This is an extremely belated response to John Phillip's inquiry
in MMDigest of 24 April, 2001.

> Hi from Tasmania.  Does anybody know of a source for the
> green string that Aeolian used to use on those rolls that
> had a string tie around them?  It looks like light-weight
> string fishing line to me.

I wanted some of this string too, and I finally found a nearly exact
replacement.  Mr. Phillip's intuition that it might be a marine product
was correct, but it is more in the line of commercial fishing, rather
than sport fishing.  This material, called "Number 7 (0.035" diam.)
Seine Twine", is used to mend nets.

Everybody carries Number 6 (too thin) and Number 9 or number 15 (too
thick).  But I finally found that Nylon Net Co. of Memphis carries
Number 7, and will sell it online.  http://www.nylonnet.com/
Click: catalog > commercial fishing... subcategories > twisted twines...
subcategories > Nybond II mending twine > [page 3] > size 7 [second
entry].  Product No. 13310, at $9.34 for a one pound, 3260 foot spool.

By the way, the only American made music rolls that I know of, which
use a wrapping string, are Aeolian 116-note Pipe Organ rolls.  They use
a much thinner (0.021" diam.) white cord, secured by wrapping it around
an eyelet and washer, something like on a string-closure envelope.
Sometimes this eyelet is driven through the fabric tab, but in most
cases, the eyelet is set into the roll paper itself.  There, it
invariably rips out of the fragile, old paper.

The British Aeolian system, where the green string is secured by
wrapping it around the head of a tiny paper fastener driven through
the strong, gray fabric tab, is far superior.

Richard Vance