A rather depressing outlook for roll collectors it seems, if I am
interpreting the article correctly.  So, if no one has a perforator of any
worth and the subjective tests in the '70's (the "70's???!!!) performed on
instruments restored to the dubious restoration standards of the time, both
in regard to technique and materials (remember "Perflex") prove it and the
rolls are no good, should we all just throw out our Ampicos, Duo-Arts, Weltes
etc. and buy midi players or electromagnetic players and discs?............I
think not.  But technology will always find a "better" way, won't
it????????????????

     By the way, I am not so sure about your Keystone conclusions, I think I
would investigate the perforator situation before putting it in print.
  My understanding is that Keystone uses 3:1 original AMPICO masters for ALL
AMPICO production IF such masters still exist in their library.  Their master
library for the most part is complete in the classical series from roll
#6xxxx through the end of production.  This of course excludes those later
selections in this series arranged on cardboard keyframe read Duo-Art style
masters for use on the converted Duo-Art perforator.   A notable exception is
#71173 the Chopin Bflat minor Scherzo by Rachmaninoff which survives in
original 3:1 paper master form.  The cardboard arrangements begin to
infiltrate with #70903 Waltz Medley, Jan. '31.  Many classical masters prior
to #6xxxx survive, but with increasing gaps of missing selections.
 Additionally, some sporatic popular masters do survive in 3:1 form.  When
they are available and intact, 3:1 masters are of course the medium of choice
for AMPICO  production at Keystone.  
       New information is constantly surfacing concerning the historical
background of the AMPICO and other libraries.  For further information one
should contact the two leading authorities on the subject which are Richard
J. Howe and Jeffrey M. Morgan.  Both are major contributors to AMICA (The
Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association) and MBSI (The Musical
Box Society International) and all of the most recents discoveries in the
area of perforating equipment can be found within these publications.
      When a master is not to be found in the Keystone library, AMPICO
selections are then and only then copied on a 1:1 basis.
     Upon their arrival in Pennsylvania, Keystone sidelined the "Pianola"
perforators, by the way.  Their production equipment presently on line
consists of 1/2 of an original tandem AMPICO production perforator cutting
synchronously from original 3:1  AMPICO paper master stencils.  And 1/2 of
another original AMPICO tandem unit cutting asynchronously 1:1 from original
rolls, be they AMPICO, Duo-Art or Welte as well as selected 88-note.  Rumors
about the absence of synchronouus 3:1 cutting at Keystone are extremely
erroneous and misleading.
      Electronically operated reproducing pianos and roll scanning in this
last decade of the 20th century are not one hundreth the intellectual
accomplishment that the invention of pneumatically operated reproducing
pianos were in the first decade of this century.  These marvelous authentic
instruments are to be treasured as the works of art that they are.  The
current state of today's technology makes mimicking their performances
electronically a relatively simple task.  Time might be better spent
researching and re-discovering lost restoration techniques and materials
(considered archaic by some) which are desparately needed in order to
preserve the surviving examples of these noble instruments.

Have a Happy Fourth of July!!!


Robin Pratt        (Pianola)

P.S.  It is my understanding also that Don Rand who owns the Clark Orchestra
Roll Company and makes A and G rolls posesses the capability to be one of the
only SYNCHRONOUS 1:1 operations in existance.  His modified ACME perforator
cutting  6 to the inch was equipt by its creator, Edward Freyer, with an
ingenious method of acheiving multiple step rates.  At last count this
perforator could be operated at nearly 60 separate step rates.  This
capability coupled with a finely tuned bleed system resulted in a critcal
selection threshold and an extremely high level of resolution.  This
perforator produced the best1:1 copies of 6 to the inch rolls known to date.