The Seeburg Line of Coin Pianos and Orchestrions

One of the most familiar names in all automatic music is certainly "Seeburg". Known for their many wonderful coin-operated pianos and larger orchestrions, Seeburg manufactured these starting in 1909 through the end of The Roaring Twenties - their last instruments shipped out in 1929. Over this 20 year run, some of the most impressive and musical American 'nickelodeons' were produced!

Pictured here is a very early Seeburg style 'A' coin piano. The earliest Seeburgs were simple in design compared to later models but still delightful in sound. Being able to watch the piano action 'go' through the clear glass while the instrument plays is always enjoyable! The style 'A' piano plays the 58 note style 'A' music roll.

Other models such as the Seeburg styles B, C, and D also play this roll and instrumentation wise feature either just piano or piano with a 'mandolin rail' which gives the instrument a honky tonk sound! The 'A' roll also features two levels of expression and control for the sustain pedal. The larger Seeburg 'A' roll pianos make use of the 'additional instrument hole'.

Next is the well-loved Seeburg model E. This instrument uses the additional instrument hole on 'A' music rolls. Many 'E's feature a xylophone: either single stroke or reiterating. Other 'E' pianos feature melodia flute pipes or violin pipes. The piano pictured has art glass showing a beautiful rolling hills landscape. The case is in a gorgeous fine ribboned mahogany, which is a far less common option to the standard quarter sawn oak. Some 'E' coin pianos have octave coupling in the bass and treble making fuller use of the keyboard. This can add great depth to the music!

The similar, yet different Seeburg 'F' is decorated in a gorgeous way featuring two hanging lamps, art glass featuring a sunrise, and delightful geometric art glass along the top of the piano.

The Seeburg 'E Special' is a keyboard model of the KT Special featuring the same percussion and instrumentation. This plays the style 'G' roll.

The Seeburg 'G' has long been one of America's favorite coin pianos. These play the style 'G' roll which has controls for 2 ranks of pipes, (still allowing the piano to play solo) piano with four levels of expression plus 'sustain pedal' and mandolin rail. An array of percussion is also present including two tympani beaters, bass drum + cymbal, triangle, and snare drum. Several different case and art glass designs were made; the most popular and well known today features two torches on the right and left glass panels with four decorative stained glass panels in total. The reason a 'G' has long been popular is simple - they sound absolutely wonderful! These are truly catered to excel at complex jazz pieces from the 1910's through the 1930's. With the brilliant arrangements and adaptations from the Automatic Music Roll Co., Clark Music Roll Co, and the fan favorite Captiol Music roll co. (which was previously named Columbia) a G shines as a superlative musical instrument!

Seeburg also built the similar style 'L Orchestra' which features one rank of pipes instead of two and has a unique case which curves at the top.

The Seeburg H 'Solo Orchestrion' is truly a sight and sound to behold! The case is beyond elegant featuring two caryatids representing 'Strength' and 'Beauty'. This instrument plays its own 'H' roll with a wider piano range than the 'G' roll and the ability for the pipes to solo completely separate from the piano. The scale also features a xylophone and castanets in addition to two ranks of pipes and other percussion you can find on the 'G' roll. No lack of great 'A' music was made ranging from classical to 1920's jazz! The other Seeburg piano to play the style 'H' roll is the Seeburg style 'J'. The 'J' has less percussion than an H but otherwise is quite similar featuring two ranks of pipes and a xylophone. The style 'J' usually comes in a spectacular case and features art glass showing the Capitol Building!

The Seeburg model 'K' plays the style 'A' roll and comes in many different variations of art glass. The example pictured features glass with two dancing girls and instrument wise features melodia flute pipes. Other Ks were built with violin pipes or a xylophone. Unlike the above instruments, this does not have a 'keyboard' and as such cannot be hand-played. Excluding a keyboard allows a piano like this to fit into the smallest spaces, and during prohibition - this was a must!

Next is the ever-so-popular model 'KT'. These are cosmetically nearly identical to a model 'K', however, a KT plays the style 'G' roll featuring additional percussion. The 'bass drum cymbal' hole in a KT usually plays castanets and the 'snare drum' hole' will play a reiterating tambourine. A triangle is also present.

The style 'KT Special' is a little different. All KT Specials feature a reiterating xylophone and all of the percussion you can find in a Seeburg G plus more that switches on two of the expression holes. The keyboard model of this was mentioned above as the 'E Special'.

Last, but certainly not least is the Seeburg 'L' or Lilliputian coin piano. Like the models A-D, this features only piano and mandolin. An L is specifically designed to fit in even the most compact space or 'joint' years ago. The Prohibition did a number on larger coin pianos as larger barrooms were no longer viable. In many cases, an 'L' like this was the perfect answer for your neighborhood speakeasy!

After their production of automatic musical instruments ended in 1929, Seeburg continued to manufacture jukeboxes for many years - finally ceasing operations in 1982. To this day, the many coin pianos and orchestrions are cherished by collectors worldwide.