Key Leads and Inertia

[Piannaman@aol.com]

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In a message dated 6/12/03 6:57:51 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
stanwood@tiac.net writes:


> >Complementing these present choices are the generations of pianists 
> >who have trained on the conventional action, and who might not know 
> >how to handle an action with radically different inertia and friction 
> >could we come up with it.
> >
> >Bill Ballard RPT
> 
> Last winter at the California Convention in San Ramon, we displayed a
> Steinway A3 Ebony plain case with original board, combining SMBA and PTD.
> (Simplified Magnetically Balanced Action and Precision TouchDesign).  It
> had no keyleads except for the top section which had some back leads, a 1/2
> high Strike Weight and a 5.3 Strike Weight Ratio level, 10mm dip/44.5mm
> blow, Down Weight 51g bass to 46g treble, and Friction was upper Low zone
> 13g bass to 8g treble.  The piano was a hit except for Don Mannino who
> played it for a while and asked... "Alright, what did you do....?"  When we
> replied "Magnets" he said. "Now I get it... This would be great for a lot
> of pianists but not for me..."  He likes the feeling of mass in the
> keystick.  Personally I think it would have felt better with a little more
> friction in the hammer flanges bringing F up to 15g bass to 11g treble.
> The piano sold soon after for $65k so someone liked it enough to shell out
> so many clams.  The repetition in the pianos we've done with magnets seems
> to be a lot more solid and sure fired.  They certainly are "different"...
> in a good way for a significant percentage of pianists.  Pianists are
> pretty adaptable.. (They have to be!)

I played the piano at the San Ramon Conference, and in the limited time I had 
to play it, I found it to be more responsive with better repetition than just 
about any piano I have ever played.  Would I pay that much for the 
full-magnet treatment?  Not on my salary....:-)  If I had enough clams so that it 
wouldn't make a noticeable dent in my pocketbook, I would seriously consider it.  

The feel was very unique.  Will there be one at the convention?

Dave Stahl

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