Hello -- In regards to Karen Lewis' article about torn Ampico rolls,
I have some heresy to speak!  I play Ampico, Duo-Art, Welte and
88-note rolls on my fine upright Cable-Nelson player.  Many of these
rolls I have been playing over and over for 40 years.  In all that
time, I have perhaps torn only about one dozen rolls, and only because
the paper was extremely brittle (and I find this problem rarely).

All anyone needs do to stop tearing rolls is to _remove_ the lower
take-up spool brake.  Also take out the left side spool flange and
then put a bit of tape around it, and put it back in.  Then, after
tamping down the roll on to the right spool end (tighten the roll
a little), pull out the now tight left spool a little.

So, when the roll rewinds, the paper can move back and forth with
little tension and will almost never tear.  A lower take-up spool
brake is fine with new rolls _only._

Best, Marc Goodman
Cleveland, Ohio