In a message dated 98-02-06 00:38:50 EST, you write:
<< 1. What is the best use of the approximately 1 1/2 hours I have available
for voicing/regulating this instrument? I need to do piano triage here,
and would like advice. >>
Start with your hammer line. Use the pads as a guide. Forget measuring
from the string. Close the lid and put the action on top, use a thin blanket
or even some newspaper to keep it from marring the top. Check flanges first.
If they need tightening, start cranking. Use your hand to guide the blade to
each screwslot and twist, bing, bing, bing right through it. Look at the
marks in the hammers. Any that are way out of line, space them quickly, the
best you can, but don't dwell on that.
Now set each hammer only about 1/8" above the pad. If the shanks are
sitting on the pads, just go through and give each capstan a crank as fast as
you can, don't stop to make a fine adjustment yet. Then look at where this
brought them. This will often be within one more crank of where you want it.
Many might already be there. Don't get too picky, just get the hammers off
the pads but only a little for a controlled but minimum after touch (for the
most power).
Now put the action in and look briefly at the let-off & drop. Usually the
let off will be about 2 cranks away from where it should be. Pull the action
out just far enough to try a section and give each screw 2 cranks counter
clockwise with your usual screw turner. Now put the action in and play
through the notes with a medium touch. If any block slightly, use your Mason
& Hamlin wrench and crank that screw back one crank. Complete the entire let-
off this way.
Now pull the action back out just far enough to where you can check the
drop. It will usually be a little excessive and be corrected by 1/2 to a full
turn of the screw. Determine quickly what the average seems to be then turn
all of the screws in each section by that same amount as fast as you can.
Then go back through and check to see if there are any that are still
excessive or a little shallow but don't go for a real fine adjustment. Do
this a fast as you can.
If you still have time, check the repetition springs. These will take the
most amount of time to adjust precisely so start in the middle and look first
for any that don't rise at all. If you can get any reasonable movement out of
it with a single tug, move on. Only relax springs that are really way, way
too strong which will probably not be the case.
The jack position and repitition lever height are usually the least
important in such a triage and probably won't be worth adjusting unless
someone else has maladjusted them in the past. It is better to have the jack
well under the knuckle than too far forward, you'll lose power. The lever
height is a very fine adustment that again, unless someone else has
maladjusted them, you will not have time to make an improvement by adjusting
them.
The key height and dip have been ignored. You'll have to leave any
imperfections in this triage. However, if there is an individual key or two
which are really low, enough to require a thick paper or thin card, you can
cut a small "V" out of the punching and slide it in under the felt with
tweezers or long-nosed pliers. You can add or remove punchings from the front
rail more easily but don't be picky, only do this if something is very
incorrect which it is not likely to be.
Voicing: If the hammers are deeply cut and really nasty sounding, the
best thing you can do is a quick, rough filing. Take the action out and turn
it around backwards and use the keybed for a bench. Get only a basic shape.
This still may take a half hour and your arm will be very tired and your brow
will be sweating. You should probably bring or arrange to have a vacuum for
the filings. The piano will probably be dirty too. If you talk to the stage
manager, you can tell him ahead of time that you're going to blow the dust out
at this point and he'll need to pass the dust mop around a few minutes
afterwards. Have him dust the case too, while you're not tuning. (He won't
be busy, he'll just be there watching you in amazement anyway).
If the tone is very soft, use keytop & acetone. I like to mix mine so
that it looks like watered-down skim milk, a very light solution. Just put a
very little on the top of the felt where it strikes the string. If the high
treble is dull, you can more thoroughly wet those hammers. If, after 20
minutes, this is not bright enough, you can repeat the proceedure. I think of
this like coats of paint. Two thin coats are better than one thick one. As
long as you are treating only the striking surface and not penetrating the
felt deeply, whatever you have done this time can be filed away later and you
will not have irreverseably altered the hammer felt. You can do some or all
of this "juicing" while you are tuning if you have to. But if you know ahaed
of time that the hammers need it, do it as soon as you can so that the
solution will dry and you can hear to what level you've brought them early on.
Second and third applications can be done antime during your preparation. You
can accelerate the drying with a hair dryer if you have to but don't let the
heat get near the piano strings! Usually, a thin coat will be what it will
be in about 20 minutes at room temperature. You probably won't have time for
a hair dryer anyway.
Tuning: You can tune it faster twice or even three times than you can
fight with it once. If it is a pitch raise of really anything more than 10¢,
I'd go for 3 times, yes, 3. Here's how. Determine as quickly as you can the
amount of offset you will need for the raise. Tune as quickly as you can.
Keep your eye on the next pin you will be going to and don't try to get it too
close this first time. You should be able to move through the entire piano in
15-20 minutes. Now give all the keys a quick couple of test blows with the
damper pedal depressed. (You'll scare anybody away that tries to distract
you). (You'll also settle any gross instability).
Now, you basically repeat the first step but this time you are going for
Standard pitch. Again, move through the tuning as quickly as possible but
this time give a little more attention to any notes which seem very unstable.
Use lots of firm test blows while tuning. When the second round is completed,
give all the keys test blows again with the damper pedal depressed. (This
will scare anybody away who is trying to find out from you when you'll be
done.) (It will also further settle any residual instability.) This tuning
might take 20-30 minutes.
Now, you're ready for fine tuning. This time, the piano already is pretty
good. It will be easy for you to move through it quickly, making fine
adjustments and picking out any residually unstable notes. It might only take
you 15 minutes! In any case, you can get everything done in well under the 90
minutes you budgeted for and have time left for any needling or fine
adjustment of the voicing you might want to do.
Also, clean the keys when you're done like Susan Kline says, she most
certainly knows what she's talking about when she says this is important.
You've been working like a madman, and the keys will have their usual buildup
of dirt and grease plus all of the blood, sweat and tears you've just got on
them. The artist will really appreciate freshly cleaned keys.
I hope this helps and I wish you good luck. By the way, you don't need to
ask the artists what they want out of the piano in the situation you've
described. Just get busy and do it!
Bill Bremmer, RPT
Madison, Wisconsin
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