Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (PM) Rolls

(Photograph courtesy of Thomas Richter)

The above selection of Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (PM) rolls show some of the paper colors used by Philipps over the years. The red paper rolls are the earliest, followed by pink and then chamois. All of the rolls shown are for an instrument with a single roll mechanism, i.e., it only holds one music roll. Rolls for use in instruments equipped with a revolver mechanik (roll changer) differ only in the type of roll spool employed.

(Photograph courtesy of Thomas Richter)

This late Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (PM) roll has a roll spool and wire leader designed specifically for use on an instrument equipped with a revolver mechanik (automatic roll changer). The Pianella Mandolinen (P.M.) roll pictured above—like all P.M. rolls in the 10,000 number range—is arranged specifically for the Philipps Jazz-Band Piano, which was available in four different configurations, Modell 1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 3a, 4, and 4a. The least expensive of any Modell type was equipped with a single roll frame, while a modell number with an “a” suffix was equipped with an upright automatic roll changer. The Philipps Jazz-Band Piano line consisted of a series of keyboard style orchestrions, with the Modell 1 and 1a featuring nothing more than a piano with a mandolin attachment, snare and bass drums, and a cymbal, the trapwork located in the top portion of the case. But other musical options were available depending upon the modell, such as additional instrumentation that might include orchestra bells, lotus flute, violin and cello pipes, harmonium, clarinets, saxophone reeds, and a complete compliment of jazz band trapwork, everything optimized for the intricate jazz arrangements popular in the mid to late 1920s.