♦ Reblitz Restorations Inc. ♦
Current YouTube Video Presentations
(Video editing and composition
by Bob Taylor)
This Seeburg Style H Orchestrion was built
in 1922
and retailed for about $3000. It plays piano, mandolin
attachment, 64 violin and flute pipes, xylophone, and
percussion automatically with expression from an 88-note
paper roll. Orchestrions were used in many public places
circa 1900-1930 to provide music when live musicians
weren’t available. This instrument was completely
restored in 2009 by Reblitz Restorations Inc.
“Magnificent and typical of the quality of Art’s restorations. Great!” …Yaledmot
(Video editing and composition
by Bob Taylor)
The Seeburg Style H Orchestrion in
this and the previous
videos is a “musical time machine” that plays exactly as it
did nearly 100 years ago without any electronic parts. The
original electric motor drives pumping bellows that provide
suction for the pneumatically-operated automatic player
mechanism and pressure for the organ pipes. Originally
used mainly by commercial establishments like candy
stores, ice cream parlors, saloons, hotel lobbies, penny
arcades and other amusement places, the few remaining
examples of these wonderful treasures are now mainly
in private collections where they entertain with the
same music heard by earlier generations.
“Absolutely THE BEST example of a properly restored and regulated nickelodeon on YouTube! My father and Larry Givens listened to an ‘H’ while making 88 note Mel-O-Dee piano rolls in the 1960s. What fun!” …John Gourley IV
“I think that anyone who is using Mr. Reblitz’s fine book on Player Piano Servicing should supplement the coin piano and orchestrion section of the book by watching this video. Especially take notice of the expression louds and softs, the perfect percussion response (especially the snare drum, which can be difficult to get right), and the voicing and balance of the pipes relative to the piano.” …KawhackitaRag
(Video editing and composition
by Bob Taylor)
This Wurlitzer CX Orchestrion, built in
1918, includes piano, mandolin
attachment, two ranks of pipes, orchestra bells, drums, and triangle.
It also
features the intricate Wurlitzer Automatic Music Roll Changer, a mechanism
that enables it to play 30 different tunes, with five different tunes
on each
of six music rolls. Watch the video all the way to the end to see it
change
rolls automatically. The staff at Reblitz Restorations—Bob Grunow,
Rex Kennedy, Don Hein, Marguerite Lykes and Art Reblitz—completed
the museum-quality restoration in 2010.
“This is perfect! It’s exactly how a Wurlitzer orchestrion is supposed to sound. Look at the gorgeous restoration and precision regulation. Listen to Art’s fantastic arranging of this standard tune…. This is the only Wurlitzer C or CX orchestrion on YouTube worth listening to. The search stops right here, folks!” …SeeburgMusic
“Superb restoration, excellent musical arrangement, and a really informative, well-made video. Thanks!” …Rowland107
Reblitz Restorations Inc.
P.O. Box 7392, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7392
(719) 598-2538