[BULK] key weight

[William Benjamin]

Alan,

 

You are right, there is a lot left out there in the world that I have to
learn.  I once got into a conversation with a person who kept driving it
home that the up weight was probably more important than the down weight.
This was a person an a university that nursed wonderful Steinways all day
long.  I am out in the trenches where they tune the piano once every ten
years or when a key sticks.  Also I am selling medium quality pianos and I
admit that they probably don't compare with the high brow tuners choice of
instruments.  Still, it would be nice to think that with all my effort that
some reasonable down weight might be a good beginning point, then I can
begin to approach those institutions where they baby grand's that don't even
get dusty.

 

William

 

 

 

 

PIANO BOUTIQUE

William Benjamin

Piano Tuner Extraordinaire

www.pianoboutique.biz

The tuner alone,

preserves the tone.

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Alan McCoy
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 11:31 PM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: RE: [BULK] key weight

 

Hi William,

 

I think you would do well to read some back issues of the Journal.
Specifically some articles by Bill Spurlock for an understanding of
traditional touchweight and action weigh-off concepts. Then read the
articles by David Stanwood on the New Touchweight Metrology for a more
sophisticated approach to thinking about action weight. There are other
articles as well. All of the conventions have classes on this topic that
will help you come to a better understanding of action analysis. It'll take
some digging on your part. Expect to spend a year or so devouring all that
has been written and experimenting with actions. If you don't have back
issues, you can buy the reprints and the journal on CD.

 

There are some numbers that manufacturers throw out, but such numbers don't
really have much meaning. It is usually downweight that they are talking
about in my experience and downweight alone doesn't really shed much useful
light on how an action might perform. So from my perspective, I just
wouldn't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

 

IMHO,

 

Alan

 

--Alan McCoy, RPT
Inland Northwest Chapter
Spokane, WA
ahm at webband.com 

 

 


  _____  


From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of William Benjamin
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 12:37 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: [BULK] key weight
Importance: Low

List,

 

I was in a store in Orlando over the weekend and heard a Kawai rep helping
with a sale.  This was a sales rep not a tec man.  His comment that raised
my attention was that there pianos were at 60 grams touch weight, which is a
standard on Steinway, Yamaha and all quality pianos.

 

Now that I have your atention let me tell you that I have gone to NAMM shows
before and asked that very question, "what is the standard for touch weight"
and no one would give me a strait answer.  I also know that most pianos that
I see, good grand's, are indeed around 60 grams.  

 

Now can anyone give me a strait forward answer?  What is the touch weight
that I should be looking for in medium to high quality grand pianos today.
I have heard people brag about 52 grams and such, but I just don't see it.
I have run a gram weight scale on every key from 1 to 88 on a lot of pianos
and on my new pianos I have brought the weight from 68 to 70 down to 62 and
60 on a lot of keys.  After that I have lubed, repinned and removed mass
from the hammer heals, but, you guessed it, it never gets much below 60.

 

Any one want to give me some guidance?

 

William

 

 

 

 

 

PIANO BOUTIQUE

William Benjamin

Piano Tuner Extraordinaire

www.pianoboutique.biz

The tuner alone,

preserves the tone.

 

 

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