Steinway Style 2 (Modified by Kent Swafford)

[Richard Brekne]

John Hartman wrote:

> Richard,
> 
> This sort of 3/4 plate is entirely different from the European ones you 
> usually see. The plate stops before the tuning pins, there is no frame 
> structure over or behind the tuning pins. In the more familiar later 
> American and European type the plates start to crack at the struts were 
> they meet the agraffe area. They start at the bottom and travel up. With 
> this sort the pin block rotates, pivoting on the plate flange, The 
> bottom of the flange looses contact. You usually can put an object about 
> 1/16" in the gap. The stresses on the plate are forcing the struts to 
> bow upward. They usually start to crack from the top to the bottom. They 
> often fail somewhere between the nose bolt and were they end at the 
> string rest. Sometimes the nose bolts are pulling out of the framework 
> underneath or the framing starts to fail.
> '

Ah yes... I see. makes perfect sense when explained thus. Thanks very 
much John. Now that you mention it I seem vaguely to remember an 
instrument that these pictures reminde me of greatly... from way back 
when... but I dont think it was a Steinway. What other piano makes are 
subject to this kind of problem then ?

> To observe the rotation it is useful to place rectangular objects, a 
> couple of books for example, on the pin block yoke and observe how much 
> it is twisted in the middle. A five to Seven degree angle is typical 
> especially on the smaller model.
> 
> Since the front end of the plate is rotated down the string plane begins 
> to lower. You can see this by looking at how close the strings in the 
> tenor area get to the damper guide rail. I have seen ones that are as 
> close as 3/16" and they will vibrate against the rail when a forceful 
> blow is delivered.
> 

I see... thats what was bothering me... I couldnt figure how the strings 
themselves were getting lowered. So the rotation of the pinblock pulls 
the forward part of the plate down with it... both explaining the top 
opened crack of the strut, and the damper problem.

> I have some photos of a pin block replacement I did on ones of these 
> quite a few years a go. If any one is interest I will place the few 
> photos I have in digital form on my web site. I have a more complete set 
> of these I have shown at some of my classes.
> 
> 

I'd love to see these !

Thanks John

RicB

>