I have an opinion about take-up spools.  I have not rebuilt any 88-note
upright player pianos since 1976.  I also rebuilt very few.  As most
people who know me understand I am truly a nickelodeon nut.  Not an
English scholar or author.

There was some discussion about the width of take-spools on a previous
MMD.  In the 1960's we sold Aeolian and Kimball players.  I never liked
the Kimball players because you could only play a portion of the notes.
"Great Balls of Fire" missed the top notes as did "Born Free."  The
Aeolian players couldn't play the long rolls from QRS just as their
catalog warned.

I cut the take-up spools down so that they were not so wide. I don't
remember the dimensions.  This enabled me to move the flanges on the
take-up spool closer together.  Why did this work?  In my experience as
the rolls played the paper would shift from right to left as far as the
flanges on the take-up spool would allow.  During rewind you got torn
rolls.  This seemed to work for me.

One of the older technicians used to put the little round paper
reinforcing rings on top of each valve in the player thus reducing the
size of the top valve hole diameter.  Was there any reason this helped
improved the performance of those "jewels" (the Aeolian players)?  I also
remember seeing players that would pull the flanges closer together with
vacuum as they started to play.  I think some of the Pratt-Read actions
did this.

Don Teach