[ Al Menashe wrote in 160711 MMDigest:

> Can somebody explain why original Violano rolls sound so good,
> but reproduction rolls (new ones) sound so bad.

Al,  Can you elaborate on "good" and "bad"?  Does it sound like
a tracking problem or an arrangement problem?  Also, do you have
an early or late style machine and are you using the correct type
of roll for that type of machine?

Violano rolls number 1 through (approximately) number 1750 are early
style and 1751 through 3121 are late style (there is some overlap of
types from 1740 to 1760).  If you put an early style roll on a late
style machine and have the violin mute function on your machine, the
roll will sound wretched.  Similarly, if you put a late style roll on
an early style machine, the dynamics will not match what is intended.

For my Violano roll scanning project, I have scanned nearly 1500
Violano rolls.  These have included original and recut rolls.  What
I have found is that the original rolls, and the rolls recut by Dick
Hack, track well and are interchangeable.  The "Violin Music Company"
rolls often have a tracking problem, which requires you to adjust your
machine in order use those rolls.  I have found examples of those rolls
that will not track even after adjustment because the spacing between
holes is slightly off.

It is also interesting to note that Mills Novelty Company did not
always maintain masters for their rolls.  Instead, they apparently used
a production roll later in time to become the master for a subsequent
production run.  I once had two original "identical" rolls, one of
which needed a short section reproduced.  When I set the two next to
each other, the holes did not even come close to matching up.  One roll
was slightly "faster" than the other, so I needed to adjust the section
I made for the damaged roll accordingly.  This helped to confirm the
fact that a single master was not used throughout the various
production runs.

As an experiment, you need to find an original and recut roll of
the same number and try them out on your machine.  There should be
absolutely no difference between them based on my experience.  If you
can tell a difference, I will be very surprised.  I have played many
such "pairs" over the years and have only found problems based on
manufacturer rather than the fact that they were originals and recuts.
I have nearly 200 rolls in my collection, so if you send me a list of
rolls you own, I may have a match you can try out.

Jack Breen
Southborough, Massachusetts