THAT MYSTERIOUS BACK CHECK

[Jon Page]

This sounds better than the non-captive knobilling pin / framus theory.
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Jon Page
Cape Cod. Mass
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At 05:55 PM 11/9/96 +0100, you wrote:
>Dear list,
>This backcheck thread reminds me of an experience I had
>in the Hamburg Steinway factory that may be in some way
>analagous.
>
>Several years ago, in one of the Hamburg voicing rooms
>Stephan Knupfer demonstrated to me that he could get
>a noticable difference in tone quality in a Steinway D by
>changing the front rail felts.  The piano was one of their
>circulating concert instruments, only about 18 months
>old.  By changing an 18 month old, not visably worn, front
>rail felt with a new one (controlling carefully that the touch
>depth was not altered), he demonstrated that the tone became
>significantly more warm sounding.  He could move the
>new  punching from one note to another without my looking
>and I could find it every time by it's distinctive sound.
>
>Stephan didn't have an explanation at the time, but after
>several years of reflection I tend to believe that the
>difference comes from the fact that the percussive impact
>of the key against the front key rail (and key bed) is
>resonating through the piano body, and is more of a
>part of the piano tone then we generally realize.  The
>slight difference in changing to a brand new, softer felt
>is sufficient to make a change in the total sound!
>
>This is why I take Andre perfectly seriously, and offer
>the following hypothesis: Altering the back check configuration
>may be changing the nature of a similar impact sound
>that is occuring just after the strings are excited, and is
>resonating through the key and keybed. I would imagine
>that the closer this impact approaches the moment when the
>stings are struck, the more it would conribute to the general
>power of the instrument.
>
>Anyone buy that?
>
>Jerry Anderson
>Paris
>
>>If the backcheck does not touch the hammer on the way up to the
>>string, it can have absolutely no effect on the tone of the piano.
>>or far away, so it can make no decisions as to good tone or dead
>>tone.
>
>
>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon Page
Cape Cod. Mass
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