Dulcitone Vintage Tuning Fork Piano Demonstration and A Look Inside

[@MervGrew]

Hi there Steve. I was telling a fellow muscian that I played in a group in the early to mid 60's and our keyboard player played a dulci. We played Classical jazz in the Jaques Loussier idiom which sadly we never recorded. It did Bachnd the like beautifully. This was in Auckland New Zealand and it was a trio. Our bass player played a 1/4 bass and I used, as the drummer, probably the first reed sticks which I imported from France to get the sound that Andre Arpino got with the afford named trio. We had the Dulci brought up to scratch bu a famous violin restorer in Auckland called Pop Zewitz (I think thats how it was spelt) Was the absolute amazing instrument for the classics, especially in Jazz. I am now 89yrs and been drumming since 1942 - not that means anything to proclaim the Dulcitone - thew wonderful instrument.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Wow! Merv what wonderful memories, thank you! - shame your group wasn’t recorded. I can definitely see how the dulcitone worked in a Loussier jazz style!

[@U014B]

With those glasses, I thought you were going to teach the virtues of the New Standard Tuning and Ovation guitars.

[@johnsonmonsen]

Can (also) imagine some fairytale Christmas tunes played on this neat piano. Never seen such acoustic tuning fork instruments before, thank you for this presentation including the live play! All the best :-)!

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Wait for our Christmas special!! Thanks for your support as always, Curtis.

[@t55a2]

The sound of ghosts: such a beautiful, yet melancholic device

[@shoontz]

Every day that you post a video is a red-letter day. ❤

[@VintageKeysStudio]

I love you x

[@aadbehage6095]

Hi Steve, Very nice sounding "dogs coffin" you've got there, luckily it still got it's four legs to stand upon ! ! ! 🐶

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Woof x

[@aadbehage6095]

@@VintageKeysStudio Passed away, probably years ago.....😢

[@ambulance_boy3834]

It's gonna look and sound great when it's restored.

[@thewavesmith5754]

Yet another great video. As an occasional collector of old things, I wonder if vintage keys studio has a distinctive smell. Dust toasting on hot valves .... no 'odour de plastic'

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Oh yes. It smells of musty old bakerlite, warm steel, slightly scorched wood and geography teacher elbow patches. I’ve made pot pourri by fermenting old used components in a hessian bag inside a drawer. Zero wastage here at VKS.

[@massimomarchesin8708]

Sembra la CELESTA!!!!!!!

[@jesusbencomo3495]

Hello Steve, that Dulcitone keyboard has such a beautiful sound and also represents musical history !!

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Thank you, Jesus!

[@ldtheo01]

“Sweet child of mine” never sounded better 😊

[@ldtheo01]

The original Norman Petty studio (Nor-Va-Jak Music Inc.) in Clovis New Mexico is a marvelous treat to visit! A true time machine. It would be very peculiar If anyone found themselves in Clovis, but if one were to pass that way be sure to make an appointment and visit the studio! By the way Clovis is also known as the “only hole above ground”… So one shouldn’t miss that! 😂 (Just kidding Clovis 😉)

[@ShellacScrubber]

I would just like to state that I am far too young to recognise the Camberwick Green intro' you played at the beginning .

[@JAY61ish]

Love that sound Steve.. As a 62 yr old Git. i definateley remember hearing those tones from The Flowerpot men and Andy Pandy great stuff as usuall.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Thank you @JAY61ish! :)

[@DanielEMacKay]

Wow ! Amazing and beautiful!

[@louisarevolta]

Yes, he is rather

[@philgray1023]

The best Dulcitone playing I've ever heard.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Thank you!

[@timflatus]

I'm not sure how interested I really am in vintage keyboards, but I feel like I have just met a new friend, so I have subscribed!

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Ahh thank you! Welcome aboard! :)

[@geoffmartyn]

I have one of these too. Picked it up for £50!

[@paulmcdonough9595]

Cheers Margary Galeforce, its always nice to hear of where these lovely instruments have been used in popular music and by whom too! Incidentally, wots that sitting on top of the Yamaha behind you, (Oh no it isn't) ? Did wonder if you might venture into vintage synths?

[@suzziebruce4853]

I have a Dulcitone. It has been in my family since new. It is in really good condition and I understand the receipt for purchase is inside so your video is great because I would like to open it up and you have shown me how.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Amazing! :)

[@spotlight-kyd]

Marvellous instrument. I'm quite envious! I wonder if any of these ever made it to North America or continental Europe in their heyday. I've heard that they were popular with missionaries, so probably a lot instruments have been lost due to harsh climate conditions or the falling apart of the empire ;)

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Yes, they wouldn’t fair well in the heat 🐘

[@philgray1023]

​@@VintageKeysStudio I have one in Australia. It was in a shipping container that was dropped 30 feet into the Brisbane River. It sat inside the container half full of sea water in 38° C. It broke a leg and the main beam. Otherwise it still looks perfect. Luckily the keyboard mechanism is fine. It is a mahogany model and was signed inside by Thomas himself. I will check the number and update this. It will play again.

[@teknokont]

this is magical

[@infn8loopmusic]

Incredible! I have been wondering for the longest time if this type of instrument existed.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

Super! I wonder if anyone's fitted pickups to one of these?

[@gakhed]

This is beautiful! I don't even know where I would start looking for something like this, or even a Celesta.

[@RetroPlus]

I would love one of these, it sounds divine!

[@davidlynch4338]

Thanks again for doing these videos! What a great archive. Do you ever record sample packs of these interesting instruments?

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Thank you for tuning in! We are currently looking into creating our own sample packs.

[@MrGreenBentley]

I own an as new one of these ,, plays beautifully

[@martifingers]

A delightful sound. BTW permanent marker can be easily removed by - of all things ! - suntan lotion. I have no idea how I know this but it worked perfectly for me. I guess caution should be used when using it on ivory rather than plastic...

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Thank you for the tip! We’ll give it a go (after a careful patch test)

[@Thallishman]

Glad you got one, what a story. did the store owner not know of this instrument? It like an acoutic rhodes, but ofcourse not an rhodes sound :P However please run in through an amp with some tremelo just for the sake of it. im so curious :D Hope you can do some nice restoration of it. Its so unique

[@thinkingshobe]

I own a Rhodes and when it's not amplified it sounds very close to this! The tone is a little bit different but you could definitely consider the Dulcitone an "acoustic Rhodes."

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Sweet was the song by Christopher Brown (Celesta/Piano Part) would sound great on this

[@russellzauner]

omg it's a baby rhodes i love it *squee*

[@VintageKeysStudio]

It certainly doesn’t feel like a baby one when I try to lift it #hernia

[@russellzauner]

@@VintageKeysStudio That's because they had to leave the mass in the sound board. I wish I had an "analog" mode on the Rhodes where it would actually be that loud because I love the acoustic sound of it. This has much stronger and purer tones, for sure...imagine a piano tuner pulls up to your house and wheels a Dulcitone in because it has all the tuning forks lol

[@tweakingtuesday1743]

Great video, thanks... Still bothers me that I saw a Dulcitone in a charity shop priced at £40... but I didn't have that much money at the time 😢 I'll just have to make do with my old PPG to make tinkling bell sounds 😆

[@kaisersozeh7845]

It's surprisingly open, a lot of space above the tines, behind the keyboard. Just a thought, but that space really lends itself to experimenting with pickups, without changing the original. Roll your own, but you can buy Chinese guitar /Bass pickups for silly money, esp. in bulk - build an array on something you can easily remove. A plethora of routing and phase options, before you even get to an amp. One off, unique electric piano, without (significantly) effecting the sound of the acoustic instrument.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Great idea! It’s added to the list of projects! Thank you! :)

[@Concreteowl]

Is the missing key replaceable? I know old ivory keys are out there in the wild but would they fit?

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Ivorite or a modern equivalent is a good synthetic match. Or as you said, one could be made to fit from some salvage. We have a very talented furniture restorer who helps us out sometimes.

[@Herfinnur]

Great intro 😄

[@kentaccordionist]

Was that the theme from camberwick green you played at the beginning.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Yes!

[@kentaccordionist]

@@VintageKeysStudio been playing that tune for years on accordion, synths lots of things. Thought I was the only one who remembered it.

[@ErickvdK]

Were the microfones you used Oktava's?

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Yes MK012s with omni capsules :)

[@k98killer]

How difficult would it be to get production plans for a dulcitone and begin manufacturing them?

[@VintageKeysStudio]

I would imagine very costly to do!

[@DaveBessell]

Is this tuned to A440? or something different? Sounds lovely.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Slightly flat I think - i compensate recording it using varispeed rather than mess with it too much as it sounds nice as it is

[@faroutsessions3612]

Random unrelated question: Are you using those LEAK amp's as pre-amps? I got one of those! Early germanium transistor hi-fi stuff am i right? Always wondered how it would sound as mic pre. Thanks man awesome vid's! Cheers

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Ahh these ones are valve amps, but yes they are being used as preamps and eqs - they sound very smooth and characterful

[@jasontsh]

What are the two Leak units sitting next to the mixer? They look like Stereo 30 amps, but without the little knob and the headphone socket.. Funnily enough, I listened to this video's audio through a Leak Stereo 30 Plus. I did watch the visual portion of it too. I also have two Delta 70 amps in here. I love a good Leak!

[@PetraKann]

30 amps? 70 amps? You running an TIG welder?

[@jasontsh]

Yep! TIG, MIG, PIG, all the welders, all at the same time, all the time!@@PetraKann

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Oh yes I love a nice Leak too. These two are Leak Varislope Monos that I have modified as outboard eqs.

[@jasontsh]

@@VintageKeysStudio Interesting! I'd love to hear what they do sometime.

[@MrTomDangerous]

Jesus! "Sweet Child O' Mine" (stupid "O'"!) sounded fucking great.

[@MyNikolaas]

Basically an acoustic Fender Rhodes!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Rhodes Electric Piano is really an Electrified Version of the Dulcitone.

[@warrenwatkins9650]

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood

[@TheDavidPoole]

I hope you picked up that little bit of ivory that flew off when you removed the keybed!😂

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Yes! it was a bit of black painted wood from the side where one of the screws goes in

[@sonijam]

I like your hairstyle and eyeglasses.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Why thank you! :)

[@karlhilton6641]

go on then, give us a glissando then

[@haydenbeauchamp3369]

Yummy

[@bcbudrecords]

aka a musical dog coffin lol

[@maryferazza2573]

Buddy Holly Every Day

[@GlenJDiamond]

If I were schizophrenic I'd like to be either Buddy Rose or Axel Holly

[@geoffmartyn]

Cif will get rid of the pen-marks.

[@VintageKeysStudio]

Cifillis? Thanks for the tip!

[@stevefaure415]

A pretty sweet instrument, very musical. Your recording is clipping. Thanks though!