Keyboard of the Month, Sept. '08: The St. Frankenstein Piano Bike

What pieces went into the wheeled monster? “It’s an Aeolian miniature player piano, made in the ’60s, I believe,” he says. “It was on its way to the dump. I got it from a guy in Sacramento who told me it had been sitting out in the rain for a decade, and I wanted it immediately. I was so excited when I actually found a shortscale piano with 64 notes instead of 88.” Rebuilding the piano piece by piece took Gary two full years.

“The bike was custom built from parts that would typically be used for a hot dog vendor,” he continues. “I had to modify them in width and length to fit the piano.” To help create a snappy form that would accent the piano bike’s delightful function, Gary applied a smooth paint job and coffin casings he found online. “The most important design component to me is that the entire front is open so people can see the hammers move,” he adds. “When I was a little tiny kid, what interested me in the piano was just watching it work. So I love it when little kids out on the Embarcadero are engrossed by watching how the insides move.”

For a vehicle of such weight, the bike handles remarkably well — and serves other important purposes as well. “Part of the reason I built the piano bike was to outrun bands,” says Gary. “I was in the band Sweet Vine on Columbia records for a few years. It was a great experience, but I didn’t want to be touring any more.” Furthermore, “I always wanted to play the piano under the Bay Bridge, and now I can!”