<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Tuning the back duplex (and any so called non speaking length for that matter) can and does involve both the placement of the termination devices and adjusting the tensions on those segments. For example... if the back length of a given string is exactly one half of its speaking length... then this string can be tuned to exactly an octave... or slightly above an octave, or slightly below. Slightly meaning a pretty significant deviation.  Friction from the bridge pins is great enough that there is a window for variation here that will remain stable no matter how hard you play.  In other words... you can purposely put more tension or less tension on the back scale relative to the front scale and expect it to stay there over long periods of time. Or you can if you choose equalize the tension to the speaking length if you want and expect the same. If your regular tuning method (for the speaking length) does not include very large movements of the string... this will not change the tension on the back length either. There are a lot of ways of regulating the tension on the back scale. I use a string stretcher and apply pressure to the string as nearly horizontal and in a direction away from the bridge pin to do this.  To increase back scale tension (and hence frequency) I push on the speaking length, to decrease on the back length.  I find this allows me to actually decide the pitch of the segment as long as it is within the window of what can remain stable mentioned above. Cheers RicB <blockquote> Many of the messages on this thread are talking about a tuned front and/or rear duplex. What that duplex should be tuned to aside, how does one actually go about tuning either the front or the rear duplex? -- Geoff Sykes -- Los Angeles</blockquote> </body> </html>