[Ref. "Electromagnet Oscillator Excites Piano Strings"]

Mike Knudsen wrote:

> On a related topic, I've seen pictures of a German "Geigenwerk",
> or keyboard violin, looking like a piano, but each key completed
> a wooden linkage between its string and a revolving cylinder covered
> with rosin.  No idea how well it worked, but it had to be less
> finicky than the electrical schemes.

Hi, Mike and List.  This idea works well.  The Robert Morton theatre
organ company built a device based upon this same principle.  The
strings were thicker than normal strings, and the volume produced was
low, but the effect was striking.

The strings were stretched across a soundboard box which served to
amplify tone.  The strings were held against the revolving cylinder via
an electro-pneumatic system.  Also, the strings were tuned looser than
in a normal stringed instrument, to allow the mechanism to move the
string without breaking it.

This patented system was marketed as the "V'Oleon".  I have only seen
one of those, as they weren't popular because of the low volume
produced, and difficulties in keeping the strings in tune with the
organ.

Regards,
Bob Loesch, Bob, in beautiful Lake County, California, USA
http://www.cuckoobob.com/