I have been following this thread on the current status of Keystone
Music Rolls and have been wondering how long it would take before
someone wrote a few of the home truths about this business.

I have been buying recut Ampico rolls since Larry Givens saved the
original equipment from a trip to the local dump!  I have followed this
same equipment across the country and back, in the hands of different
owners, all producing rolls for the limited market that exists.

What is missing right now is the reference to _all_ the other suppliers
of quality Ampico music rolls.  In my opinion, right now, the finest
quality Ampico rolls are being made by Precision Music Rolls on their
own perforating equipment.  They issue _two_ catalogues per year.  All
the titles are hard-to-find late issue rolls.

In addition to Precision Music rolls, a good selection of Ampico and
Welte Licensee recuts are available from Robin Pratt on the Artists
Choice label, Bennett Leedy, on Leedy Brothers Music, and Rob DeLand on
the BluesTone label; the latter three being made by Custom Music Rolls
in Texas.  I am sure I have missed others who offer reissues less
frequently.

All of these are first quality rolls: paper, boxes, cores, flanges,
etc., and the service is almost instant, from order to shipping.
Not trying to bring on the wrath of Craig Brougher, but I find the
product quality of Keystone lacking as much as their way of doing
business.

The Keystone perforators are not well maintained and so make rolls that
are not always punched clean and are always loaded with chaff.  Labels
are pasted on in such a way that they cause the leader to crinkle and
not start properly on a model "B" Ampico.  Frequently the roll number
is not correct, which makes life interesting when working with "The
Complete Ampico Catalog" by Obenchain.

My final complaint with Keystone Rolls is the hole lineup on the
tracker bar.  The spacing is out.  I have some rolls that line up
perfectly from the right edge to about half way across, and then they
start to go out of register to the point that some bass notes and all
bass expression are lucky to be 30% uncovered when called for.  The
early recuts by Larry Givens were like this and the problem still
exists with Keystone.  This problem is not exclusive to my piano, but
the same on all Ampico players I have looked at when using a roll made
on the equipment now at Keystone.

Keeping Keystone alive for the preservation of the historical equipment
and surviving original masters has some merit, but keeping it alive as
a music roll business -- well, it is probably past bringing back to
life!

Ken Vinen
Stratford, Canada