In the early days of pushup piano players and possibly some of the
earliest self-contained player pianos, QRS made 58-note player piano
rolls that were 10-3/8" wide and were perforated with 6 holes per
inch spacing. Can anyone tell me what their note compass was?
Incidentally, in 2015 I wrote a lengthy 2-part article for the
AMICA Bulletin detailing the history of the Chicago makers of coin
piano and orchestrion rolls, beginning with the little-known coin-op
division of QRS, and going on to cover the Clark Orchestra Roll Co.,
Seeburg's Automatic Music Roll brand, and the Columbia/Capitol
division of Operators (Coinola).
Information was gathered from music trade journals of the era, my
lengthy interview with P.M. Keast who arranged orchestrion rolls for
all of these companies, the business records of Clark Orchestra Roll
Co., and other sources. It includes details of QRS's involvement
in coin-op rolls, how they were arranged and manufactured, artists
whose work was featured on each brand, a production timeline, and
other related subjects.
This was made possible by Glenn Thomas (AMICA's current editor) who
granted permission to use this in our website, and Terry Hathaway
who formatted and expanded it and produced the online version.
To read all about this music, please go to this link:
https://mechanicalmusicpress.com/history/articles/cgo_rolls.htm
Thank you!
Art Reblitz
Colorado Springs, Colorado
[ Rich Schommer wrote in 051005 MMDigest that the rolls were
[ originally developed when Melville Clark was still with
[ Story & Clark, and they played Story & Clark organs. More at
[ https://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/200510/2005.10.05.06.html
[
[ See also "Piano Rolls With Square Drive Hole in Flange" at
[ https://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/200303/2003.03.05.html
[ -- Robbie
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