[CAUT] Black on Black... (Jack alignment)

[Barbara Richmond]

Well, this thread took an interesting turn while I was away from home.  

Fred, tell me about moving those jacks on a well-regulated/lubed piano.  Is that "all" you did?  I mean, you couldn't just move 'em back and be done. I've never tried it--you had to go through everything again (right?).  I would be interested in knowing what changes to aftertouch you might have had to make as a result of it.  Of course, I could go experiment on my piano...but it's easier to ask.  :) 

Thanks,

Barbara Richmond, RPT

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fred Sturm 
  To: College and University Technicians 
  Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:12 PM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] Black on Black... (Jack alignment)


  Yes, I agree, a .5 mm difference in alignment (one jack that much farther forward than its neighbors, for example) is readily noticeable to a sensitive pianist (and that is the pianist we cauts are working for, or so I like to believe when I'm not in a cynical mood <G>). As is a difference in setup of all jacks of the same dimension. One of my piano profs recently complained about "lack of positive feel" on her piano. What had I done? Adjusted the jacks forward a bare smidgen, thinking it was too much resistance (letoff was too noticeable). I moved them back. She's happy.  
  Now your everyday amateur probably won't notice that difference. And it only really shows up when everything is pretty well refined. But "everything being pretty well refined" is a function of obsessive attention to many details, of which this is just one. The total effect is VERY noticeable to just about anyone who can play a piano. So I don't like to take the attitude that something is "good enough for the average bloke." It's not that much harder to get every single unison dead on and solid on every single piano, to give a different example. And the total effect of that is very noticeable also.

  Regards,
  Fred Sturm
  University of New Mexico
  fssturm at unm.edu






  On Aug 9, 2007, at 10:56 AM, Don Mannino wrote:


    Ed,

    As far as the disagreements go, I'll stay out of it.

    Based on your statement about pianists feeling jack alignment, I must respectfully disagree.  Most pianists with reasonable skill will feel .5mm misalignment, but will not be able to identify it as such.  It is very important to be very even, although the exact best location might be debatable.

    Don Mannino



--------------------------------------------------------------------------
      From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ed Sutton
      Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 9:04 AM
      To: College and University Technicians
      Subject: Re: [CAUT] Black on Black... (Jack alignment)


      Tim and Fred-

      Let's see. 

      You guys are disagreeing about the exact placement of 88 little sticks in a 900 pound box.

      By the time you're done with your adjustments, the result may be the same, or may even vary as much as .7mm!

      If there is a difference, probably 2 piano technicians in 300 could feel it, maybe 1 pianist in 300.

      Sounds like a good topic for a Blood Feud!       ;-)

      When I think about the stuff other people do, I think we are pretty lucky to be worrying about jack/knuckle alignment.

      Anyway, I am grateful for folks who are so passionate about this work.

      Ed Sutton
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