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The Music Trade Review
NOVEMBER 17, 1928
Pratt-Read Player-Action Co. Brings
Out New Unitype Form of Player-Action
New Action, Invention of Wm. B. Tunstall, Combines Simplicity of Form Together
With Accessibility and Highly Responsive Control
A FTER over a year of development and test far ahead of the ordinary present-day player as
^"^ an entirely new type player-action has been to-day's ordinary player 'is to the old, cumber-
placed on the market by the Pratt-Read Player- wme, huge players of twenty-five years ago.
The New Pratt-Read Unitype Player-Action
Action Co., Deep River, Conn. This is the
Unitype player-action, manufactured under the
patents of Wm. B. Tunstall.
Viewing this new player-action in the piano,
the entire bottom half of the piano is as clear
of obstructing player mechanism as in an ordi-
nary straight instrument. There are no bellows
in front of the strings, and access to them is
entirely unobstructed, as the illustration shows.
Another radically different point is the action
structure itself with its single row of pneumat-
ics and the pumping and equalizer bellows
fixed to the vacuum chest above the keys. Also
there are no large tubes in the player, the small
tracker tubes being the only ones in the entire
action.
"It is not too much to say," stated K. 1).
Moore, vice-president of the company, to The
Review this week, "that in compactness and ad-
vanced development the Unitype player is as
WHEN CHANGING AGENCIES
Consider the Old Reliable
BOARDMAN 6c GRAY
PIANOS FOR YOUR LEADER
Strictly First Class Since 183T
Full Protection
Given Agents
Alhanv
rt.iu«lliy,
N
Y
ii. A .
ir
valves, pouches or vents as experience shows.
"The name I'nitype is registered in the U. S.
Patent office. As it implies, the Unitype is a
unit player. Haeh corresponding tracker tube,
pouch, valve and even the vent is in an indi-
vidual unit; and the tube connection for each
note runs directly from the tracker bar to the
unit without passing through any channel board
whatsoever.
"Now in every player made heretofore the
valve, when operated, has to be forced to its
opposite position against the flow of air. Not
so in the Unitype. The Unitype is the only
player in which the valve always travels in
the same direction and with the flow of air.
The great advantage this gives for power, tight-
ness and rapidity of operation is obvious. This
valve system is protected by a separate patent
under which we have exclusive rights. It is a
great step forward. Then, too, our valves are
made of Moncl metal, which is non-corrosive,
and our unit block is molded out of a solid
piece of hard maple. Hard wood is used
throughout the action.
"The player-piano needs a new deal. It can't
be expected to keep its place in this fast-moving
age of mechanical development by sticking t o
the theories and designs of fifteen years or
more ago. Now, just as in automobiles, you
must have something new and better for less
money. The Unitype player is the answer.
"The new player has been in actual use
through a number of outlets for some time, not
only in player-pianos, but in coin-operated in-
struments in which, of course, the wear and
tear is much greater. Unusual and severely criti-
cal tests to which a new type of mechanism
would naturally be put have been met with
satisfaction, and the Unitype player has as a
result been put in regular production and is
now offered to the music industry. We will be
glad to give any information desired to those
who write for it."
Cunningham Goes a Hunting
Besides the wonderful space-saving and weight-
saving feature of making the pumps a part of
the top action the elimination of all the pos-
sible leakage at the terminals of the usual big
tubes by eliminating the tubes themselves, and
the non-obstruction of the strings, another fea-
ture of the advancement and importance is the
elimination of all the channel boards which in
ordinary players cause cross-leaks between
I'll II.ADI.I.I'H IA, P A . , November
12.— P. J. Cun-
ningham, head <>f the i unningham Piano Co. r
manufacturer of the (iiranl and Cunningham:
pianos, who is on a hunting trip in the Canadian
wilds, will return to his desk this week. H e has
licen on the hunting tour for the past fortnight ac-
companied by M r s . C u n n i n g h a m and their t w o
dau ^liters.
George W. BraunsdorS, Inc.
Direct Manufacturers of
New
Style
Also — Felts and
Cloths, Furnished
in Any Quantity
TUNERS' TRADE SOLICITED
Woodside, L. I., N. Y.
Punchings
Washers
BRIDLE STRAPS
5814-37th Ave.
L
U
D W I G
Grands—Uprights—Player Pianos—Reproducing Pianos
of the Highest Quality in Straight and Period Models
Ludwig & Co*, 136th St. and Willow Ave., New York