Steinway A

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

HI Clark
  Dittos to what Bob & Dave said.
  My caveat is that a technique which fine indicator  of when enough is 
enough strike line movement is to listen to the sound of  the piano with the soft/ 
shift pedal down or on & the left string is  completely cleared.  Generally in 
this position a whiny , nasal sound  indicates the incorrect strike point & 
slowly pulling the action forward  & listening, using the protocol David L 
suggests. You  will find  the sweet spot where the whine goes away but the power & 
sustain increase to  there maximum potential. For me the best sound occurs by 
doing this &  the strike line is most often hung in a curve. Refinement of 
this kind is possible on most pianos but Stwys are  particularly fussy about 
this.
  Aslo remember that Stwy hammers tend to over center  as because of  Factory 
boring recommendations/design & if you are  boring them longer I suggest  a 0 
rake or pulling them in on the shank a  bit will cause you less grief in 
finding the strike line.
  Dale Erwin

 
How much does the strike line vary in the killer octave  region, when this is 
necessary?  I am having trouble getting consistent  tone, right around  F# 5 
to D6.  It is great before and after  this.  I knew from the talk around the 
List that sometimes it is  necessary to change the strike line in the Killer 
Octave area to achieve the  best tone, but how much is workable?

Clark,
 
Steinways of that age often had hang  distances between 5 and 5 1/16". Bore 
distance and rake can also affect strike  line. However, the most sensitive 
areas are closer to the top, usually not in  the 5th octave. I might suspect some 
other culprit there. Is the plucked ring  time good? What kind of hammers are 
you using? 
 
As you move the action in and out, you  will hear the most change at C88, 
significant change in the octave below that,  and less as you go down. Once 
you're an octave and a half down, it's pretty  subtle.  
 
It's also common for the strike line to be  shortest right around the strut 
between the top two sections. Sometimes it  wants to curve in, then back out a 
little closer to the top. I don't remember  a lot of trouble with the model A, 
more with the B and M.
 
As far as amount goes, 2mm  is common, 3mm is not uncommon. I have seen more 
needed, but not  often.
 
Bob  Davis



 
 
Dale  Erwin--Piano Restorations
Modesto, Ca.
Shop 209-577-8397
cell  209-985-0990
Web site _http://www.Erwinspiano.com_ (http://www.erwinspiano.com/)  
Restoration & Sales of
Steinway & Sons plus  other fine pianos.
Custom made soundboards by  design
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