Manufacturers of new 88-note and reproducing piano rolls (and obtaining secondhand rolls)

Important notes:

• This webpage lists a selection of suppliers who have their own web pages
• Listing of manufacturers or vendors here does not imply endorsement or recommendation by NWPPA or its members – these listings are provided in good faith as a convenient starting point for purchase of new and recut piano rolls.
• These lists are NOT exhaustive.  Other lists are available at the Mechanical Music Digest (MMD) website, the PlayerCare website and include manufacturers which do not have websites or sell via retailers who do not have websites.  Further supplies of piano rolls (new and used) are included in lists published periodically in the NWPPA Journal
• “Recut” means newly-perforated copies of original piano rolls, mainly dating from the heyday of the player piano (ca 1905-1941)

88-note rolls

QRS

JAM Rolls (John Farrell: specialises in jazz rolls, particularly transcriptions of the performances of historic jazz pianists)

Happy Cow Music (Stephen Simpson)

Leedy Brothers Music Rolls (a few 88-note, but mainly reproducing rolls – see below)

BluesTone (Rob Deland)

Heisigrollen (Wolfgang Heisig: specialist classical pieces including many 20^th century works and special-edition Nancarrow)

Artcraft (Douglas Henderson)

Julian Dyer (supplier of new and recut Duo-Art and 88-note rolls)

Reproducing piano rolls

Precision Music Rolls (recut Ampico B rolls from 1930-41, mainly popular tunes and selections. Website arrangements being updated at time of writing this webpage)

Meliora Music Rolls (Tim Baxter: 88-note, Duo-Art, Ampico and Welte Licensee rolls)

Leedy Brothers Music Rolls (Ampico, Welte Licensee and a few 88-note  rolls, mostly recut but a few new issues: orders taken twice yearly for subscription list, with sale of surplus stock and one or two permanent stock titles at any time)

BluesTone (Ampico, Duo-Art and Welte Licensee rolls as well as 88-note)

Musikwerkstatt Monschau (Thomas Jansen: many formats including Welte Red, Welte Green and Duo-Art)

Artcraft (Douglas Henderson: 88-note, Duo-Art and some Ampico)

Artist’s Choice (Robin Pratt: Welte Licensee rolls and some Ampico rolls)

Julian Dyer (supplier of new and recut Duo-Art and 88-note rolls, including a really interesting description of the roll scanning methods used)

Obtaining secondhand rolls

In addition to manufacturers of new rolls, various sources exist for secondhand rolls, including the PostBid Plus auction service operated by the Player Piano Group.

Although it doesn't have a website, there is another very similar service (Post Bid Enterprise) operated by Frances Broadway, consisting of a postal auction for secondhand rolls which runs three times per year. Email contact details are fm.broadway@virgin.net

IAJ 18/03/08