Duplex scale tuning

[pianoman]

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> From: Granholm Bros Piano <gbros@term.wanweb.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Duplex scale tuning
> Date: Tuesday, August 12, 1997 5:09 PM
> 
> List:
> 
>
> This piano has a duplex (aliquot?) scale, with little brass doohickeys
> (aliquots?) on the plate between the hitch pins and bridge, from the
> tenor/bass break all the way up to the final treble break.  I have
removed
> these brass pieces, which were held against the plate by string tension,
> and have carefully marked their positions on the plate, and we are now
> preparing to gild the plate, install it and restring the piano.
> 
> My questions:  What special steps, if any, do I need to take in order to
> tune the duplex scale?  Any special procedures as the piano is brought up
> to pitch?  Obviously, I put the doohickeys (aliquots?) back as I
restring,
> and tune the open wires below the bridge by nudging the doohickeys
> (aliquots?) back and forth, but isn't this tough to do with wire at pitch
> over the top of them, and won't that mess up the pretty new gilding job
on
> the plate?  With a piano of this quality, is the duplex scale really that
> big a deal anyway?  Should I just put the little brass doohickeys
> (aliquots?) back in their original positions and forget it, or what?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> John Granholm
> Granholm Bros
> Roseburg OR
> Dear John,
In cases of non-descript pianos like the K&B, before I would remove the
aliquots from the plate I would use a scratch awl to mark the front edge of
them on each position.  Normally this scratch will show through under the
new gilding so they can be replaced where they once were. 
	 I really don't think K&B's would be enhanced by doing a lot of tuning to
these duplex portions.  I really believe on many of these quality pianos a
duplex scale was used so they could have a added feature to help sell the
poor unfortunates.  I really wonder if Kranich or Bach or the both of them
were weird as most of their quirky action designs certainly were.
James Grebe from St. Louis
RPT
pianoman@inlink.com