S&S D Duplex

[Farrell]

Don Rose posed some good questions. I would also be curious about responses to those. 

In the meantime, a few thoughts:

> 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.

Reading this may well be of benefit. Good suggestion. But please be aware - there are patented singing golf ball toilet paper dispensers out there. A patent only means something unique has been invented, it doesn't necessarily mean it is anything desirable or useful.

> 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. 

Please don't think that most pianos are bought by knowledgeable consumers. IMHO, the above likely reflects Baldwin listening to their designers (or, unfortunately, as I think I might understand it, their production folks), and S&S listening to their marketing staff. It ain't in the soundboard, and it ain't in the action - it's in the marketing. And BTW, what "list" are you referring to?

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Duplexdan@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 11:48 PM
Subject: Re: S&S D Duplex


> 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   
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