Stephen: The variation in keyboard size didn't stop with the historical instruments. I have pianos here with keys that are 48" from A0 - C8, to 48.5". Most are 48" but the new Steinways are 48.375" and our older Hamburg Steinway is 48.5". Now with the 7/8 keyboard making the trade journals who knows what will be next. dave _______________________________ David M. Porritt, RPT mailto:dporritt@swbell.net Meadows School of the Arts Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 75275 _______________________________ -----Original Message----- From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Stephen Birkett Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 1999 9:39 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Newton's metre stick Newton writ: > > Walk soft and carry a meter stick. > Well, despite Napoleon's metric conquests, there is something to be said for piano makers and techs "walking soft and carrying an inch stick" over the years, or in my case carrying many different inch sticks, since the historical inch was not standard and varied significantly with location - the modern inch (25.4 mm) is quite small in the scheme of things. I've seen from 25 mm to as much as 28 mm inches used on different pianos, tending to go bigger as you cross the Alps or go down the Rhine. And those lowly local inch differences have led to some significant spec. differences over the years, e.g. Cristofori's modern-sized octaves vs Stein's about 5% narrower, entirely attributable to the length of their sticks. Stephen Stephen Birkett Fortepianos Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos 464 Winchester Drive Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2T 1K5 tel: 519-885-2228 email: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca
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