In answer to questions about the early labels on QRS rolls;  Several in
my collection have very small labels (also used on the roll leaders).
The number is at the top in large numbers, below that appears the title
and sometimes the composer.  At the very bottom is Q.R.S. Company,
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., in small letters.  There is no border or
decorative elements.

QRS produced 58-note rolls.  The spool ends are wood, the drive end is
a square brass grommet.  The label is similar to the above description.
The one 58-note QRS roll I own is a three-tune medley (Mr. Johnson Turn
Me Loose, All Coons Look Alike To Me and She's My Warm Baby).  These
tunes are from 1896-97, so the roll can't be before then.

QRS did produce 65-note rolls for quite a number of years.  An letter
of April 29, 19l5, from QRS to a local music dealer, informs them that
they cannot fill an order for six rolls of player music for the 65-note
player as they discontinued the manufacture of that type of roll three
years before (1912) and all their cutting machines are now adjusted for
the standard 88-note scale.  The letter continues on by saying they
have enclosed a new 88-note catalog of 1000 rolls carefully selected
from their large catalogs.

When Ramsi Tick purchased QRS from Max Kortlander's widow he did extensive
research to try and find the true meaning Q.R.S.  No concrete evidence
was ever turned up.  The order box slots were related by several "Old
Timers", but they had not been with the company in the 1900's.

Matt Caulfield is correct when he states that the slogan "Quality Real
Service" was used by the company from the late 'teens on (an idea from
the advertising dept., perhaps).  This is years after the founding in
1900.  They also used "Quality Roll Service" and "QRS rolls ARE better".
Could QRS Co. have been in business before 1900, but was not
incorporated?  It could have been a rather casual division of the
Melville Clark Piano Co., which I guess it was.

One last thing.  All recent QRS catalogs use the "order slot" theory to
explain the QRS letters.

Alan Mueller
Greece, New York (across the Genesee River from Matt Caulfield)