(Note:  I switched jobs a few weeks ago, so its been a while since
I've written into, or even read the AMI mailing... so please forgive me
for catching up on and commenting about a few issues!)

   I am EXTREMELY glad to hear that other 88 note owners out there tape
up the to4 & bottom 4 notes of their players to listen to Reproducing
Rolls.  I remember distinctly that a few years back, I showed off my
newly restored Wurlitzer pumper with (ee-gads!) a Duo-Art roll
(Paderewski's Caprice in G!  I remember this incident that well!).
While my automatic-music-guru-friend was impressed with the great tone
of the instrument, he chastised me for commiting this "sacrilege."

   I continued to still do this, though.  You see, my father has a 1914
Weber Duo-Art with a rather massive selection of rolls... my nearby
Uncle has an Ampico B with another rather huge roll collection.  I
could find only little solace in the selection of local antique stores
and the pathetic one page Classical section in the QRS catalong. So, I
decided to borrow rolls now and then instead of occupying my time with
the (almost fruitless) search of vintage rolls.

   So, to make a long story short... I don't think anyone out there
should be ashamed of  doing this...  especially if you take the time to
learn to "read" the expression encoding on the sides, and learn to pump
pedals and pull levers with the necessary speed.  It is terribly
rewarding.

sorry to rattle on, but I felt a catharsis coming on....

A couple more points...

The Disc vs. Disk discussion - hate to beat a dead horse... but in my
experience, both growing up with automatic instruments AND computers, I
never saw that "K" (as in disK) until bought an Apple II in 1978...  I
think the "K" is a computer-age phenomenon.  My two cents worth.... :-)

Lastly... I think I've asked this here before... But I need to want out
what an organette I purchased earlier this year is worth...  I don't
want to sell it, though I do want to adequately insure it.  the specs:

   Its a 16 note Mechanical Orguinette Company (aka Aeolian) "Musette".
   I has been dated to have been made in 1887.   Its in almost
   perfect condition - It plays perfectly , even with all original
   parts!  The only real work I've done on it was to uncover the years
   of grime that had built up on the original finish.  I did this by
   VERY slowly removing layer after layer of gunk with extremely mild
   solvents until the original case details shone through. One other
   thing...   To top it off, I have about 20 rolls that are all marked
   with dates in the early 1880's - they are extremely fragile, but
   playable.

Any info on similar purchases or general pricing guides would be
greatly appreciated.

- Rocci Cirone¶
CironeRA@perkin-elmer.com¶
or¶
scepter@livewire.com¶
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