Fwd: [CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset-Ken Sloane response

Robert A. Murphy Robert.Murphy@oberlin.edu
Wed, 09 Mar 2005 16:16:35 -0500


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Hi David,

I forward the following comments from Ken Sloane regarding the  
instrument at Oberlin you referred to.

Best,
Robert
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
---------------------------
Robert A. Murphy
Piano Technician & Curator of Fortepianos
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
cell:    517.285.3269
shop:  440.775.8275


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Kenneth Sloane <Kenneth.Sloane@oberlin.edu>
> Date: March 09, 2005 04:07:20 PM EST
> To: Robert.Murphy@oberlin.edu
> Subject: Fwd: Reply to below message (replacement keys)
>
>
> This is the first hit for me in quite a long time. Robert Murphy  
> suggested that I comment on the subject and to remind you all that my  
> name has an "e" on the end.
>
> Oberlin, in their infinite wisdom (ha ha), has seen fit to hire me  
> part time to, among other things, install new keyboards and back  
> actions in some of their aging Steinways. If you are working with a  
> Steinway that has a Pratt Reed key frame -- with a smaller octave --  
> you will have to perform some cheek block surgery to fit in the  
> current Kluge keyboard to accomodate its larger octave. If you are  
> having someone like PianoTek fit new keys on an old key frame, they  
> will give you the option to duplicate the old or to install keys with  
> the current size octave, forcing you to engage in cheek block surgery.  
> My successor (and kind and understanding boss) prefers to use the  
> current octave size, so cheek block surgery -- no anesthesia required  
> -- is performed regularly here at Oberlin. Cutting down the cheek  
> blocks can be accomplished on a good band saw with a 1/2 inch resaw  
> blade and the fallboard "ears" easily reinstalled with a verneer saw  
> and sharp chisels.
>
> On the Steinway "D" for which I made a second action, I just had to  
> make a new treble cheek block for the second action (with the wider  
> octave and longer, overall width) and used the bass cheek block for  
> both.
>
> Moral of the story--- do what you have to do to make the damn thing  
> work!!!!
>
> Ken Sloane, greyer but wiser and still kickin'



>> From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt@mail.smu.edu>
>> Date: March 09, 2005 02:54:07 PM EST
>> To: jminor@uiuc.edu, College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>
>> Subject: RE: [CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset?
>> Reply-To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>
>>
>> I know that the newer key frames and keys are wider than they were in
>> 1950.  When Ken Sloan made the second action for a piano at Oberlin  
>> the
>> new one was wider and they had to do some serious modifications.  The
>> current Steinways are 48.375" from A0 - C8 where your "L" is probably
>> 48".  In that situation, I'd probably get Pianotek or Roseland to do
>> the
>> work and duplicate what was there.
>>
>> dp
>>
>> David M. Porritt
>> dporritt@smu.edu
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
>> John Minor
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 1:43 PM
>> To: caut
>> Subject: [CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset?
>>
>> Has anyone purchased the KEYFRAME W/KEYS from
>> Steinway($2,495)? Wondering how they work out on an older
>> 1950's L. Thanks for any help.
>>
>> John Minor
>> University of Illinois

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 3432 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/ea/bb/ee/86/attachment.bin

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--

This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC