Nelson-Wiggen Piano Co. (Chicago, Illinois)

Oscar Nelson and Peter Wiggen were factory superintendents of the J.P. Seeburg Piano Co. and held patents on nearly every Seeburg mechanism used before 1920. After leaving Seeburg, they incorporated the Nelson-Wiggen Piano Co. in 1922 and manufactured well-designed and well-built coin pianos and orchestrions through the late 1920s. Many Nelson-Wiggen instruments were veneered in walnut, which began replacing quartered oak in popularity by the mid-1920s. The present instrument is a perfect complement to the Dance-O-Grand offered in the present sale, as it uses the less complex A roll, while this uses the extensively orchestrated 4X (interchangeable with G) roll, each type having 10 tunes. Several rolls are included.

This Style 6 is the largest and most elaborate Nelson-Wiggen keyboard-less orchestrion. It was made to compete with the Seeburg KT Special, but because of its rarity, musical qualities and popularity among collectors, it brings a premium on the rare occasion that an example comes up for sale. Restored in California in the 1980s, instrumentation includes piano with mandolin attachment, xylophone, bass and snare drums, cymbal, tympani effect, tambourine, wood block and castanets. Very few collectors are fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to purchase such an orchestrion. 46x69x27 inches.