Hello to all of MMD,  I have been following this thread and could not
help but plug in a few cents here in regard to music roll suppliers.

I will be the first one to acknowledge the tremendous talent and
contributions made by those individuals who have preserved and created
wonderful arrangements on music rolls for owners of instruments to
enjoy.  I, myself, own a good number of these arrangements and re-cuts
made by people who really care about preserving and sharing great
music.  With only one exception I can think of, I have been really
pleased with all the products and service.  That's a pretty good track
record for shopping for an article a quite a bit less common than a CD.

The larger roll companies who took us from the golden era of the 1920s
to the resurgence in the '50s (i.e., QRS, MelOdee, Play-Rite and even
Aeolian) to the hopeful rebirth of the late 1990s and new century, have
themselves dwindled and dropped by the wayside.  Of them, QRS remains.
I do not take the stance that my taste in music, or even my capability
as a judge of the good or the bad, has a real part in the main goal
here: Preservation, development and enjoyment of mechanical music.

Under the leadership of Max Kortlander, QRS survived a very tough time
that shook out most all the competition from the market.  Max kept it
together by producing and marketing music that he knew would sell, and
probably despite his own personal taste in music.  He had to keep his
operation going to also produce the things he liked.  You can almost
tell which was the music that the greats such as he, Arden, Wendling,
Johnson, Robinson, Confrey and Cook liked, and those numbers which they
had to play to put in the library.  By building a huge library of music,
in which quality of arrangement was sometimes sacrificed for quantity,
the company made it through again and again (all in the name of
continuing the business and "passing it on", so to speak).

The philosophy of offering a large variety of music has apparently
proved successful, because QRS is still here.  Yes, there were some
strange management decisions over the years, but some may have been
absolutely necessary for survival.  I do not believe that the lack of
talented pianists or arrangers primarily led to the downfall of these
companies -- economic circumstances and lack of people with instruments
did.

If music rolls sell, that must mean that people want them.  Any younger
people getting into this now, do not remember much about the '20s
(shame) or even the '50s.  They seem to connect with some of the more
modern tunes, which also may or may not be well arranged.  Rudy Martin,
like J. Lawrence Cook, has to do a variety of things; some of which he
must like and fit his style and some of which he just has to do.

I have been selling and buying rolls for some time and I am always
amazed at the titles that people really want.  Time and time again,
it is proven that my taste is not everyone else's.  I think Max and
company faced the same realities on which decisions are based on today.
Great or not so great, the rolls are none the less appreciated and
played by different people.  Fun is generally had by those who hear
them.

I do not believe that mechanically reproduced music is just for the
very well-off who can afford quantities of instruments.  I for one,
have been excited to connect a few pianos with people having limited
resources who are looking for the old ones to rebuild and/or to get
into the joy of listening with.  Every instrument saved and every roll
rescued from death by attic, closet, or basement makes it all
worthwhile.

There may be quality assurance issues at QRS, and hopefully they will
see the importance of investing more in that, but in my opinion it's
commitment to customer satisfaction and making it right, go the extra
mile.  No, I am not a dealer for them, although I have sold a lot of
used QRS rolls, and some to some of you.

To all who contribute here: Thank You!  This is an invaluable resource.

Best Regards,

Dave Haibach