"Musette" and erroneous marketing

[Robin Blankenship]

Well, at least the Musette did not have a "Proctano".
Robin
----- Original Message -----
From: robert goodale <rrg@nevada.edu>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 12:00 PM
Subject: "Musette" and erroneous marketing


>Ron Nossaman wrote:
><snip>
>
>> You all know the Messo Thermoneal Stabilizer, the Harmi-Tone action,
>> Storytone Mahogany soundboard (guaranteed for life against splitting or
>> cracking), The Damp Proofed Action (what the heck does that mean?), the
>> Diaphragmatic Soundboard, Syncrotone strings, Pipe Organ Tone Chamber (a
>> special case, if ever there was), Genuine Reinforced hammers, and a
couple
>> of hundred more that I've mercifully forgotten. The other day, I came
>> across one I didn't remember having seen before. I tuned an
>> honest-to-by-gosh Musette!
>
><snip>
>
>> Under the lid, I found a decal (not a sticker, mind you, this one was
still
>> firmly attached, and made no claims to American Craftsmanship). It read:
>> "Practiano". I thought it sounded like something Italians say when you
>> sneeze, but on closer examination, I found the sucker... a muffler rail!
>> Yes folks, it's true. I have now tuned a Musette with a Practiano.
>
>Another one of my favorites is the "violin bridge", (I don't remember the
>brand).
>
>I have come across the "Musette" a number of times when I worked in the
>midwest.  They are lovely aren't they?  This of course is a complete misuse
of
>the word since it does have a musical meaning.  The term actually refers to
two
>unisons played slightly out of tune of each other for a vibrato effect.  As
>some of you may know I play the accordion.  Many accordions are equipped
with
>musette tunings to provide this type of reed sound.  To what degree the
second
>reed is de-tuned is called a "wet" tuning, i.e. it is either a slightly wet
or
>very wet tuning.  The opposite of a musette tuning is a "Dry" tuning which
is
>of course the pure unison sound we are most familiar with.  Sometime you
may
>come across a pianist who requests what is sometimes called a "honky-tonk"
>tuning which is often associated with ragtime.  This of course could
>technically be called a "musette tuning".  Just a little trivia for you.
>
>The truly ironic side of this is that you found the word "musette" on a
Winter
>spinet.  Since these pianos have so many false beats that it is impossible
to
>achieve a pure unison anyway, "musette" could actually be the best way to
>describe it!!!
>
>Rob Goodale, RPT
>