Seeburg Style G Cabaret Orchestra

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

Illustration from an advertising poster for the "new" Seeburg Style G Cabaret Orchestra, circa 1916..The poster proclaims: "Where you have failed to sell an ordinary style, you can sell this cabaret style to any kind of public place. The special new feature of this instrument: All the effects can be played from the keyboard as well as automatically." Another similar advertisement points out that all of the orchestra effects in the instrument can be played from the keyboard by the use of the buttons above the keyboard. Snare and bass drums and other trap effects are played by the pedals—or, it can be played automatically.

The keyboard buttons are, from left to right, described as follows: (1) Mandolin; (2) Violin, 'Cello, Oboe; (3) Flute, Piccolo, Etc.; and (4) Soft and Loud Drums. Likewise, the pedals are as follows: (1) Tom Tom; (2) Bass Drum; (3) Soft Pedal; (4) Loud Pedal; (5) Snare Drum; (6) Triangle. The so-called Tom Tom effect probably makes use of the tympani beaters.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

Unrestored view of 32-valve pallet rail immediately above the keyboard, and the manual/automatic control valve chest for the pipes. The special control valve chest is mounted between the piano stack and pipe chest. Each piano key underneath the pallet rail has a small hook that pulls its corresponding pallet valve open, playing that note on the pipe chest.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

Unrestored view of the special 9-valve chest for manual/automatic control of registers and percussion, which is mounted on the side of the cabinet to the right of the bass drum. This special valve chest allows the drums and automatic registers to be played either by the tracker bar or by the manual use of the buttons and pedals.