Thanks, Jeff, for your recent posting on MMD regarding the Aeolian
perforators.  Looking at the machines I can see that using pre-trimmed
paper would be an easy thing to do.  The trimmers on the machines
were definitely there since its inception but their use is so easy
to defeat.  There are adjustable paper guides that can easily be sized
to a pre-trimmed paper.

After reading through all kinds of original paperwork from Aeolian
I can very well believe Aeolian would try to use a pre-trimmed paper,
eventually aborting the plan when troubles arose.  I had the listing
on E-bay selling one of the perforators; it did not sell.  In hindsight,
I'm glad it did not since Larry Doe, part of our Keystone Group, has
since got one of the machines up and running.

With all the flurry of activity about these Aeolian rolls we are
kicking the idea around of re-issuing some of them.  I have the _total
complete output_ here in storage.  The most unfortunate aspect of this
is that Aeolian's original master list (as well as all the catalogs I
have that they printed) hardly ever lists the performer's name.

All of the Aeolian masters are in a box similar in size to a nickelodeon
roll box with just the number on the outside.  Thanks goodness, when
I packed these rolls for storage, I did put them in exacting numerical
order, but in order to find all the Clyde Ridge rolls, for instance,
I will have to open each box to read the specification sheet (which
Aeolian thoughtfully left in each box).  Each specification sheet
contains _all_ pertinent information about the roll as to dates, time
spent, editing problems, editors and artist names.

Just as an aside, I opened up Hi Babit's master roll of "Fiddler On
The Roof Medley" and he had written a lengthy note to the perforator
operator about his placing of the selections on this two-part roll and
combining them to be a one-part roll, the word stencil alignment, and
other very detailed instructions about his arrangement.  (A note to
Hi -- I found it fascinating!)

Anyway, back to the perforators.  Here at Keystone, after several years
"on hiatus" from making piano rolls -- using that time to re-build the
worn out 1920's Ampico machines and outfitting one of them with our new
drive and reading unit -- we finally are able to truly re-issue rolls,
flawlessly duplicating rolls not by using the information that is on
the finished playable old roll but by using the information that was
on the original step rated "master stencil" where the information is in
its purest form.

Many of the old original rolls made by all roll companies are riddled
with mostly minor, but sometimes major mistakes because of the physical
and technical limitations of the time.  The problems are not on the
masters but occur during the perforating process.

We are spending a lot of time to re-issue, for the first time,
historically accurate rolls.  At this time we are feverishly working
on doing things from the Ampico Library.  We will be issuing Duo-Art
selections near the end of the year, and we have just recently cut
a select group of standard 88-note rolls of mostly blues and raggy
titles.  I especially like some 'teens QRS, 1920s US rolls, and a
few Atlas titles.

Keystone would be more than happy to re-release some of the 1960s
Aeolian titles in the future.  I just have got to take the time to
extract the masters from their long slumber!  I appeal to all of you
collectors and MMDers for any title suggestions; they would be greatly
appreciated as I need some kind of starting point.  There is a mountain
of fabulous music waiting to be re-discovered.

Thanks from everyone at Keystone Music Roll Company,
Richard Groman
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania