Steinway Crown

[David ilvedson]

> Date:          Tue, 01 Apr 1997 01:59:48 -0500 (EST)
> From:          Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net>
> Subject:       Re: Steinway Crown
> To:            pianotech@byu.edu
> Reply-to:      pianotech@byu.edu

Hi Les,

Thanks for your info.  I got the rebuild job and at this time will be
using the old board.  When I go to destring in his house, before
the piano goes to the finisher, I will try changing some strings
and also cleaning up a few unisons with paint thinner to remove
the oily residue.  Where I and the customer live is near the
ocean in California...Pacifica to be exact.  The climate here is
so stable I am relatively unconcerned about failure of the board
in the next twenty years.  Who really knows.

Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts...I keep it all in mind!

David ilvedson
Pacifica, CA

> Hi, David.
>
> Here, perhaps, is a somewhat different take on the minimal crown found
> in the soundboard of that Steinway "M". First of all, I consider your
> concern about the amount of sustain, or rather the lack of it, import-
> ant. I don't think that it's safe merely to "assume" that WD-40, or
> whatever is the culprit and that new strings, alone, are the answer. I
> think your idea of replacing an old string with a new one, and seeing
> what affect it has on the sustain is a good one. However, I would take
> the idea a step further and try replacing, say, three of them--one in the
> tenor above the wound strings, one in the treble and one in the higher
> treble--all an octave or more apart. SAVE THE OLD STRINGS. After you have
> conducted your test, remove the new strings, re-install the old ones,
> bring them up to pitch and the piano willl once again be playable until
> the owner makes up his mind about what he's going to do. The new strings
> won't consantly be going flat on him.
>
> You don't have to file the hammers, because you can check the difference
> in sustain between the old and new strings by merely plucking them with
> your nail, or a guitar pick, or whatever. Check to make sure that both
> the old and new strings are firmly seated on the bridge. What you're
> listening for is a noticable improvement in the amount of sustain. If you
> can't hear one, new strings might not be the total answer.
>
> I ran into the worst new Steinway I ever saw, tone-wise about 20 years
> ago. It was an "L", one year old. The lack of sustain was so bad that
> I couldn't hear the partials to set the temperament. At first I thought
> the dampers might be mis-regulated so much that the felts were still
> touching and muting the strings. Such was not the case. I then double-
> checked to make sure that the strings were firmly seated on the bridges.
> They were. Lastly, I went under the piano and checked the soundboard
> crown. There was none. The board was, as far as I could determine, flat.
> Now, to be fair, it was mid-winter and the heat had been on for a while,
> but there still. in my opinion, should have been measurable crown in the
> board. A subsequent check of bearing at the bridges, showed a small, but
> nevertheless measurable amount. Nevertheless, the lack of sustain through-
> out the entire compass of the instrument was a MAJOR fault. Not only did
> it make accurate tuning incredibly difficult, but it's impact on the
> tone-quality and over-all sound of the instrument was highly determental.
> It was the worst newer Steinway I have ever heard.
>
> Like you, I am constantly hearing people tell me that crown really isn't
> so important, because so and so just rebuilt an old Steinway, the board
> has no measurable crown and yet it sounds GREAT! My response to this is
> always, that may be true NOW, but how long is it going to last-- a year,
> two, ten, six-months?  Under conditions of high humidity a board can ex-
> hibit measurable crown and adequate down-bearing and the instrument sound
> good, and at the same time, that same board placed under low-humidity con-
> ditions, can lose it's crown, much of it's down-bearing and its tone-
> quality will suffer accordingly.
>
> Right now, I would think that the first thing you would want to check out
> is whether or not replacing the old strings with new, is going to bring
> about a noticable improvement in sustain time. Merely adequate, if you're
> rebuilding a vintage "M", is not good enough. At least in my book. Also,
> ask yourself what the humidity conditions are under which you are meas-
> uring that soundboard's crown. If the humidity right now is say %50-%60
> and you're only able to measure 1/16 of an inch of crown in the board,
> I'd be worried about it's long term viability. Rebuilding the instru-
> ment with the old board, probably will get you through a five year war-
> ranty on the rebuild, but it sure as heck isn't going to last anywhere
> near another 80 years!
>
> What to do? Explain the situation to the piano's owner, and give him two
> estimaates, one for rebuilding the instrument using the old board and one
> for rebuilding it with a new board. That makes the decision HIS CHOICE.
> If he asks you what YOUR recommendation is, I would vote for replacing the
> board. In my opinion a 1/16 of an inch crown in an 80 year-old soundboard
> is not enough upon which to stake your reputation. This just represents
> one old tech's opinion, of course!
>
> Les Smith
> lessmith@buffnet.net
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, David ilvedson wrote:
>
> > Dear List,
> >
> > I am bidding on an Steinway M rebuild, built 1918.  Bearing is about
> > perfect, whatever that means.  Not too much maybe about a nickel
> > overall.  My concern is the crown.  It has minimal crown taken
> > with a thread under the board along the longest rib.  Maybe a
> > 16th" in the middle.  The board is pristine, in that it has no
> > cracks and I might add it has spent most of its life in
> > California.  Normally I go by the tone when evaluating a board.
> > This piano has had the plate sprayed with the strings in.  Also
> > WD 40 or such has been sprayed on the strings.  The sustain is
> > OK but not great.  My feeling is the oily residue is the cuplrit
> > for lack of sustain.  I can play forte and the piano responds.
> > I know what a flat board sounds like, a blown speaker sort of.
> > You can push it but it won't respond.  I could change a string
> > around 52 and clean it up and see what the tone is like but I
> > would probably have to file the hammer etc.?  Is this the time
> > to replace the board?  My gut feeling is it will be a nice
> > piano.
> >
> > Thanks in advance...
> >
> > David ilvedson
> > Pacifica, CA
> >
> >
>
>
>
ilvey, RPT
Pacifica, CA