Wasn't there _another_ problem with pipe-organ rolls? I think that
each installed pipe organ had its own unique selection of pipes,
necessitating rolls customized for that particular organ. If you
substitute rolls made for one organ on another, they will play, but
might not produce the intended sound. Toys for the rich, those organs
were, at or beyond the cutting edge of electro-pneumatic engineering.
The John Ringling home, across the street from the former Bellm's in
Sarasota, Florida, has a residence player organ. I'm pretty sure it's
a Duo-Art Aeolian and I think it still has a collection of rolls. The
docent can show you the organ, but will not run it. It can be played
manually, and there are occasional concerts, but never via the player.
When I visited there about ten years ago the folks at Bellm's were
unaware of the Ringling organ, and the Ringling docent was unaware of
the Bellm collection.
Peter Neilson
Sanford NC
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