Dulcitone

Dulcitone, an instrument in which the sound is produced by a range of tuning forks struck by felt covered hammers activated by a conventional piano-type keyboard. The Dulcitone was invented by Thomas Machell of Glasgow and patented in 1882 and 1888. Further patents for improvements were filed in 1901 and 1912. This dulcitone, serial number 499, is trapezoidal in plan view. It has a five octave, chromatic compass from AA-a3 (61 notes) and sounds at four foot pitch (an octave above normal pitch). The highest 12 notes are not fitted with dampers. It has one pedal (now detached) to lift the dampers. The case is of solid mahogany and it is raised on a solid mahogany stand with four cabriole legs. It has a robust brass handle on the left and right case sides. The broad, black-stained mahogany moulding fastened to the case at the distal end of the keys functions, together with the opened lid, as a music stand.