Old tuning forks, pitch standards

[Mike and Jane Spalding]

Ric,

Thanks for the post.  I just got back from the library - found the
Britannica articles very interesting.  As usual, I drifted off topic a
little and read their piece on "temperament".  They jump directly from
Meantone to Equal, with only a vague mention of Well ("JS Bach's Well
Tempered Klavier was probably a reference to a modified meantone..")


thanks

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Moody <remoody@midstatesd.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2001 11:43 PM
Subject: Re: Old tuning forks, pitch standards


> For basic information  New Grove's  has an excellent article on tuning
> forks.
> A good original source are the Ellis appendices in Helmholtz,
> _Sensation of Tone_  under the heading "A history of Pitch" or
> something like that.
> Britannica has a good mention.
>
> 14 cents sharp of A440 is 444 within one beat in 10.   ---ric
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mike and Jane Spalding <mjbkspal@execpc.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2001 11:19 PM
> Subject: Old tuning forks, pitch standards
>
>
> List,
>
> Today an older gentleman at our church gave me 3 old tuning forks that
> had belonged to his wifes uncle, a piano tuner.  I am curious to know
> their approximate age, and also what, if anything, they tell us about
> the history of pitch standards.
>
> The largest, (and probably the youngest) fork is 125 mm overall
> length, with tines about 5mm x 6mm.  It is stamped"DEAGAN  CHICAGO",
> "A=440", "OFFICIAL PITCH A.F. OF M. 1917", and "ADOPTED BY U.S. GOVT.
> 1920".
>
> The next smaller fork is 110mm overall, with tines about 4mm by 5mm.
> It is stamped "INTERNATIONAL PITCH C 517.3" (which is the frequency of
> C52 when A49 is at 435).
>
> The smallest fork is the same length, 110mm, but the tine cross
> section is 2mm by 5mm, and the 2mm dimenstion is very irregular as if
> it had been shaped by hand.  Probably due to the irregular
> cross-section and/or small size, it's sustain time is very short. It
> is stamped "PHILHARMONIC", and "A".  This fork is about 16 cents sharp
> of 440.
>
> Are there any good written resources for learning more about the
> history of these forks, or their makers?  Anybody out there old enough
> to have personal knowledge?
>
> thanks
>
>
>
>
>