Keystone Music Roll Co. has been manufacturing and re-issuing piano roll recordings using the original Aeolian-American Ampico perforating equipment for the past 25 years. This machinery, using the 1000's of existing original piano roll stencil masters, was first restored and used by Larry Givens in the early 1960's. Harold and Mildred Powell purchased the machinery and masters rolls in the early 1970's, selling their recordings as Klavier Music Rolls. At that time, using the most up to date technology of the time, the Powells installed a one-to-one reading and punching system on one of the perforators. This modification created the ability to copy any piano roll to a reasonable playable standard. Time has marched on.

For the past several years, Keystone has taken the monumental task of rebuilding all the original Ampico perforators as well as retiring the 1970's Powell one-to-one copying system. We have enlisted several brilliant minds in creating a system that will scan original piano roll information hole for hole, step advance by step advance, then convert that information back into original master roll stencil information. We call this our "Histograph Process". In the case of Ampico rolls, we use their 20 to 1,30 to 1,35 to 1,33 to 1 formats. We store this information on computer disc running a program directly interfaced to the original perforators. When operated this information signals the perforator exactly when to punch holes in sync with the ram head with correct step advance. For the first time since the heyday of the 1920's-30's piano roll industry are truly accurate.

Reproductions of all piano recordings are possible. Every hole is perfectly placed just like on the original rolls. The original hole sizes are strictly adhered to as well as is the original chaining patterns. All this painstaking detail is needed to make sure all the accents, tone shadings, pedalings, subtle rhythmic effects, etc. are played at the correct time to insure the most musical of results. Nothing is lost. Keystone's new Histographic rolls are the most amazingly accurate re-issued player rolls available today.

Our offerings are for the Ampico Reproducing Piano & Welte Pianos. We also have some spectacular standard 88-note rolls of particular collecting interest. We are currently working on our Duo-Art perforating system and will offer exacting copies of Duo-Art recordings using the Histographic Process in the near future.