4 pedal upright, 'tremelo' pedal???

[Doug Hershberger]

Hello list,
   I had always heard that these pianos with the four or five pedals were at
one time used for accompanying silent movies. Supposedly they were on the
wings of the stage and the pedals were used for effects. Old wives tale
perhaps? Anyone else heard of this?
Doug Hershberger, RPT
----- Original Message -----
From: J Patrick Draine <draine@mediaone.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 1999 5:35 AM
Subject: Re: 4 pedal upright, 'tremelo' pedal???


> >List,
> >
> >I tuned a Wing & Sons Upright today.  It has 4 pedals.  The left pedal is
not
> >hooked up to anything, but above it is written "tremelo."  The center
left
> >pedal is a soft pedal above which is written "piano," the center right is
a
> >damper pedal above which is written forte, and I suspect the right pedal
was
> >for either a muffler rail, or a mandolin type rail, above which is
written
> >"orchestra."
> >
> >I'm not losing sleep over this, but I am a little curious about what the
> >tremelo pedal on an otherwise typical old upright might have done, and
how it
> >did this.
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >Gordon Large, RPT
> >Maine
>
> Hi Gordon,
> One of my customers had one. It's strictly "Sales and Marketing"; "more is
> better", and "A sucker's born every minute". Other than that, a reasonable
> old upright piano.
>
> Patrick
>
>