[CAUT] mystery solved

[Richard Brekne]

     > I've made such replacements both as one-piece-per-section, and as
    six
     > separate pieces more or less per the original (and similar to S&S
    and
     > many other modern pianos).  Both seem to work equally well.  Fewer
     > pieces are easier to make and install; but to my eye the six
    pieces look
     > a little nicer.


Ed McMorrow has had a book out with a procedure for de-tuning the front 
duplex for what.... 15-20 years now ?  Basically he ascribes to the idea 
that the front duplex should not be a harmonic 5th or octave, but rather 
a major 6th, a 2nd, or sometimes a 4th compared to  the speaking length. 
A halfround brass placed appropriately to do the job is one way of going 
about it.  You can grind down the existing in some cases if you need to. 
The job should be done in connection with the best possible capo 
profile...which essentially provides as much of a pivot point for a 
termination as is possible for the given capo.  There are other 
considerations as well... how each type of capo will wear with time for 
a given profile. 

Ron Overs opts for simply hardening the capo to his own specs so that 
becomes a known... goes with a very thin and sharp profile and deals 
with the duplex lengths from a perspective of providing lengths and 
counterbearing angles that are steep enough to minimize the possibility 
of buzzing and at the same time allow for a well functioning duplex.

It should be remembered... that the duplex sounds one hears are a matter 
in which one finds huge dissagreement as to whether or not this, that or 
the other effect is a desirable or not.  Some folks like what others 
would call noisy duplexes... some dont like any duplex at all... others 
find that kind of solution...typified by the now defunct Bechstein 
design as dry and characterless.  Selling our own preferences to the 
public is straight enough... but I wouldnt go so far as to try and 
declare my own preferences as outright universal truths.  In the end..  
the Steinway solution has an undeniable inescapable astounding 
domination... whether one likes that or not is rather aside the point.  
Myself... I like Ed's take on the matter.  But I have no compunction to 
simply cleaning up an existing front duplex for what it is....and 
redoing the job some years down the line if needed... heck we tune 
pianos often enough because they go out of tune... I dont see the major 
difference in re-dressing an existing duplex system and otherwise 
leaving it alone.

Cheers
RicG