Wee Aeolian Spinet Player

[Richard Moody]

> terry,
>     I have one that I tune. Make sure you have a string tied to your mutes
> so they won't fall down behind the player mechanism (from experience). The
> tuning isn't easy because of the lousy tone and inharmonicity.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Dennis

Terry,
    That is because of the mutes that have been dropped down in there
before. :)
      And on a more serious note, if the player "tray" has to be pulled
forward, sooner or later the "high quality rubber" tubing and hoses that
Aeolian used will become brittle and break with the movement.         Make
sure the client understands this and won't hold you accountable if the
tubing ends up looking like cracked macaronni.  You can quiclky tell if this
might happen by feeling the tracker bar tubing.   If it is still pliable to
touch you might get away with pulling the mechanism forward wo cracking the
tubing.  ---ric
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Terry Beckingham <beckingt@mb.sympatico.ca>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: Saturday, March 11, 2000 5:17 PM
> Subject: Wee Aeolian Spinet Player
>
>
> >Hi Gang,
> >
> >I just returned from tuning the smallest piano that I have ever seen. It
> was
> >an Aeolian Spinet "PIANOLA" with only 63 keys, and a "Ukelano" player
> >mechanism. The only number available as a possible serial number is
36319,
> >which according to the Pierce Piano Atlas would make it 1980. The piano
was
> >purchased new in 1984 and has never been tuned until today. After my
> >experience today, I can see why. The only saving grace was that it had
only
> >two string unisons.
> >
> >This piano is so small that the player mechanism blocks access to the
> tuning
> >pin area. It appears that one has to remove the player mechanism in order
> to
> >tune it. With the help of the owner, I was able to remove some of the
> screws
> >holding the player and ease it back enough that I could get my tuning
> hammer
> >with the shortest head onto the pins. > >
> >Terry Beckingham
> >Associate Member PTG
>