Reminiscences of strange service remind me of the time I started buying
rolls by mail from Aeolian-American in the 1960s.  Of course these were
intended for their new little console players, none of which ever worked
well in England because of the humidity, but for me, a player nut for
whom Aeolian was a Great Name From The Past, it was a real thrill to be
getting new rolls with AEOLIAN on the box.

It would have been a greater thrill still had the rolls all had the right
titles on them.  I was lucky in a way because my first six shipments were
correct to the last roll and after that someone "blew a diode" (as we
used to say in our electronics factory) and faithfully sent me someone
else's order.

AA were unfailingly courteous, but it was no good.  They weren't even
geared up to telling me from the titles whether mine was a shipment
intended for the UK.  I had the option of shipping the whole lot back or
lumping it and keeping them.  Since there was some overlap with my own
tastes, I usually kept them.  The better ones can still be had from
Klavier, complete with the same stamped box title -- though Klavier make
them rather better.  AA rolls all had the notes half a position to the
right.  Dealing with a Great Name From The Past demanded sacrifice.

Dan Wilson

 [ In the era of the Gardner-Denver "wire-wrap" circuits we would say
 [ "He just came un-wrapped!"  -- Robbie