Seeburg Survey
Questions and Explanations

Seeburg / Western Electric Survey Questions

The table below details the information needed for the serial number and date study being conducted by Art Reblitz. Numbered questions (1, 2, 3, etc.) along with explanations are on the left side, with the various response options located on the right side. Please either e-mail survey answers to Art Reblitz () or use the convenient PRINTABLE SURVEY FORM, which can be filled in and then mailed to Art Reblitz at the address shown at the bottom of this page.

Questions Answers
1. Brand of coin-piano:

The "Western Electric Piano Company" was a secret subsidiary of the Seeburg Piano Company.

 a) Seeburg Company, OR

b) Western Electric Piano Company.
2. Model or Style of Piano or Orchestrion: a) Seeburg Model: A, B, C, E, E Special, F, G, H, J, K, KT, KT Special, L, PGA,, "Greyhound,"  X, etc.
b) Western Electric Model: B or X (with Selectra attachment), "Derby," etc.
3. Type of Piano Plate:
Haddorff Piano, Rockford, Illinois: If a Seeburg has a rubber-stamped serial number it uses a Haddorff piano. The pinblock is open face, and the lower part of a keyboard-style piano plate was originally painted black. Haddorff numbers run from about 19,000 (1907) to 96,000 (1922). a) Haddorff Piano, OR
Edmund Gram Piano, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: If a Seeburg has large cloverleaf-shaped holes in the lower portion of the plate, it is a Gram piano. The plate completely covers the pinblock and the serial number is die-stamped. Early Gram numbers run from about 5,600 (1910) to 12,400 (1917). Transitional Gram/Seeburg numbers run from about 52,000 (1920) to 54,000 (1923). b) Edmund Gram Piano, OR
Seybold (E.P. Johnson) Piano, Elgin, Illinois: If a Seeburg has each consecutive group of three tuning pins staggered more than usual, it is a Seybold. The plate completely covers the pinblock and the serial number is die-stamped. A separate "Seeburg" overlay plate covers the "Seybold" name at the upper right comer of the plate. Seybold numbers run from about 16,000 (1912) to 20,000 (1913). c) Seybold (E.P. Johnson) Piano, OR
Seeburg Piano: If a Seeburg (all Western Electric machines) has a die-stamped number between 50,000-55,xxx. or over 155,000, it was made in the Seeburg factory. Seeburg factory coin-piano numbers run to 168,000 (1928 or 1929). d) Seeburg Piano, OR
Marshall Piano: Around 1920 a few Seeburg instruments had the "Marshall" name cast into the plate, with a "Seeburg" overlay plate. This practice was soon abandoned, with almost all 1920's vintage Seeburg machines having the Seeburg name cast into the plate without an overlay. e) Marshall Piano.
4. Pneumatic Stack Serial Number:

Many Seeburgs have a number stamped into the piano stack, either on the front, on top, or on the bleed rail or its cover. Stack numbers are very common in pre-1920 instruments and decreasingly common after 1920.

 Pneumatic stack serial number:

Please be careful to distinguish between die-stamped 3's and 8's when reading the numbers, which can sometimes be difficult to read correctly.
5. Pipe Chest Serial Number:

Many Seeburgs with pipes have a number stamped into the top or front of the pipe chest. In some cases, the numbers are stamped into the bottom.

 Pipe chest serial number:

Please be careful to distinguish between die-stamped 3's and 8's when reading the numbers, which can sometimes be difficult to read correctly.
6. Coin Switch Serial Number:

Most post-1920 Seeburgs have a patent sticker with a serial number on the coin switch mechanism in the bottom of the piano. This sticker enabled Seeburg to keep track of royalties due to the Mills Novelty Company, who owned the coin switch patents.

 Coin switch serial number:
7. Coin Switch Mechanism Type:
Very Early: The "very early" coin mechanism utilized a notched, vertical accumulator ratchet bar. a) Very early (vertical ratchet accumulator), OR
Early: By 1910-11, most known Seeburg pianos used the "early" semi-circular "fence post" coin accumulator, consisting of a pair of opposing pneumatics that stepped themselves around a semicircular row of metal pins. b) Early (semicircular "fence-post" ratchet accumulator), OR
Late: By circa 1914, the notched wheel with a single protruding post that operated the knife-switch contact became the standard accumulator, usually in a cast iron housing. About 1920 the box was thereafter made of sheet metal. c) Late (semicircular "single post" accumulator).
8. Coin Receiver Box:

This is the metal container (with a key-lock) that is used to collect the coinage.

 a) Cast iron box, OR

b) Sheet metal box.
9. Motor:

This is only important IF the motor is the one originally installed in the machine.

 Motor Make & Model:

Motor serial number:
10. Date on Piano Hammers:

Many post-1920 Seeburg pianos with numbers above 155,000 have a rubber-stamped date (i.e. JUN 6, 1922) on the underside of the piano hammers, usually in the tenor or mid-treble area. Finding this date may require very careful inspection due to aging of the imprinting ink.

 Rubber-stamped date on bottom side of piano hammers:
11. Date Inside Bass and/or Snare Drum:

Some late Seeburg pianos have a date stamped inside the bass and/or snare drum.

 Rubber-stamped date on the inside of bass or snare drums:
12. Type of art glass (please provide a brief description):
 
Please send answers to survey questions (right column) to:

Persons contributing useful information for this project will be given acknowledgement in future Art Reblitz publications that detail the results of this research.

 Art Reblitz
P.O. Box 7392
Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7392
Click here for the PRINTABLE SURVEY FORM