Mike Sweeney and I have made the suggestion that Mylar should be used
in place of paper for music rolls, particularly music rolls used on
band organs, since they're often exposed to the weather. The advantage
of the plastic is that it is not subject to shrinking and swelling,
unlike paper, and can greatly reduce if not eliminate faulty tracking
of the music roll over the tracker bar. In addition the plastic can
last much longer than paper.
Mylar would be the music roll material of choice for a band organ
because it won't develop the problems that can occur with paper.
Jeff Alterman
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
[ Mylar wears the punching machine much faster than wax-coated rag
[ paper, so I think the production cost would be considerably more.
[ Do original Wurlitzer band organ rolls exhibit the problems you
[ mention? The old green paper I've seen appeared to be very durable
[ and stable. -- Robbie
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