Tuning Pin Size

[Farrell]

>"Yamaha and Kawai supposedly do this better than
> anyone except Joe Garrett, by drilling the bushing (actually a hardwood
plug) and
> the block together in the plate.  On the other hand, they use a pin that
is
> slightly smaller than 1/0 (6.90mm.), which restores some of the flex
reduced by
> the bushing design."

Is this part of why I like tuning Yamahas so much? Sounds to me like this
approach gets you pretty close to the same place as an open-face pinblock
design. If the fit of the plug into the plate is real nice and tight, and if
the plug is glued to the block, this design should effectively duplicate the
open-pinblock design advantages. No?

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: <larudee@pacbell.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 8:42 PM
Subject: Re: Tuning Pin Size


> Tommy,
>
> Since you addressed your post to gentlemen, I know you didn't intend to
include
> me, but I'll respond anyway.  Bushings potentially reduce flex, depending
upon
> the bushing and the design.  Yamaha and Kawai supposedly do this better
than
> anyone except Joe Garrett, by drilling the bushing (actually a hardwood
plug) and
> the block together in the plate.  On the other hand, they use a pin that
is
> slightly smaller than 1/0 (6.90mm.), which restores some of the flex
reduced by
> the bushing design.  This is deliberate, because they need the flex in
order to
> compensate for the string geometry/friction in the front bearing areas.
In other
> words, their design is such that the piano would be difficult to tune
without
> such flex.  In a Bechstein open face design, on the other hand, flex is
much less
> a factor, and yet it is quite tunable.
>
> Paul Larudee
>
> Bigeartb@AOL.COM wrote:
>
> > Gentlemen:
> >  Do tuning pin bushings reduce the flex in tuning pins thus allowing the
> > tuner greater ease in setting the pin and stabilizing the string? If
bushings
> > do not reduce flex then why do manufacturers use them? If bushings do
reduce
> > flex, then why does Steinway not use them?
> >
> > Still trying to learn....
> >
> > Tommy Black
> > Decatur, Ala
>