(Photograph courtesy of Reblitz-Bowers Encyclopedia.)

Peerless Style D-X Orchestrion. Introduced in the middle of 1907, the Style D-X, or later DX, consisted of an upright piano, 18 xylophone bars, snare drum, bass drum, and cymbal. The xylophone is visible behind the oval glass window. The drums and genuine Turkish cymbal are conspicuously mounted on top of the piano case. The cymbal is behind and affixed by means of a bracket to the upper rim of the bass drum, and is barely visible protruding above the top rim of the bass drum. The beater for the snare drum is behind it, the small drum being positioned forward of the larger bass drum to allow space for the beater mechanism. An endless roll mechanism and its associated bin was attached to the back of the piano.

(Photograph courtesy of Reblitz-Bowers Encyclopedia.)

Peerless Style D-X Orchestrion. In this side view it becomes quickly apparent how the two drums are arranged, the small drum in front of the larger bass drum, and how the cymbal is positioned on the back side of the bass drum. The bass drum and cymbal are both struck simultaneously, the cymbal by means of a metal finger attached to the bass drum beater. About midway down the backside of the piano case, the bulky contour of the music roll mechanism and its storage bin can be seen protruding outward from the piano case. The remaining or hidden part of the roll mechanism and its cumbersome storage bin is nestled between two piano back posts, in front of the soundboard. The vacuum feeder bellows are also neatly mounted between two back posts, but are not visible in this photograph because the bellows fit completely within the spacial limits imposed by the back posts, their widest parts being flush with the backside of the piano case.