Hello Everyone,  The primary reason I do not replace any rubber
bands on piano rolls is because if they are not rewound tight,
the rubber band causes a indentation in the center of the roll, and
because removing the rubber band can often cause leader damage.

If you still have a brake applied on the take-up spool to provide
a tight roll, you can tear more rolls on rewind.  On _all_ of my
restored pianos the brakes are disabled or are set very light on.

If you choose to tighten the roll manually, and there are any small
tears, they get worse.

What is a band-less roll in a box in a storage cabinet going to hurt?
The lack of a rubber band is for the roll's protection.

Al Pebworth
Chesapeake, Virginia
http://www.pebworths.com/