I doubt the instrument under question has been discussed in the light of this particular thread (i.e. 'Preston tuner history') but never mind, Stuart knows best ... I virtually took this instrument all apart after Taro acquired it from Art Robb, so it was quite an experience.
Perhaps not many on this list have got this book: European Stringed Instruments (Catalogue, Part 3) by Elizabeth Wells and Christopher Nobbs, Royal College of Music, London 2007 I was looking for something else in it but came across this on p.97: (quote) John Preston (d. 1798) also made Spanish guitars and violins, and established a flourishing business firm (Preston and Son, after his son Thomas joined in 1789). Preston claimed the invention of the watch-key tuning mechanism in an advertisement of 1778 (Humphries and Smith, p.263); no patent is recorded and surviving dated instruments by other makers such as Rauche (see RCM 333) show that watch-key tuning was in the use in the 1760s; it is likely that Preston was using it then too. (end of quote) Well, now we know that the watch-key tuning mechanism was in the use in the 1750s. So what did 'Preston Inventor' invent still remains to be answered. Alexander ----- Original Message ----- From: Brad McEwen To: Alexander Batov ; cittern list Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 1:15 AM Subject: Re: [CITTERN] Re: Preston tuner history Well, I certainly haven't had sufficient information on this and have been looking froward to hearing more. Brad -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
