".... what are your string heights here?" Indeed you are right. I have a 1947 Baldwin M in my shop also. The Baldwin string height is 7-5/8" and the Knabe string height is 8-3/4". It appears that most of the height is made up in tall key height at the rear and the long capstan. Why should this be a problem? In this particular case where the capstan contact is above the magic line, I should be able to shorten the capstan a tad and put on a wippen with a taller heel. Doesn't that fix it? You mentioned upper limits of string height. What is that? And exactly what does a tall string height do for you or how does it work against you? I do service a old Decker grand that has a mile-high string height (don't have the measurement - but it was so obvious with just a casual glance). What I really don't understand is the knuckle contact being very low. It doesn't even meet the magic line at letoff. What would cause that & how to fix? Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Ballard" <yardbird@vermontel.net> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 11:29 PM Subject: Re: Touchweight Question > At 9:39 PM -0500 1/5/03, Farrell wrote: > >BUT magic lines are all out of whack (capstan is way high, and > >knuckle contact is way low), and bass keys have six leads in them > >(YES, THAT'S RIGHT, SIX LEADS IN EACH KEY!!!!). I know something has > >got to change here. I'm ready to go fishin' with new parts. Any > >great suggestions on where to start? (Constructive, please.) > > Terry, what are your string heights here? I'll bet you the extra > height in your capstans corresponds to extra string height, a common > feature of 19th century grands. Check to see whether that string > elevations have exceeded what upper limits Del may have told you on > this. > > No sure way around this one. Like the tenor bridge in a Steinway A1, > you're stuck with that string height. Unless you want to mill a 1/2" > off the cheeks of the rim, as a way of reducing the string height. Oh > yes, and the fall board as well. > > You're stuck with an action mounted a standard distance down from the > string plan, but sitting on a keybed 1/2" lower than normal from the > string plane. (Actually, it is the string plane which is set high.) > The more the action geometry is extended vertically, the more the > rotation yields horizontal sliding friction motion. Not a great idea, > but a legacy. > > At 8:45 AM -0500 1/5/03, Farrell wrote: > >"...such a piano, whose rebuilding right now seems based on faith in > >its as a good candidate for rebuilding." > > > >Just curious, what do you mean by the above statement? Faith in what? > > Faith in the final, thus far unseen result. But that's not saying > very much actually. All of our rebuilds get done on this faith, > simply on the basis that the particular pianos deserve this kind of > work (ie. will return musical rewards), and also that we can > successfully do the work. The second assumption is a no-brainer for > us rebuild-hardened piano techs. As for the first, it helps to have a > gold-plate name like Steinway, but barring that, a piano of a certain > quality of design, construction and materials, in reasonable > (rebuildable) condition for all of its decades. Which is what you and > your clients are doing. > > So in this process the decision surfaces, about whether to > reincarnate the keyboard to run on standard keypins. It's a jump in > expense, and more to the point, the extent to which they pour money > into this piano, which they've selected for this work, based not > because of its "immortal name" but because of its own inherent > strengths. It is a matter of faith, as I said above involving two > assumptions. > > The question I was aiming at (although not voicing) was, would new > key buttons, balance holes, and front mortises (on standard pins) be > a less intimidating decision for the owners, if the piano also had an > immortal name? This a matter of budget policy, ie., how "hole-hog" do > we go on a piano, which if we need to sell it, would not have the > immortal name on top of its own musical qualities to convince people. > > You've got plenty of good suggestion for sticking with the original > pins and mortises. My point is now moot. > > Bill Ballard RPT > NH Chapter, P.T.G. > > "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture" > ...........Steve Martin > +++++++++++++++++++++ > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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