I always warn people who want heavy that there is the risk of injury. I have a customer who is a concert pianist who wanted me to add weight to the hammers on her "B" because it was too light. Actually it was too light. Now she likes it but it has a 56-gram DW and 42-gram UW!!!! I really wish she had the money to do some of the right things for it, but she's young and just getting started so money IS an object. dave *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 6/15/2003 at 6:32 PM Avery Todd wrote: >At 11:28 AM 06/15/03 -0500, you wrote: >>I just have to tell my story about heavy playing pianos. I tune and >service >>a Yamaha LU-90 owned by a concert pianist who is also a piano teacher here >>in Panama. He had me install a total of 3 1/2 lead weights ON EACH KEY to >>make it play as heavy as possible. The 1/2 weight is mounted on the end of >>the key. He advocates weighting the keys so that he will never run into a >>piano thats hard to play. The touch weight is twice that of a Steinway D. >He >>must have pretty strong fingers by now. > >He is SO wrong. I HATE that attitude. All I have to ask is if his >fingers are THAT strong, what happens to his "artistry" when he runs >into a piano that's correct??????????? He should be raising hell about >all the pianos that are wrong! (Flame suit on!) > >Avery > > >>-----Original Message----- >>From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On >>Behalf Of Farrell >>Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 6:51 AM >>To: Pianotech >>Subject: Re: Steinway heavy touch >> >> >>Could be hammers, could be improperly leaded keys, could be capstan >>position, could be center rail location, could be friction from a variety >of >>sources, could be something as simple as new hammer rail springs having >way >>too much tension - or for that matter, damper springs with too much >tension. >>Or any combination of the aforementioned. Or all of them. >> >>And I believe it is more likely that the prospective customers are simply >>looking for a touchweight somewhere near original Stwy spec of 48 to 52 >>grams and not "the soft touch of an electronic keyboard." >> >>I service a couple old Stwys at a local recital hall - a Large and a Big. >>They both play like Mack trucks. I recently asked a performer what she >>thought of the way one of them played - she said: "Well, the touch is >quite >>heavy, but that's OK because I am used to it - I have a Stwy at home!" >> >>Geeeeesh! >> >>Terry Farrell >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Isaac OLEG" <oleg-i@wanadoo.fr> >>To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> >>Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 4:19 AM >>Subject: RE: Steinway heavy touch >> >> >> > Roy, >> > >> > I believe the only reason is that hammers are heavier these days. >> > That was the first reason to buy a gram scale a few years ago. >> > And indeed when I was a younger tech gram scales where not cheap or >> > accessible to piano techs, I have one I have paid ?100 -USD 100 env. >> > >> > You 'll probably have to thin those hammers. >> > >> > Best >> > Isaac OLEG >> > >> > Entretien et reparation de pianos. >> > >> > PianoTech >> > 17 rue de Choisy >> > 94400 VITRY sur SEINE >> > FRANCE >> > tel : 033 01 47 18 06 98 >> > fax : 033 01 47 18 06 90 >> > cell: 06 60 42 58 77 >> > >> > -----Message d'origine----- >> > De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De >la >> > part de RCzekay@aol.com >> > Envoye : dimanche 15 juin 2003 03:16 >> > A : pianotech@ptg.org >> > Objet : Steinway heavy touch >> > >> > >> > I know that Steinway pianos, both the verticals, and grands have for >>years >> > been noted for their heavy touches. I have a beautiful 1886 vertical, >> > completely restored that plays and sounds great, but every prospective >> > customer complains about the heavy touch. Does anyone know of a way to >>make >> > the touch lighter. I have played the piano for over 60 years, and I >myself >> > like the touch of a Steinway. But, I guess in this era, everyone wants >the >> > soft touch of an electronic keyboard. >> > >> > Roy Czekay, >> > rczekay@aol.com >> > >>_______________________________________________ >>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >>_______________________________________________ >>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives **************** END MESSAGE FROM Avery Todd ********************* _____________________________ David M. Porritt dporritt@mail.smu.edu Meadows School of the Arts Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 75275 _____________________________
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