UNUSUAL METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION.

As the reader is well aware, the greater part of the present work has been devoted to an exposition of the broad principles underlying all right methods of pianoforte construction. We have devoted little space therefore to the elaboration of features without this classification, or to the consideration even of such ideas and methods as do not fall within the lines laid down in the theoretical portion of this treatise. Busily occupied, as we have been, with the development of acoustical and mechanical principles and their application along the most obvious and natural lines, we have been forced to neglect one of the most interesting studies that can be taken up by the investigator; to wit: the ideas, inventions and devices that have sprung from the brains of the numerous mechanical and acoustical geniuses who have illuminated the course of pianoforte history and development. Many of these ideas have proved impracticable under the stress of use; others, again, have been shown to be commercially unprofitable; a still larger number have flourished during a longer or shorter period or have been neglected by all others than their original inventors. The true place for a study of these neglected children of enthusiastic, if not always practical, brains is in a history of the pianoforte rather than in a technical treatise on construction.

[The End.]

The following corrections have been made to printer’s errors in this text:

Page	Correction	Location in Text
20	Handel to Händel	time of Händel;
20	pianforte to pianoforte	which the grand pianoforte
27	begin to begun	now about to be begun.
32	closing parenthisis inserted	staff in the bass clef)
32	B-sharp to B-Natural	note 15 in harmonic series table
41	B double F-flat to B double flat	minor sixths table
42	clasisfied to classified	These sounds are thus classified:
49	of to or	imply a length or height of
53	asumption to assumption	made on the assumption
68	veenered to veneered	turning out of such veneered cases,
77	missing comma inserted	(more elaborate than the other two),
86	homogenous to homogeneous	plate as homogeneous with the sides
87	is to it	In fact it occupies
99	REPETITON to REPETITION	DOUBLE REPETITION ACTION
109	fough to fought	already been fought out
113	any one to anyone	through by anyone who hopes
123	synchromize to synchronize	will synchronize with each other,
124	mesontonic to mesotonic	that the mesotonic system,
125	period added	in the ratio 1296: 1250.
131	turned to tuned	conversely, if the tuned notes
148	closing quote added	vacuum in the “diaphragm chamber,”
154	Wtihout to Without	Without entering into wearisome detail,
154	possesed to possessed	musical advantages possessed
155	circustances to circumstances	Under all circumstances,