My answer to you about Steinway regulation

[Antares]

Dear colleagues,

my answer to al this is :

Here is a colleague who asks advice about the regulation of a Steinway
grand.
To me, it seems, that when a colleague asks for advice about the regulation
of a Steinway, he/she obviously doesn't have enough experience
yet...otherwise there would be no questions about it on the list.
So wouldn't it be quite normal to, in the first place, refer to an excellent
service manual that has been written by Max Matthias, a Steinway expert?
To me it seems unwise to talk about a refined touch when the person involved
asks about key depth? or to talk about concert tuning when somebody has been
tuning for maybe a couple of years?
Besides, I of course agree that factory measures are not holy, and many
times we are forced to wander off the beaten track, but... a few things I
would like to point out in regard to my own experience : To make a really
good regulation on a grand piano we must obey certain regulation rules ) I
am sorry to bother the hot shots among you).
In my opinion those rules are :
Whatever the name of the instrument, it is (sometimes) necessary to get
certain factory specifics such as : 1. the precise measurement from the
keybed to the underside of the key top covering - 2. the precise keydepth
(is it a Steinway or not?) - when necessary the precise measurement from the
middle of the hammer flange centerpin to the middle of the whippen centerpin
- the precise measurement and weight of the original hammer and the shank
(in case of a hammer change) - eventual specifics about let off (is it a
concert instrument or not) and hammer drop.
Due to my own experience in three different factories, I have made it a rule
to, at least beforehand, know about those specifics.
These specifications are different from one factory to another  (as we all
know) and, for instance, to have the knowledge beforehand about the key
height of a certain Steinway grand helps tremendously in bringing a fine
regulation to a good end.
A final remark :
At the Yamaha Academy, It took a couple of days, and with the help of
specially designed weights, to make me understand thouroughly and exactly
how deep the key depth was on a Yamaha grand. And this is just one example
of just one regulation item. It has taught me that by fooling around with
different keydepths you fool in the end.. yourself. The more precise you
make keyheight and keydepth, the more you aid yourself in the process of a
truly beautiful and refined regulation, and the reward we find in the final
goal : a gorgeous tone.
So if one is insecure about factory specifics.. I say: get them by buying a
trustworthy book... Do you really think that that is a bad advice ??

I know that amongst us there are very skilled technicians. To them this may
be kiddy bla bla, but I would like to remind all of us that we all started
at a certain point in our lives without any knowledge at all. A definitely
good and trustworthy book from the source isn't that bad as a help, is it?

Antares











>Uhhhh, do I need to get a newer Steinway manual? Mine gives "recommended"
>specs, not specific specs. Does Steinway now specify absolute
>specifications? :-)
>
>Best and also friendly greetings,
>
>Gina
>
>Gina Carter
>Charlotte NC
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Antares <antares@EURONET.NL>
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Sunday, May 16, 1999 4:28 AM
>Subject: Re: Steinway regulation
>
>
>>
>> >
>> >>I am a new piano tech and I am regulating my 1964 Steinway Model L
>before
>> >I
>> >>sell it. The key dip is 11/32 when it should be 13/32 but the hammer
>blow
>> >>distance is   1 15/16 instead of 1 3/4. If I adjust the dip properly the
>> >blow
>> >>distance will be even larger or it will have too much after touch and if
>I
>> >>adjust the blow distance properly the key dip will be even less. The
>piano
>> >>plays well although I remember it always felt "shallow" even though I
>liked
>> >>that at the time.Any ideas as to what to do? I called Steinway and they
>> >were
>> >>no help.
>> >>Thanks
>> >>Larry Trop  in Orange County, CA
>> >>