[CAUT] Erard piano

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

At 12:39 PM 5/30/2006 -0400, you wrote:

><< Wilbur Rhubottom, former instructor at Western Iowa Tech, had a philosophy
> > >towards regulation which covers this situation.
> >  >"Make It Work." >>
>
>Greetings,
>          If I might be permitted a polite "Duh".......  What does "work"
>mean??
>         "Making it work"  might only mean making sure a note sounds when a
>key is pressed.  I thought what was being requested was info that would allow
>the action to be regulated to optimum condition.  Rarely will one set of 
>specs.
>optimize all pianos of a given brand, so there is a requirement for 
>finesse to
>get the most out of these actions.  This is qualitatively different from
>simply making an action "work".
>Regards,
>Ed Foote RPT


Yup, it all depends on what you mean by "work".  I can imagine that it was 
originally said by Ruby to students there at WITCC when, for the umpteenth 
time, someone asked what the regulation specs were for a large, 1890s piano 
shaped object and it wasn't listed in the action specs handbook.

"Play with one note until it functions. Duplicate findings on all other 
notes" - Git-R-Done.

Today, I've just finished repinning hammerflanges on piano professor 
studio's B.  I could have just repinned and slapped the thing back together 
after making sure they all moved.

That would NOT have "worked".  Not for him: not for me.  I have to keep 
this one pretty close to concert regulation and voicing. Close enough to be 
a "workable" primo _or_ secondo to the D next to it.

By the time it "works" for me, I know I have already or will be doing 
hammer filing, spacing, checking, traveling, mating to strings and probably 
leveling some of them, regulation and, finally, tuning and voicing. ...and 
I'm sure I've forgotten something right off hand.

"Making it work" for most pianos is, for me, putting them in the best 
possible condition under whatever conditions they may be found. (My time 
and customer funding thereof are always a consideration, natch.)





Conrad Hoffsommer - Keyboard Technician
Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
1-(563)-387-1204 // Fax 1-(563)-387-1076

- Right now, I'm hoping to live until my age matches my golf score,
- Until then, I'll have to be content to have my IQ match my handicap.