AMICA AUTOtVIATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION 1 THE AMICA NEWS BULLETIN .....--------------------------rThe AMICA News Bulletin Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association, a non-profit club devoted to the restoration, distribution and enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls. Contributions: All subjects of interest to readers of the bulletin are encouraged and invited by the publisher. All articles must be received by the 15th of the preceding month. Every attempt will be made to publish all articles of general interest to AM ICA members at the earliest possible time and at the discretion of the Publisher, in the following areas: * Letters to the Publisher *Research Findings *Questions and Answers *Biographical Sketches of Artists and Composers *Photographs, Old Advertisements * Technical Information *Anything else of general interest to AMICA Advertisements: Personal ads are accepted by the AMICA Bulletin Board (address below). Businesses and persons wishing more space use the following guidelines: - Spaces available at the rate of $10 per quarter page or multiple thereof. - Camera ready copy must reach the publisher by the 15th of the preceding month. - Advertiser must pay extra expenses, such as-photographic half-tones and typesetting if required. - All ads will appear on the last pages of the bulletin. PUBLICATION OF BUSINESS ADVERTISING IN NO WAY IMPLIES AMICA'S ENDORSEMENT OF ANY COMMERCIAL OPERATION. However AMICA reserves the right to refuse any ad that is not in keeping with AMICA's general standards or if complaints are received indicating that said business does not serve the best interests of the members of AMICA, according to its goals and by-laws. I WHO & WHERE AMICA PRESIDENT BULLETIN BOARD Frank Loob Mel Luchetti, Advertising Secretary 219 Montecito Boulevard 3449 Maruicia Avenue Napa, California 94558 Santa Clara, California 95050 AMICA VICE-PRESIDENT AMICA AUCTION Roger Johnson Gar Britten, Auctioneer 6380 Wisteria Way 642 Diamond Street San Jose, California 94129 San Francisco, California AMICA SECRETARY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE Roberta Cherney Jarod Clark 952 Johnson Street 444 Brannan Street Redwood City, California 94061 San Francisco, California 94107 AMICA BULLETIN TEXAS CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVE Ginny Billings, Publisher Aggie Pate 1428 Liberty Street c/o Pate Museum of Music EI Cerrito, California 94530 P. O. Box 711 Ft. Worth, Texas 76101 NEW MEMBERSHIPS & MAILING PROBLEMS Dick Reutlinger, Membership Secretary AMICA BULLETIN PAST ISSUES 824 Grove Street Mrs. Gladys Jones San Francisco, California 94117 21 Mercedes Way San Francisco, Cal ifornia 94127 MEMBERSHIP DUES & TREASURY Bob Whiteley, Treasurer 175 Reservoir San Rafael, California THE AMICA NEWS BULLETIN 2 SECOND INTERNATIONAL AMICA CONVENTION! by Cecil Do~er, Convention Chairman Where It's At! BOARD MINUTES Roberta Cherney, Secretary Preparations for our Second International Con­ vention are in process. The big dates are: Friday, June 30 thru Monday, . 824 Grove Street, San Francisco July 3, 1972. Jan. 16, 1972 Programs related to every aspect of our interest The President, Frank Loob, called the meeting of the are being developed. AMICA Board of Directors to order at 12:45 p.m. at the home of Dick Reutlinger. The minutes 6f the December 11 Also included will be: meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer reported a balance of $1,905.05 in the Visits to outstanding collections, checking account. Roll recutting refunds amounted to Guest artists, and exhibitors. $3,206.00, leaving a balance of $9,310.50 in the roll recutting fund. Bob said Jarod Clark wanted to continue The beautifully restored ''Victorian'' Alexan­ to pay for the' San Francisco Post Office Box which the dria Hotel is our centrally located Convention club is using, but would appreciate being given stamps Headquarters where program activities, formal to forward the club's mail. and informal, will take place. The Membership Secretary reported 268 members had paid their 1972 dues. Dick said the club could get a 3rd class mailing permit which would cost $45.00. The The registration fee of $25. 00 per AMICA Mem­ Bulletins then could be sent by 3rd class mail each ber ($35.00 for Non-members) will include all month. Dick was authori zed to obtain the permit. programs, events and seven all inclusive meals. The Publisher said the January Bulletin was ready for mailing. Ginny also reported she had obtained a Service Deluxe Victorian accommodations are available Contract for the typewriter for $40.00 a year, which at our Convention Hotel; apply directly to: will include parts and labor. Roberta moved the bill be paid, seconded and passed. Ginny relayed the request by Alexandria Hotel Jim Elfers for the return of the type-heads, which he Spring Street at Fifth said were his personal property. This necessitated the Los Angeles, California purchase of four new type-heads whi ch cos t $80.87. Bob (213) 626-7484 moved the bill be paid, seconded and passed. Frank reported receiving a preliminary report of the Be sure to mention "AMICA Convention". If convention plans from the Southern California Chapter, early registration is sufficient the Alexandria so the National Convention will be in Los 'Angeles on the weekend of July 4th. will grant significant discounts. The roll recutting contract will be prepared. Dick reviewed the Honorary Membership list. There Charter bus transportation to events away from are now 28 Honorary Members. Ginny moved that all 28 Headquarters may be arranged at nominal cost continue to be listed as Honorary Members. Seconded and if interest warrants. Be sure to indicate your passed. need on the registration form. Bound Bulletins were discussed. In order to have com­ plete bound copies of the 1971 Bulletins, it will be necessary to reprin t the May issue. Dick moved the May Register NOW: I am looking forward to seeing issue be reprinted at a cost of about $150.00, seconded you at the Convention. and passed. It was decided that this year 1,000 copies a month will be printed. Cecil Dover Ginny appointed Gl~dys Jones to be a member of the Convention Chairman Publications Committee and Gladys will be in charge of Past Bulletins and the Bound Bulletins. She will recei ve all orders for them and mail them out. 1971 BOUND BULLETINS Tile following were elected to serve on the National 1971 Bound Bulletins are now ready, bound in the usual Nominating Committee: Roberta Cherney, Temporary Chair­ spiral format, and with front and back covers, and an man; Roger Johnson; Mel Luchetti; Dick Reutlinger; additional Mylar protective covering. Please send your 13aliJara Wlli teley; Joe Bogle; and Sally Lawrence. orders to Gladys Jones; her address is on the inside Tile meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m. Members pre­ front cover of the Bulletin. To save correspondence, ~h.)ll t were: Ginny Billings, Roberta Cherney, Frank Loob, don1t forget to include your check or money order for D.ick Reut1inger and Bob Whiteley. Also present were $15.00, made out to IIAM ICA. II ~dlly Lawrence and Barbara Whi teley. 3 THE AMICA NEWS BULLETIN TECHNICAL MISCELLANEA by Bob Billings The Technical Committee has had good intentions, but I hope to make the machine capable of being speeded up so far has done nothing of consequence about the roll to maybe 1200-1500 strokes per minute so as to try recutting discussions mentioned in the January Bulletin. direct recording of a master. Hopefully by the time you read this the committee will All of this is pretty much in the future. However, I have gotten together. am now spending about 10 hours a week working on a home­ It has been brought to my attention that my wording made jig-borer to make punches and dies. 1 hope to have was ambiguous when I said that AMICA has no intention this finished in a month, at which time I shall begin of getting into the roll recutting business. What I by making the punch itself. Of course, a punch could be meant was that AMICA does not intend to physically pro­ operated directly from any roll without any logic with duce rolls. We are still as commi tted as ever to trying ~ fair res u1t s • to make available rolls cut by others. And the prospects 1 am having trouble finding a simple old design for are improving. OK? the trip or key that was between the reciprocating bar R. S. Rasmussen sent me an interesting letter on his and the punch. This was usually operated by a pouch. roll ~ecutting efforts. He has built a system which mechanically scans a section of roll, one channel, or I have a comment to add to this letter. Regarding the note, at a time, rather like an autdmated Leabarjan optical sensing of the holes in the roll, it would seem perforator. He, sent two samples of his efforts, and I that a differential reading might solve the problem. A am impressed 1 As he points out in notes on his samples reference photocell could read the light transmission or there is work to be done on bri.dging, but what he's reflection of the paper and change the sensitivity of done so far is quite acceptable. Following is an ex­ the hole-sensing photocells. I prefer the idea of using cerpt from his letter. photocells over the pneumatic approach because optics can sense a hole edge (using fibre optics), giving a In the 1as t 4 yea rs, I have made two simp 1e ro11 precise indication of the original hole position. Unless perforation machines; the fi rst was completely unsuccess­ very carefully adjusted the pneumatic approach can add ful! The second, however, was somewhat successfu1--at or subtract a punching increment to the note hole.