•The Violanos all tune differently, depending on the strings used. We are not talking "slight differences," either. I have tried strings that would not tune with a can completely full of shot. Durrell's Violano needs a lot of work, and it isn't just a matter of "tuning" that violin. That violano nee...

•Hi there, I have been following the string about John Smith's organ plans. Is this the same John Smith of Woking in Surrey? Twenty years ago I sold him a Steinway Red Welte upright Vertegrand and some other items. A few years back he suffered a heart attack but seemed to be okay after. I know he di...

•Hello MMD'ers, Can I start a new string about musical box discs. There must be thousands out there waiting for a machine. I am in urgent need of two sizes but have several available if needed. Here we go... Sizes needed: Adler/Fortuna 11 inch. (only have one on this machine) Polyphon 11.25 in. (wit...

•Brian Chesters said in 990810 MMDigest: > Can I start a new string about musical box discs. > There must be thousands out there waiting for a machine. What a good idea. I am always in the hunt for two odd Regina discs: the unique 12-1/4-inch 6-tune disc for the chime clock, and the equally unique 1...

•Hello MMD readers, Have seen a string of postings about this subject, that is, the piano tuners' pro or con attitudes toward pneumatic player instruments. My experiences (which date to the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, in the 1950s, a short period of time in the Washington, DC, area of the...

•[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 i...

•Main Causes & Solution A. Something touching the strings Cracked bridge : recap bridge or repair with epoxy. Loose bridge pins : loosen strings, remove bridge pins with vise grip, dip pins in epoxy and reinstall pins to bridge, let dry. No side bearing : re-seat strings to the bridge with brass rod...

•I would like to say here that I am personally disgusted by the recent string of notes on removing player actions. Not being on the business side of things I can understand that there are financial issues for those who are; however, when you destroy a reproducing piano by removing its action it's go...

•Mike Concordia wrote: > My tuner/technician says it is risky to re-string since there is no > way to know for sure if cracking has occurred in some layers of the > pin block and putting in a new pin block is very expensive. Is it > simply a gamble to re-string or are there some ways to tell if a pi...

•Hello MMD readers, There have been a string of postings about rolls "not matching the music scores", and some of the explanations were that pianists, as well as arrangers, have their own individual approaches to the music. This is true for the keyboard artists. Their finger flexibility, which is we...

•Evil Seeburg 'L' Sustain Mechanism I had to bite the bullet and replace a broken string on my Seeburg "L". Of course, this entailed taking out the piano action, among other parts. Then I had to put it back. At that point, I had to reconnect the sustain pneumatic to the sustain lever. Good Lord! To ...

•Hi, Does anybody know the stringing details of a Meinhold's Accordzither (Autoharp). It has 30 strings and I bought a set of Zither strings which has 36 in the set. On the Zither the A#, D# and G# are not there on the treble end where the strings are marked. On the bass end I have no idea which is ...

•Matthew Caulfield asked: > Are these designed solely for use in tuning stringed instruments or > could they equally well tune wind-blown instruments (band organs)? > Or is the nature of the band organ forgiving enough that investment > in such high-tech and capable tuning instruments is a waste of ...

•Matthew Caulfield asked: > Are these designed solely for use in tuning stringed instruments or > could they equally well tune wind-blown instruments (band organs)? > Or is the nature of the band organ forgiving enough that investment > in such high-tech and capable tuning instruments is a waste of ...

•Spurlock Specialty Tools sells at set of three "squeegees" for reaching through the strings of a grand piano to dust the soundboard. I have used the spring steel and cloth method that John Tuttle suggests, but I find these tools work much better. Priced at $20 when I bought them several years ago. ...

I read with great interest Craig Brougher's response to my query regarding the nature of partials on a vibrating string. I must say at the outset that, if I figuratively raised an eyebrow, Craig, at your earlier comments, it is simply because I feel that some statements you have put forward are of q...

I will try once more to answer Doug about the doubts he expressed regarding the ability of some bass strings to be able to place the partials more equidistant along the string. In my last letter, I said "This changes the partials and ideally puts them more equidistant along the string. This, I belie...

Hello Robbie, Thank you for your interest in the 60-string Chordephon Zithers my friend is constructing and building. I can report that both Chordephons are waiting the delivery of strings. These specially- made strings will be delivered by a German factory. Next March the music-boxes will be ready...

•Roger Waring was wondering about the buzzing sound in a piano which stops when he lifts four or five strings off the bridge. I didn't understand how he could tune it up again that way to hear the difference, but I would suggest a few other repairs that might be considered for buzzes in a piano. In ...

•I was asking if anybody knew about a mechanically playing hurdy-gurdy, meaning the stringed instrument, not meaning a "Drehorgel". This is the answer to your question, I think: A hurdy-gurdy is a "Drehleier", which is another instrument, not a "Drehorgel". It's clear that the English speaking peopl...