I wasn't able to meet face-to-face with Fritz Gellerman when I visited in Florida, but we had a pleasant telephone conversation about this subject, and the tuning scale in Digest 961122. I have added the column "Equal Temperment Tuning", and in the last column is shown the difference when compared t...

You quoted from the letter from Jim Spriggs: > The problem that you posed regarding "meantone tuning" for the > Wurlitzer 150 has led to, I believe, a serendipitous solution. The > solution is de Caus' "just" tuning scale, which for the Wurlitzer is > ideal. The 150 can only play in the keys of "C" ...

This is a fun subject which I've followed with great interest and some amusement. From experience, the idea of keeping a Band Organ in tune long enough to appreciate the difference between even tempered or unequal tempered scales is amusing in itself. The modern (equal tempered) scale is based on th...

Regarding William Finch's comments in Digest 96.11.30: 1. Do you know whether a W150 organ will sound better (or worse) with just tuning rather than equal temperament? The object here is to try it and find out, but if you or someone else has already done it, it would be interesting to hear the resul...

Nancy asks "Where are the music box people ?" Well, I'm here, and since there is a problem that has perplexed me for a while I'll throw it out to the group. I will intentionally make it a bit wordy in an attempt to catch up with the, to date, small amount of space devoted to musical box topics in MM...

Responding to Jim Heyworth's questions re tuning disc box combs: Disc box combs are not inherently "Sublime Harmony" as the two combs are structurally identical with respect to tooth shape and dimension. They may be, and I suspect frequently are, tuned slightly different from each other resulting in...

Last month I had the pleasure of corresponding with Mr. Sanders, the long-time operator of the Mechanical Music Museum in Deansboro, New York. I thought it would be a great outing for the kids. Unfortunately, the museum is now closed, tied up in litigation between Mr. Sanders and the 'new' owners. A...

•We've only had a few articles on this subject. This came from a non-subscriber who found our Web site. What advice can we offer him? --- forwarded message, please reply to sender & MMD --- From: deaton1@worldnet.att.net (Ray Deaton) To: webmaster@foxtail.com Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 16:33:39 +0000 Su...

•Saw your forward message on the Mechanical Musical Digest. I recently came across an ad on a an AOL newsgroup, I think it was rec.music.marketplace.pianos from a guy in Buffalo, New York who has a bunch of piano technician's tools to sell, including a Sanderson Accutuner, for which he wants $300. I...

•Let me preface this by stating that my pipe making mentor was J. Lee Haggart, master organ builder who was first employed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in the Band/orchestra department where he made band organ pipes. He then applied for, and was transferred, to work under the famous Robert Hope ...

•Found on the rec.music.makers.piano newsgroup: > From: bret@sedona.net > Subject: **New** Piano Tuning and Repair Manual > > Now available!! Piano Tuning and Repair Manual. Written in an > easy to understand manner. Complete satisfaction guaranteed. > Available at http://www.mooretec.com/piano.htm ...

•I was saddened to hear about the passing of Carl Wilson. Because, you see, until I heard about him on the news I wasn't aware that he and I shared the same musical gift, perfect pitch. No wonder I always thought the Beach Boys' harmony was cool. (So what am I doing in Information Systems? Don't ask...

•I read with great interest Ed Gaida's report on the actual paper work for the Nyles-Bryant course. As another who has gathered so much junque over the years, the name reminded me of a unique item I purchased at some auction sale and keep parked on one of my pianos as a conversation piece! This item...

•Hi gang. While I was cursing the web today, I went to the web site of the Piano Technician's Guild (PTG). On a link I found and downloaded a program called Tunelab 97. It is shareware, and well worth the money. This program requires a '486 or better processor, Windows, and a microphone and sound ca...

•I often find organs scales marked on pipes or keyframes to be off by several notes. I've read that many organ makers tuned their organs a third or more higher than the pitches on the scale. Why didn't they just list the pitches as they actually are? Also, may I ask if a special bit exists for drill...

•Philip Jamison wrote: > I often find organs scales marked on pipes or keyframes to be off by > several notes. I've read that many organ makers tuned their organs a > third or more higher than the pitches on the scale. Why didn't they > just list the pitches as they actually are? The question you ar...

•"Band organs seem to have been made at many pitches other than the "C" centered tuning." This is _speculation_. The higher pitches would be slightly less expensive to produce because of materials, especially in the bass pipes. Also, a higher pitched instrument will sound "brighter", and that would ...

•A lot has been written and speculated about differences in organ tuning. Some facts: - Gavioli and predecessors (Marenghi, Gaudin, Frei, Mortier) used to lay out their scales with low F or G as lowest bass note, and the lowest note of the accompaniment and melody sections was G. These organs transp...

•I have built from plans the 105 Wurlitzer and am adding some 125 wooden trombones. As unbelievable as it may sound I was able to find room in the case for all 5 pipes. But I have some questions if anyone can answer. 1) What octave (frequency) are the trombones to speak? I know they speak one note l...

•Hi, In regards to David Repanshek's post: Wurlitzer trombones speak at the 8' pitch. That is from C below middle C and up. Wooden trombones in Wurlitzers are mitered 90 degree with no ill effect on the pipes. The problem you might run into with voicing reeds is that the tuning or voicing wire is no...