Piano Key Headscales

[Delwin D Fandrich]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/related attachment

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Perkins" <jimperkins@mac.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: May 08, 2003 9:27 PM
Subject: Re: piano competition/Mason&Hamlin vs Steinway


>
> I don't follow this Del,
>
> I agree that the sharps cannot be centred across the naturals- with the
> exception of G# which is bang in the middle of G & A.  But having set
> the gap for F# to G#, why isn't C#-D# the same width? There's no
> logical reason that I can see to prevent it
>
> BTW my  middle finger is closer to 22mm than 15 in width so you see my
> interest in this matter!  And I'm sure I'm not alone in noticing this
> apparent anomaly.
>
> James Perkins
> 42 Marlee Road
> Parklands
> WA 6210
> Australia


Take a look at the sketch below:



The sharps are all 11 mm wide but the spacing between them varies between
13 mm (the G and A), 14.5 mm (the D) and, of course, 24.9 (the B/C and the
E/F combinations). I'm ignoring the gaps between the keys in all cases.
Let's say we want them all to have 13 mm gaps (ignoring the B/C and E/F
combinations). We would have to move the C# and the D# closer together.
This is going to make the gap between the two combinations even wider than
it is now. It is also going to make the tails of the C and E even more
unbalanced than it is now and it is already a problem for some.

Spreading the three sharps (F#, G# and A#) further apart--which would be of
some help to you--is out of the question. The 11.9 mm tail on F and B is
about as narrow as it can practically be. If we spread the F# and the A# by
one mm, the tail width of G and B would decrease to 10.9 mm. Take away that
much more wood and these keys are going to be weakened unacceptably.
Besides becoming even harder to play back on the tail.

The goal is to keep the gap between the sharps as wide and as uniform as is
practical consistent with keeping the width of the natural tails as
consistent as possible and wide enough to provide adequate strength.

Absolute uniformity in impossible any you're left with compromises.

Del

---------------------- multipart/related attachment
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 10404 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/bf/5a/b4/03/attachment.gif

---------------------- multipart/related attachment--