I am currently trying to tune one of those small Faventia barrel pianos
for a customer.  This piano has been mentioned on MMD two or three
times lately.  It is very small (24 x 22 x 13 inches) and plays 32
string notes, with four extra hammers which are used to sound the wood
block and triangle.

It has stenciled printing for each note and includes "Made In Spain",
"Marcea Registrada Faventia", "Barcelona" which are also printed on the
heavy steel plate.  This steel plate is similar to the ones found on a
piano only much smaller.   I don't have any information on it but I
would call it a small barrel piano.

The notes stenciled on the plate indicate the tuning.  The scale goes
like this:

  G A B D E A B C * D * E F: G * A B C * D * E F: G * A B C * D * E

The problem I am having is doing the tuning without breaking strings.
If I tune the "A" note to an "A", I will surely break the string.  When
I tried to tune the bottom bass strings, I broke two of them trying to
get them up to pitch.  The steel plate of the piano is very hefty but
I don't want to overstress it and break it.

I tried tuning the entire piano two notes low which worked out great
until I got to the last ten bass strings.  I now have the same problem
with the bass notes in that if I proceed with the tuning, I will break
the new strings that I just replaced.  I was wondering if the bottom
ten notes should be tuned one octave lower than the rest of the piano?

Any help would be great.

Pete Knobloch (Tempe Arizona, USA)