Unknown Piano Brand, Need Help!

[quantumdylan]

Hello! I'm trying to help a recent acquaintance of mine sell their converted player piano.

I tried searching the company name on Google, but returned nothing.


I'm currently at school, so I cannot post the pictures I took earlier this morning, but
I do know that theses details were printed on the soundboard:

VINDEX (Made in USA)
SN: 18098

The piano was obviously a player-piano in another life, but someone removed the bellows
mechanism, the pedals, and the roll mechanism. However, someone has replaced the
traditional player mechanism with a QRS Pianomation system, looking from about the 1980s
or so.

Unfortunately, I was unable to procure more details. This was just following a quick surface
examination. If anyone needs more information, let me know.

I would be ever-so-grateful if anyone out there can let me know about this piano.

[indianajo]

Player pianos were from the day when there were hundreds of piano companies building kits from suppliers with their own fronts and cabinet design.  I've played several converted player pianos.  They were servicable pianos.  None was a very good piano.  The last one at Goodwill, was missing an octave and a fifth of dampers, which is about typical.  It was built in Noblesville, IN, which is a sentimental favorite of Indianans, but not a center of great art or craft.
These prewar uprights are so heavy, in this part of the country if you can get someone to carry it off without paying them you are ahead.  The sound is appropriate for Scott Joplin and Fats Waller repretoire.  That is the big selling point.  Other than that, their time is past, IMHO.