In the MMD issue of 2007.4.27 I posted the URL of a web site that
chronicled the restoration of a Mason & Hamlin concert grand Ampico A
demonstration piano:  http://ampico.home.mchsi.com/ampico/Welcome.html 
While that original site is still active, a new site has been posted
that is more up to date.

The restoration of the Ampico demonstration unit was completed
recently and the piano is on the way back home.  Shortly before the
piano left, I discovered errors that had  been made by the previous
person who restrung the piano.  I really hadn't paid much attention
to the strings as my job was to restore the Ampico.  What I found was
gross misplacement of the moveable aliquots which adjust the tuning in
the duplex scale.  The duplex area behind the bridge is supposed to
reinforce the upper notes with harmonics for greater singing tone.

Unfortunately many recordings were made before tonal improvements to
the aliquots occurred.  Those recordings are on both YouTube and my
web pages.  Now that I have more capacity on the new web site, more
podcasts of the piano are available.   The new web site now speaks in
"past tense" regarding restoration.  The first two podcasts that were
well received are still there, but two new selections have been posted.

If you care the listen, you can hear how much better the piano sounds
with the aliquots properly positioned.  It sounds less shrill.  The
quality Mason tone is now quite apparent.  The new web site is

   http://web.me.com/bobtaylor5/Ampico/Welcome.html 

Bob Taylor