Piano Pro Service

If you are looking for the next generation vacuum electrification units for your Player Piano, then take a look at  the Bergytone BT-002.  A quality built, made in the USA, quiet and efficient vacuum box that has been designed from the ground up.

The three biggest complaints with these vacuum boxes are: they are too noisy, there is this weird interaction on the controls between play and rewind, and they look like they are sloppily built.

We took a look at the boxes being made by Player Piano Company and others, redesigned the box and solved each of the problems. A pecision made vacuum motor, coupled with a new electronic speed controller and a quality built, noise dampened enclosure resulted in a vacuum box that rivals all others on the market.

Click here to view a spec sheet on the BT-002 product

Right click and hit "save as" to download and print a copy.

If you would like to see a copy of the detailed 6 page installation manual, drop us a note.

Take a look at these two photographs. The unit on the left is an example of the typical construction of a competitor's vacuum box. Made from at least three different types of wood, it has the appearance of being made of 'scrap' wood. The seams are sloppy and show poor alignment.

The photo on the right shows the Bergytone BT-002 box construction. Rabetted joints and precision cuts make the seams nearly invisible. The sturdy construction and air-tightness is evident. This product has a professional look that you can be proud to install.

In most of the electrification units installed over the years, there has always been a confusing interaction between the settings of the play and the rewind speed settings. When the unit is in play, both knobs affect the speed. When it's in rewind, then only one affects the speed. With the BT-002, all of this interaction is now gone. Each knob works independently and smoothly.

This is not a re-packaged light dimmer as has been offered by some on ebay. This is a dual time-constant, high switching current driver, built specifically for universal motors such as the kind in vacuum boxes.

If you are interested in buying just the motor controller electronics see the BT-003 page.

In some pianos, to add on an auxilliary pneumatic such as re-roll or mandolin rail more than one vacuum line is needed.  Rather than drill port holes in the reservoir, it is often easier to do this at the pump itself. This keeps the originality of the foot pumps and reservoirs intact. It can also allow for cleaner hose routing.

The Bergytone pump is unique in that multiple ports can be added to the top (or even the upper sides) if required. By design, the BT-002 has an acoustical dampening chamber above the motor. It is this chamber that allows holes to be drilled and port fittings to be glued in. All of the other suction boxes on the market today do not allow this due to the fact that the motor is placed all the way to the top of the box. Drilling into their boxes would drill right into the motor!.

Note that if multiple ports are used, a check valve may need to be installed at each port for proper foot pumping operation.

A two stage impeller type vacuum pump is used to give it plenty of power. Add to this a noise isolated motor mount, ultra-dense MDF box construction, and acoustical damping material inside.  An offset inlet pipe which has been flared to limit turbulance is key to keeping air noise from travelling right up the supply hose. All of these things add up to a smooth, efficient and quiet vacuum pump that no longer makes your piano sound like it was electrified by the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company!

Installing the BT-002 will not interfere with the normal foot pedal play of your piano.  A flap valve has been put into the inlet port on the top of the system to allow proper manual play. This flap valve is spring biased closed so that the annoying popping of the flap valve of competitor's units during manual play is eliminated. Another exclusive of the Bergytone BT-002!