Hi all,  Rubber bands should have been banned years ago from being used
anywhere around music rolls, Period!

In the early days of music rolls labor was cheap, and to keep the rolls
tightly wound for shipping from the factory, someone came up with the
novel idea of placing a metal button on the end tab and tying a string
around the roll and wrapping the end around the button.  It was neat;
it kept the roll tightly wound.  But labor costs increased to over a
dollar a day, and the companies could not afford to pay someone to tie
a string on each roll's end tab.

Many companies solved the problem with a wrapper or seal; the Ampico
company had paper seals printed with the words, "pull here to break
seal".  The QRS Co. would wrap a tissue paper around the roll and put
a very nice QRS seal on the roll.  They looked very nice and attractive
and solved two problems: one, of the roll unraveling, and two, of
people complaining of paying for a new roll and getting a used roll.

Then one day, someone invented the rubber band and it was cheaper and
quicker to put around the roll than the seals.  Of course, rubber bands
deteriorate and become gummy and then hard and make a mess out of the
rolls.  I hate rubber bands with a passion, and they should never be
put around a music roll.

Joyce Brite said, "When shipping or transporting rolls, something is
needed to keep the roll in place.  A loose roll shifting in the box can
become damaged."

I hate to see rubber bands used around music rolls at all.  Some of
them get gooey, gummy, and hard and damage the rolls.  How many times
have you reached to pull a rubber band off a roll and took the end tab
off as well?  Or how many times did you miss seeing the rubber band and
tore the roll when unspooling the end to put on the piano?

My suggestion is to take a sheet of paper and cut long strips, and wrap
around the roll and glue the end of the strip, like the seals.  I reprint
the seals like you find on AMPICO rolls and that is what I use to put
around rolls that I ship out.  Please don't use rubber bands.

Another choice is those Velcro straps that are made, or the twist ties.
Another idea, might be to go to a restaurant supply store and get some
of the gummed paper strips they put around napkins.  They would be
perfect.  Please don't use rubber bands!

Musically,
Larry Norman