[CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset-Ken Sloane response

Porritt, David dporritt@mail.smu.edu
Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:46:22 -0600


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Robert:

=20

Thanks for the comments from Ken.  I'm sorry about the "e" I left off of
Sloane.  I certainly can relate to letters dropped from a name!

=20

I am curious about the decision to go with the 48.375" new keyboards
rather than stick with the 48".  Here the 48" ones are preferred by all
but the players with extra large hands.  One of our teachers here opted
to rebuild her current "B" rather than get a new one and one of the
reasons was to keep the 48" keyboard.  (Of course, I think her rebuilt
one is better than the new ones we did buy!) =20

=20

dp

=20

David M. Porritt

dporritt@smu.edu

________________________________

From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Robert A. Murphy
Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 3:17 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Cc: Cavanaugh John; Kenneth Sloane
Subject: Fwd: [CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset-Ken Sloane response

=20

Hi David,=20

=20

I forward the following comments from Ken Sloane regarding the
instrument at Oberlin you referred to.=20

=20

Best,=20

Robert=20

------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------=20

Robert A. Murphy=20

Piano Technician & Curator of Fortepianos=20

Oberlin Conservatory of Music=20

cell: 517.285.3269=20

shop: 440.775.8275=20

=20

Begin forwarded message:=20

	=20

	From: Kenneth Sloane <Kenneth.Sloane@oberlin.edu>=20

	Date: March 09, 2005 04:07:20 PM EST=20

	To: Robert.Murphy@oberlin.edu=20

	Subject: Fwd: Reply to below message (replacement keys)=20

	=20

	=20

	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.=20

	=20

	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.=20

	=20

	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.=20

	=20

	Moral of the story--- do what you have to do to make the damn
thing work!!!!=20

	=20

	Ken Sloane, greyer but wiser and still kickin'=20





	From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt@mail.smu.edu>=20

	Date: March 09, 2005 02:54:07 PM EST=20

	To: jminor@uiuc.edu, College and University Technicians
<caut@ptg.org>=20

	Subject: RE: [CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset?=20

	Reply-To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>=20

	=20

	I know that the newer key frames and keys are wider than they
were in=20

	1950. When Ken Sloan made the second action for a piano at
Oberlin the=20

	new one was wider and they had to do some serious modifications.
The=20

	current Steinways are 48.375" from A0 - C8 where your "L" is
probably=20

	48". In that situation, I'd probably get Pianotek or Roseland to
do=20

	the=20

	work and duplicate what was there.=20

	=20

	dp=20

	=20

	David M. Porritt=20

	dporritt@smu.edu=20

	=20

	-----Original Message-----=20

	From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of=20

	John Minor=20

	Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 1:43 PM=20

	To: caut=20

	Subject: [CAUT] Steinway replacement keyset?=20

	=20

	Has anyone purchased the KEYFRAME W/KEYS from=20

	Steinway($2,495)? Wondering how they work out on an older=20

	1950's L. Thanks for any help.=20

	=20

	John Minor=20

	University of Illinois


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