat lovingly in some Nona’s front room. I plunked some notes; and while (of course) they were out of tune, they weren’t unrecognizable out of tune. In highly professional technical terms, I’d say “it sounds like a beat up classroom piano.” A video —

A great purchase! Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. This one was a winner. =)