Birdcage

[Clyde Hollinger]

Eliot Lee wrote:
> 
> Dear List,
> 
>         Someone called yesterday and asked me to tune a birdcage piano.
> 
>         I declined because I have heard so many horror stories about
> servicing them.  Apparently they were quite popular in England.
> 
>         If anyone has experience please share.  I understand that the pins
> require a different tuning lever tip.  What cautions should we observe
> before undertaking?
> 
>         This is the 3rd time I have been asked to service a birdcage so it
> would be nice to know how to tune them.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Eliot Lee

Eliot:

I tuned one of these a couple years ago.  I was glad that tuning
birdcage pianos was mentioned in the Piano Technicians Journal 2/95
issue (p. 10) and 6/95 issue (p. 14) just before I needed the
information!  

In the first, Sid Stone said he removes the action and strip-mutes the
piano in the normal fashion; action back in, tunes as usual.  Action
out, strip-mute every other note, replace action and do the unisons you
can.  Finally, remove action, remove strip mutes, and do the final
unisons.  This is the method I used and it worked OK.

In the second, Loren di Giorgio takes thin slats of wood, cuts a
temperament strip into small pieces, glues them around the ends of the
slats, and makes a set of individual mutes that will slip between the
hammer shanks.  You only need to do this once, and he claims it seldom
takes him longer to tune a birdcage than any other piano.

I hope that helps.

Clyde Hollinger