Mills Violano Roll Numbering
By Dick Hack
To answer Mike Carey: Sometimes there is a penciled number (usually 4 digits) at end of roll after the rewind slot. Either unwind the roll by hand which is risky with the brittle paper or turn the machine off at the end of the roll just before going into rewind and unspool the roll past the slot to see if there is a number (also tricky). If you find a number, E mail or call me and I will send you the tune numbers and tune titles of the roll.
If the roll number is after about #1800, it is a so-called late style roll and will work on a majority of Violanos. Actually, if it is any Violano roll it should play on most any Violano (with some minor performance problems if earlier than about #1800 on a late style machine or later than about #2800 on an early style machine). The machine differences are piano expression and damper lock and cancel on early machines, and no piano expression and standard damper lift on late machines. Many rolls between 1800 and 2800 have both long perforations and also cancel perforations so they will work both late and early machines.
If there is no roll number, I know of no way to determine what is on the roll other than listening to it.
Dick Hack
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(Message sent Wed 12 Mar 1997, 04:21:42 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.) |
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