[CAUT] F..riction

[Alan Eder]

Hi Gerry,

I don't remember exactly whom was the purveyor of this idea but it was discussed in Vegas. 
Among other places, it likely came up in one of Richard Davenport's classes, and during Andre Oorebeek's class I may have asked if he ever used them.  I have found binder clips to be a useful bridge between hammers that have become too light (from wear and surfacing) to repeat well (not enough downweight) and the eventual replacement of same (or not!).  So far, every piano I have done this too has reaped the added benefit of "improved tone"--highly subjective, I know, but a view shared by the principal users of said pianos and me, so it' s all good ;-).


Alan Eder


-----Original Message-----
From: G Cousins <cousins_gerry at msn.com>
To: CAUT <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Wed, Dec 1, 2010 4:15 am
Subject: Re: [CAUT] F..riction


Don,
Wouldn't the comment also be supported with the practice of putting binder clips on the shanks?
I don't remember exactly whom was the purveyor of this idea but it was discussed in Vegas.  
Never tried it but the concept was to add weight to the shanks using small binder clips. It wouldn't add friction per-se but I think theorotically the added weight would mimic added friction. It was reported that this definately changed tonality of an instrument.
Anyone else experiment in this procedure and have substantative findings?  (pro or con) 
 
Gerry

 
> From: dmannino at kawaius.com
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 08:48:30 -0800
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] F..riction
> 
> Jim,
> 
> I don't know if the laboratory has measurement data of this, but if they did they are extremely close with their information - they don't share it much. I'll have to see if I can get anything through one of the MPAs.
> 
> But it has certainly been confirmed empirically by technicians in dry places. I have personally repinned hammer flanges and heard the change in tone. But this is because there was clearly a problem when I started - if the system is working well with very low friction, as some do, then repinning it tighter won't make a clearly heard difference. But if the low friction is contributing to too much fishtailing of the hammer, it will definitely be heard!
> 
> So to clarify, I don't believe the low friction causes the tone change so much, but the lack of control in the bushing that low friction can cause. That's why I mentioned earlier that I like the sound of well fitted Teflon actions. They can have almost no measureable friction, but still sound great.
> 
> Likewise, I have had very sluggish actions that I cleaned up and repinned and had customers remark at the improved tone. The piano sounds dull, dead and thuddy with sluggish flanges, thin bright and lacking solidity if they are too loose.
> 
> Don 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim Busby
> Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 7:12 AM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] F..riction
> 
> Don,
> 
> Did your team gather info confirming this (tone) in the anechoic chamber? Might same me a bunch of time. This has always been debated here, with no "proof". 
> 
> Thanks!
> Jim
> 
> 
> 
> <<<<pinning the hammer flanges with a little higher friction can definitely improve both tone and touch. Don Mannino>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> 
 		 	   		  
 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20101201/e024631c/attachment.htm>