S&S D Duplex

[Don]

Hi Dan,

With respect, why don't these piano companies tune them at the factory
then? From the video on your web site it seems simple enough to do.

Have you done "before and after" testing with a real time analyser?

Have you tested for "dwell time" (i.e. how long a particular note lasts)
before and after?

I have heard rumors that *some* instruments have pins in the bottom of the
aliquots have pins which don't allow them to be shifted. Is this true or
untrue? If it is true which ones have this "feature"?

I am sure tuning them does affect the sound--but in what measureable way? 

In your video you speak of doing the final tuning of the duplex from the
tuning pin. Do you mean that the bridge has enough friction that the back
scale will stay at a higher or lower tension than the sounding length of
the string?

How accurately do you hope to tune this neglected part of the instrument.
Is it affected like the sounding length is by humidity swings? If so, more
or less than the sounding length?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

At 11:48 PM 11/15/02 EST, you wrote:
>Bill,
>
>Thank you for your continued interest in tuning duplex scales.
>I'm going to try to be of further assistance to you in your search for 
>answers to solving your "duplexophobic" condition.
>
>The first thing I would suggest is to familiarize yourself with the duplex 
>scale itself.
>Reading US Patents 126840 and 5736660  should help you to gain a technical 
>grasp of the purposes, nature, and technology of tuning duplex scales. In 
>order to do this you will have to buy into the precept that the Library of 
>Congress and CFT Steinway have some credibility. If that is a problem for 
>you, there is still hope, so don't give up.
>
>The hope is step number two. Try tuning a duplex scale. Before attacking a 
>contiguous harmonic bridge I would suggest a piano with single oliquots. You 
>don't need to buy my tool, I'm sure you can use the old fashioned 
>hammer/screwdriver method to get started.
>
>As far as worldwide "surging" is concerned remember we are dealing with a 
>very conservative profession that takes years to produce a product. I prefer 
>to call the interest in the least 25 years more like a tidal wave that has 
>been building around the world.  Virtually all the Kawais and yamahas  and 
>other pianos coming out of the Orient have duplex scale clones including the 
>Boston. In Europe the Fazioli factory is eminently engaged in perfecting the 
>duplex scale characteristics and tuning.
>
>Here are a few pianos that have endorsed the duplex scale in their design: 
>Baldwin, Bosendorfer, Boston, Estonia Fazioli, Hardman, Heimlisch, Kawai, 
>Knabe, Mason & Hamlin, Nakamura, Rieger-Kloss, Steinert, Steinway, Weber, 
>yamaha, young Chang. 
>
>It is interesting to note that the year Baldwin decided to change their
scale 
>from duplex to acu-just hitch pins marks the year that company began a 
>precipitious decline. It is also interesting to note that S & S was the 
>originator of the feature, and has remained at the top of the list of pianos 
>of high quality. 
>
>One last note is that there are technicians all around the country who have 
>participated in my seminars and who are actively practicing duplex scale 
>tuning with great success. Hopefully more will join the wave. So far there 
>has never been any significant test undertaken that disproves the value of 
>the design, only duplexophobia, which is understandably a conservative
"prove 
>it to me" viewpoint. I must tell you, that I held this view point for years 
>until I conclusively proved it to myself. I am afraid that nothing I can
tell 
>you, or anything you can read will convince you, if you are a technician.
You 
>will have to prove it to yourself, Bill.
>
>
>Sincerely, Dan Franklin   
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
>

Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T. Tuner for the Center of
the Arts

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