Seeing Meliora Music Rolls recent Ampico catalog from Tim Baxter
reminds me again how ephemeral quality recuts of obscure titles can
be and the ever higher hurdles to make them available. Many collectors
have been around long enough to remember the Powells and their Klavier
brand with the equipment now owned by Richard Groman of Keystone and
Dave Saul's quality recuts.

As we have all learned, it is simply not possible to maintain a stock
of hundreds of titles which may sit on shelves for decades. The price
of paper and boxes have steeply risen in more recent years and I expect
even flanges are not inconsequential to have made. So while we imagine
that the days of big catalog offerings from Keystone and Dave Saul are
right around the corner it is less and less likely.

Now we have Tim Baxter offering a new list. For those unfamiliar with
Tim's Meliora Music Rolls, he is actually able to recreate the punch
matrix and step rate to copy exactly an existing roll. Something that
did not exist when the Powells were offering their many titles for
which no master existed. All of this comes at a cost which must be
amortized over the number of copies sold. Plus since Tim's step rate
can be controlled, he is able to offer some Ampico rolls whose masters
even if they did exist, are not compatible with the Aeolian equipment
used in the 1930s.

So I would remind anyone with an Ampico, or anyone considering an
Ampico, that modern paper makes roll play stress free. Titles will never
be available in large catalogs as they once were. A permanent catalog
is a thing of the past. Costs are higher than ever and know that when
you pass on a title, the likelihood that it will be available again is
minimal.

I am simply grateful to be able to buy these elusive titles. I can hear
the difference a quality recut makes and suspect that many of you do
too. None of the people cutting rolls today are making money. These are
a labor of love.

Mark Reinhart
Charles Town, West Virginia 

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