I, too, prefer the use of archival acid-free tape over 3M(TM) Magic
Tape.  Archival tape was originally intended for rare, irreplaceable
documents.  Don't paper music rolls fall into the same category?

Besides the properties mentioned by Mark Reinhart, archival tape is
lighter weight than 3M Magic Tape.  Magic Tape adds bulk to the roll.
At first, Magic Tape is pliable and easily removable.  But eventually,
the tape starts to become brittle and harder to remove.

Dan Wilson noted that music rolls in America seem to be more greatly
deteriorated than in the UK, and suggested that climate may be the
reason.  I agree with him somewhat.  In my part of the country, the
climate goes from one extreme to the other.  We have hot, humid
summers, and also cold winters when drying, indoor heating systems are
used.  My player piano and rolls yo-yo from moist to dry on a seasonal
basis.  Still, I have not noticed any appreciable deterioration in the
piano rolls due to this constant vacillation of temperature and
humidity.

Some of the rolls in my collection have been in the family for more
than forty years, so I have been able to personally witness their care
and use.  There are rolls that my siblings and I played the heck out of
when we were kids.  That's a dangerous combination for piano rolls --
frequent use and children -- yet these same rolls are in remarkable
shape and do not show the tearing, fraying or other damage seen in so
many other rolls.

I wish I could pinpoint exactly what my siblings and I did to prevent
the rolls from deteriorating.  We never received any instruction on
proper roll care.  Perhaps it was the knowledge that if a roll was
damaged, we would be in big trouble with our dad.  ;-)

Maybe it is frequent use that actually _preserves_ a roll.  Through
the playing process, a roll is aired out.  Accumulated excess moisture
declines or disappears.  It also gives the owner an opportunity to
inspect the roll for flaws and make minor repairs before they become
major repairs.

Thanks to Larry Norman for making the archival tape available and
helping us to preserve our treasured music rolls.

Joyce Brite
Player Piano and Mechanical Music Exchange
http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/