Steinway regulation

[Jon Page]

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Let me jump on here and speculate on why this action has
these measurements and plays well, sorta.

My guess is that the key ratio is high (capstans too far from b/r hole).
So with the hammer height and key dip at 'spec', the jack buried itself
into the stop felt at the end of the repetition lever and perhaps actually
restricted the full dip on the key. In order to alieve this, a shallow dip
and longer hammer blow were introduced.
(I have seen this more on B's than L's).

So, set the let-off on a few and see where the jack is when the hammer
is in check. The jack should be close to the knuckle rather than forced into
the stop felt.

Specs are a starting point, then you have to make it work correctly.

Usually I tell a customer that I have to do x-amount of work just to be
able to tell what's wrong with it. The finer the regulation, the closer the
details.

Jon Page

At 05:35 PM 5/17/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Andre;
> How about if I/we had answered in the following manner?
>-----------------------------------------------
>In a message dated 5/15/1999 12:55:40 AM, Larry wrote:
>
><<"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">>
>
>Larry the key dip on a S&S 'L' is to be set at "approximately" .420 inches 
>but it should be noted that keydip can vary within a suggested range of .390 
>inches and .420 inches. However extremely shallow keydip will result in loss 
>of power. Extremely deep key dip will result in reduced performance and the 
>sharps buring below the naturals.
>
><<" but the hammer blow distance is   1 15/16 instead of 1 3/4. ">>
>
>Larry have the hammers been filed? or do they need to be filed now? If so 
>then the specification blow distance measurements will result in reduced 
>perfomance due to shorter hammer lengths if you try and get the action 
>totally regulated to "specs".
>
><<"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. ">>
>
> Larry I think that you have 'two' terms somewhat confused, and it is
common, 
>"key dip" does not change with the raising or lowering of the hammer line, 
>however 'aftertouch' is definitely directly and proportionally affected by 
>the same raising or lowering of the hammer line. Compromise is called for in 
>this situation in at 'least' two of the three factors, HL/KD/AFT, and
perhaps 
>none will be at "specification".
>  In your situation I believe that I would set my "keydip" where I wanted
it, 
>and make everything else work, as well as it can be made to work, and 
>following the ratios given as "specs", from there.
>
><<"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.">>
>
> Larry it is really hard to interpret "shallow" without being at the piano. 
>Two possible reasons for the "shallow" feel would be either very little 
>'aftertouch' or an actual "shallow" key dip setting. There are other things 
>that might make a player complain of "shallowness" but these are the most 
>common.
>
> In summation Larry, since your 'L' is 35 years old, with all the wear and 
>tear attendant to such age, the "original factory specifications" will be 
>extremely useful as a "guide" but you 'will not' be able to set all, or 
>perhaps any, of the specs according to those given  measurements.  When your 
>piano was brand new the factory specs were "approximate" settings even in
the 
>factory, and now that your instrument is older they are even more of an 
>"approximate" setting.    
>------------------------------------------
>
>Andre, is that more some gooder? :-)
>Jim Bryant (FL)
> 

Jon Page,  Harwich Port,  Cape Cod,  Mass.  mailto:jpage@capecod.net
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