[ Timothy L'Amoureux wrote in 130401 MMDigest:

> I had once heard that someone tuned a Mills Violano-Virtuoso to
> A-440 causing the plate to crack and break, because the instrument
> was designed to be tuned at international pitch of A-435.  Is any
> of this true?

I doubt it.  When piano makers switched from A435 to A440, the piano
plates remained the same.  In England, most Steinways are tuned to
A440.  However, visiting orchestras from the Continent often ask for
them to be tuned to A442 for the concert, with no problems occurring.

No doubt most piano frames were made to withstand a substantially
higher tension than was needed, just in case.  I imagine that in the
case of the Mills piano the plate had a defect to begin with.

Stephen Toyne