Score a big 1 for Joe. "Cheek Lift". Amazing. My square has a full 1/4" of "cheek lift" at the front right corner - and that is with having had the plate out for the last several months. As flat as the plate is, I can easily imagine that the strings really are able to put a bend in the plate. So now I wonder what this might do to my meticulously calculated downbearing - especially near the middle of the plate - like in the tenor. Hmmmm - it will be interesting. Maybe when I rescale, I need to go real LOW tension - so that the piano doesn't fold up like a suitcase in the cartoons! How do cat-gut guitar strings work on pianos - do they make long ones? As for the need to completely return key of square to resting position prior to repeating note, I have never checked that. I will inspect when able to do so. Thank you for pointing it out - I can easily see where that would make a difference. Thanks for all your input Joe, I really appreciate it. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph Garrett" <joegarrett@earthlink.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 12:55 PM Subject: More Square questions > Terry, > Refer back to my lengthy explanation of the inconsistancies of the scale > itself. With the overwhelming imbalances in the scale, the volume and tonal > production of the Square is out of balance with itself. To put it another > way: If you play the low A, it has a big round sound, similar to larger > grands. ( the bridge is in an area that allows flexibiltiy of vibration w/a > long back section for the string). An octave above the sound thins out and > gets nastier towards the treble. This, IMHO, distorts the players concept of > real piano sound. > As for "Cheek Lift", this is the problem created when the case warps. The > strings are basically diagonal in the case, hence the tension is pulling > from the "far left, (bass), end of the piano to the "near right", (treble) > end of the piano. The first thing I do, when encountering a Square for the > first time, is walk up to the right end of the piano, put both hands on the > corner and put all my weight on that corner. If the piano rocks, then it has > cheek lift. Of course, if the piano is placed on a thick carpet or if the > client/mover has shimmed the casters, then this test will not work. An > alternative would be to carry an 8' straight edge with you and check the > bottom of the piano for curvature. Hope this clears up those questions. > Best Regards, > Joe Garrett, (Oregon) > P.S. > Yes, a nasty spinet does play better than a Square Grand! Try this test: > play a note on a modern grand. Slowly let the key rise to the first 1/3 of > the key stroke and then push down again. The note will play! Play note on a > modern Upright, (even a nasty spinet), do the same until the key is approx. > 1/2 of its stroke, push down and the note will play! In the Square grand: > you play the note and then you MUST allow the key to come all the way up to > "rest" position before it will play again! In other words, you have to take > your finger COMPLETELY off of the key for it to repeat again! This really > will screw up a student's timing and physical attack. > P.S.S. > I really wish that all techs would quit bashing Spinets. All though they are > not the ideal, they do provide a decent living for a lot of techs, because > there are so many of them out there. (ie don't bite the hand that feeds > you!) <grin> > Joe > >
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