After 40+ in the business, it surprised me to find that no one had ever taken the time to make a diagram of the basic tubing layout of a Standard Player Action. While it is indeed the most common of all player actions, this particular aspect of the mechanism seems to have fallen between the cracks. The picture below is not fancy, but there is an explanation of the various vacuum lines (below) that should suffice. Also, placing your mouse over each of the parts will give a very brief explanation of that part (works best with Firefox browser) and clicking your mouse on most of the parts will take you to a web page that has information about that part of the player system. To read more about How the Player Piano Works -Click Here.

The blue lines are vacuum supply tubing. One for the stack, one for the air motor, one for the tracking device, and three for peripheral devices (auto-sustain, bass soft, and treble soft). In all cases, locate the flanges (or air fittings) that are the same diameter and connect a tube between them. In 98% of all cases, the manufacturer placed each fitting (flange or nipple) so that its 'mate' was as close as possible to the component to which it was connected.

The red lines are control tubes (or signal tubes). They are used for turning the various devices 'on & off'. Control tubes are typically all the same diameter. To prevent confusion, the control tubes for the tracking device are not shown. (They are usually made of lead, and normally don't need to be replaced.)

The purple lines represent the mechanical linkage for the Play/Rewind Lever, which simultaneously controls the operation of the Cut-Out Box ('On' or 'Off'), the Tempo Control Box (Fast 'Rewind' or Normal 'Play'), and the Transmission ('Play' or 'Rewind').

The green line represent the mechanical linkage for the Tempo Control Lever. It controls the position of the sliding valve inside of the Tempo Control Box, which is used to vary the speed of the Air Motor while the system is in the 'Play' mode.

Since "Player-Care" is an internet business, I prefer that we correspond via E-Mail (click here to fill out the 'Request Form'). However, if I'm not in the middle of some other activity, you can reach me at 732-840-8787. But please understand that during the hours from 8AM-5PM EST (Mon-Sat), I'm generally quite busy. So, I probably won't answer the phone. If you get the answering machine, please leave a detailed message stating the reason for your call. Also, repeat your name and phone number clearly and distinctly. By necessity, I prioritize everything in my life. And, if you call and just leave your name and number, and ask me to call you back, it might be a day or two before I return your call. Why? Because I don't know why you want me to call and I might not be prepared to assist you in an effective and efficient manner. If you leave me an E-Mail address (which I prefer), spell it out phonetically. The more you do to help me, the more I can help you in return. Don't rush. You have four minutes to record your message.