[CAUT] Natural key width

[Horace Greeley]

Hi, Jeannie,

Think of some of the old Charles Frederick Stein and Paul Mehlin 
scales, especially for smaller instruments.

Best.

Horace


At 04:57 PM 1/30/2008, you wrote:
>Yes, they do.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David
>Ilvedson
>Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:29 PM
>To: caut at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width
>
>I'd like to see a picture of this.   It seems like you have to compress the
>keys closer together...lots of space at the existing cheekblocks...but the
>stack remains the same, relatively.   Don't the keys have some extreme
>angles?
>
>David Ilvedson, RPT
>Pacifica, CA  94044
>
>----- Original message ----------------------------------------
>From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt at mail.smu.edu>
>To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
>Received: 1/29/2008 9:49:32 AM
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width
>
>
> >Fred:
>
> >When David Steinbuhler first said that he was going to make an action to
> >fit any D I suppressed a
> >smile as I didn't think it could be done.  A few weeks later the action
> >arrived and indeed it can be adapted to fit any D.  There are
> >adjustments for damper timing, keyframe bedding, una corda placement,
> >everything.  It helps that the action was totally of his manufacture.
> >The hammer flange rail is flat so hammer spacing is easy to do, the pins
> >that go under the cheek blocks are fully adjustable in all directions.
> >Key bedding is quite ingenious.  I'm very glad now that I didn't say "it
> >can't be done" because he has clearly done it.  The only Steinway
> >factory part is the sostenuto rod and that only because it was easier to
> >buy it than to make one.  The rest of the action, brass brackets, wooden
> >rails, key frame etc. are Steinbuhler.
>
> >One assumes that any venue that has a D and puts on concerts will have
> >some arrangement with a technician of some skill.  Generally I'd say
> >that any technician who can keep artists happy with a standard D can
> >make the adjustments necessary on this action.  The venues where this
> >one has been, have been mostly colleges and the resident technicians had
> >no obvious problems making it work well.  We have a box that David made
> >for shipping the action that has protected it in transit.
>
> >I'm sure there will be further development in the action but the current
> >product is a very capable one.
>
> >dave
>
> >David M. Porritt, RPT
> >dporritt at smu.edu
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> >Fred Sturm
> >Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 10:55 AM
> >To: College and University Technicians
> >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width
>
> >Hi David,
> >       I'd be a bit worried taking a keyframe/action assembly with me.
>
> >First, getting it packed well and having it arrive safe and sound at
> >the venue at the other end; and then packed well for the return. But
> >second, you would need to be certain there was a tech at the other end
> >capable of doing the work needed. And it _could_ be a lot, depending
> >on a lot of factors. For instance, width of keyblocks (might not
> >accommodate optimum positioning - S&S keyblocks are custom cut to each
> >piano in the factory, so width is not standard); alignment of hammers
> >to strings (capo sections can vary a lot, and agraffes often do as
> >well); string height; string level (or out of level); unison spacing
> >in the capo sections (individual strings within the trichord -
> >especially problematic for una corda voicing). It might work out fine,
> >but it might turn out to be a nightmare, where a less than fully
> >competent tech faced a problematic fit. Certainly getting it in
> >concert ready condition would need a top notch, efficient tech, at
> >least in many cases. And how can a pianist know whether X tech in a
> >far away venue is competent in that way? Pretty much a roll of the
> >dice in many cases, especially off the beaten path. I guess if it
> >became common enough, a grapevine of techs and pianists would develop.
> >       I suppose going back and forth from 7/8 or 15/16 to full
> >wouldn't
> >really be any harder than going from violin to viola, probably an
> >almost instant adaptation for a decent pianist. It's where I go from a
> >keyboard where I can fairly consistently reach that 10th around the
> >edges of the corners of those naturals (without making one of them
> >sound a little) to one where it is definitely hit or miss that is more
> >disconcerting. So close and yet so far. Frustrating as all get out.
> >Regards,
> >Fred Sturm
> >University of New Mexico
> >fssturm at unm.edu