String Levelling guestions

[Richard Moody]

John Woodrow and List
	You raised some important questions about string leveling, and I like you
have not been aware , in my case because I was never taught nor  heard
about it in practice until 1996 here on this list.  Also I too have never
found a mention of it in any of the reference books. 
	So my first question is, when did string leveling become a concern?  In
addition to books, in technical publications such as technical manuals
from manufacturers, (sadly many have no dates) and hand outs from
technical seminars by factory reps, I find no reference before 1981. 
There is a reference to string leveling in the Renner voicing pamphlet
copyright 1992. 
	So is this a new procedure?  Who should be given credit, and when did it
first become available to the profession?  
	Ah---nothing like the feeling of youth, and if it seems so long ago,
simply become a student again. 
	Questions: 
	What causes strings to be un-level? 	
	Why should we be concerned now, when we weren't in the past? 
	If you level strings, can I hear the difference before and after? 
	If the wire is elastic, how can bending it to make it level, last for  	
any length of time?
	In manipulating the wire to make it level, is there a risk of kinking it
which
		might be detrimental to the harmonic profile? 
	The history student asks, What are the primary sources on this subject? 
	Is string leveling a concern of the manufacturer, and re-stringer?
	Dpending on the answer, the last question begs this question, why 	
haven't we heard of string leveling before?  Why then don't they 		call it
string re-levleing? 

Richard Moody
	
	  

----------
> From: John Woodrow <woodroj@syvax.email.dupont.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: String Levelling
> Date: Thursday, April 02, 1998 8:04 PM
> 
> List,
> 
> Following the article in the November Journal "String Levelling by Ear"
by Clair Davies, and seeing 'String Levelling' regularly mentioned in
articles on the list, as it is not something that I concern myself with, I
had to asked myself, self... am I missing something important here. 
Checked all my reference books, no mention of the subject.  Checked the
Pianotech archives and found that the very same questions were raised in
August 97 before I joined the list.     
> 
> 
> For my first question of HOW TO LEVEL, this was well answered in the
archives. I have included it again as from the August discussion for those
who may have missed it (I was relieved to find out I was not alone in
being in the dark on this topic).
> 
>  
> 
> >>"To correct the condition, first make sure that what you have is a
string leveling problem.........At this point the problem
> 
> usually needs to be corrected by lifting the strings which are low,
since it is more difficult to persuade a string down than to bring it up. 
If one string feels higher than the others, lift the remaining strings to
the level of the higher one.  If one string feels lower than the others,
lift that string level with the others.  The lifting is done with a small
string hook
> 
> applied"..... "about an inch or so from the termination point.
> 
>   As you pull up on the string, draw it towards the termination point so
as to produce a bend  in the wire at the termination point, rather than a
kink at the point where you applied the string hook.
> 
>   The process is essential to good tone regulating, and though it can be
time-consuming, yields rich rewards in improved tone quality and
tunability.
> 
>  The same procedure applies to vertical pianos."
> 
> 
> Jim Bryant (FL)>>
> 
> 
> However, I am still struggling with (a) HOW TO DETERMINE LEVEL, and (b)
does it really matter in a VERTICAL at any time other than after fitting
new or reshaping hammers.  Reason for wondering about (b), will not any
small variation in string height be compensated for by different depths of
the string grooves in the hammers?  I appreciate the soft pedal in a grand
presents a different problem.
> 
> 
> Clair Davies talks about using the end of a steel rule to mute the
unison to determine string level.  With any method of mechanical level
setting device, couldn't you still have a hammer alignment problem even
though the string are in a level plane?  If you go for blocking the hammer
against the unison, except for new or resurfaced hammers, won't they
always mute at the same time (slightly different string grove depths)? 
How exact is feeling the height with your fingers?
> 
> 
> Appreciate any assistance in helping me better understand these issues.
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> John Woodrow
> 
> Sydney, Australia
:	John.Woodrow@aus.dupont.com