[ Matthew Caulfield wrote in 040213 MMDigest:

> A small operation like Durrell Armstrong's Player Piano Company
> is in no position to dictate to a rubber cloth manufacturer how
> much clay filler is used in their rubber.

I beg to differ.  Durrell, Organ Supply and Schaff are all in the
driver's seat.  They must have enough made at one time to fulfill the
minimum orders, but other than that they are in Complete Control of
the item being made.  (I have had tubing made by the company that makes
Durrell's).  They are quite simply the ONLY company having it made.
Rubberized cloth and tubing are not made for other industries.  Air
mattress companies used to have bellows cloth made for them as well,
but I am not sure they make that kind of air mattress any more.

This is why I am so extremely disappointed in the quality of Durrell's
cloths from the 1980's that lasted 6-10 years and failed.  I had the
brown Aeolian cloth fail within one week.  Durrell said he knew of the
problem and would replace the 10 yards we had mostly used up but no
offer to pay to replace the other 8 yards that were on our customer's
pianos.  This is why I no longer buy Durrell's cloth even though it
may be perfectly good now.  I just don't know.

D.L. Bullock    St. Louis
www.thepianoworld.com