Hi all,  Ampico corporation was probably the leader in sales of Ampico
players and rolls.  In fact you will find more Ampico rolls available
than any of the other major reproducing rolls.

Ampico had great marketing and they did not want their customers to be
buying ordinary 88-note player rolls for their pianos.  They wanted you
to by Ampico roll exclusively.  So the best way to discourage you to
buy only Ampico rolls was to design their player system so that when
you played any 88-note rolls you would be very disappointed in the
results:

1. 88-note rolls played very softy.

2. Yes, they do have those two buttons, that do offer a little
expression.  The expression should vary between 5 inches to 30 inches
suction as your player is set up.  But, when playing an 88-note roll,
you will find that the expression is lackluster when comparing an
88-note roll to an Ampico roll.

So, you would go to the store and see that you could buy an ordinary
88-note roll for 35 cents, versus the same tune on an Ampico for $1.25
to $2.50.  You might buy the 88-note roll and when you first put it on
the piano and walked away to listen you would be very disappointed,
probably so much so that the next day you would take the roll back and
buy the Ampico version.

Anyway, there is a simple way to get more loudness from your Ampico
when playing 88-note rolls and it does not require you to punch extra
hole in the roll.  Here are the steps I use to play 88-note rolls
louder:

1. Set the tempo lever to Zero (0);

2. Turn on the repeat switch;

3. Place the roll in the spool chucks and pull just enough of the
leader down to the take up spool so that the end tab engages and leaves
enough of the V of the paper so that it exposes both sides of the
expression holes in the tracker bar;

4. Set the Modify switch to either medium or Brilliant;

5. Push the Rewind/Play switch to play mode and hold it while you

6. Turn on the motor;

7. As soon as the pump is running and you have vacuum, then adjust the
Tempo to the tempo of the roll, and

8. The roll should play louder -- just fine.

Simple as that.

I only played 88-note rolls about one or two times and I only play
Ampico rolls on mine now.  I still don't care for 88-note rolls playing
on an Ampico.  Have fun!

Musically,
Larry Norman, from the Blue ridge Mountains of Virginia.  The
colors of the leaves is just about past it's peak, but still beautiful.
Come down and see the colors, on the Blue Ridge parkway.

PS: I forgot to mention, that once the roll is playing, you can shut
off the repeat switch.