Urgent need of help with three technical terms

[Andreas Risberg]

Dear Mr. Nereson and everyone,

Thanks for the kind words and replying so soon! Regarding the second 
technical term I think I might need to be a bit more specific; the angle or 
measurement I’m looking for isn’t the hammer molding centre line’s deviation 
from a right angle to the strings at impact or the shank at all times.

It is rather the angle between the shaft and the strings at impact. This has 
to do with balance; if only gravity were the acting force, a relatively 
heavy bass hammer balancing against a light butt and back stop wouldn’t be 
as inclined to returning to its starting position as a light treble hammer 
balancing against the butt and back stop. This measurement is something you 
would check when reinstalling the action if you have removed the keybed and 
the action bracket bolts during a rebuild. If this angle or measurement is 
too small, repetition will be slow or lost, and if it is too big the touch 
will be very heavy.

Thanks again! I hope this clarifies what I’m looking for. Kindest regards, 
Andreas

Ps. I'm sorry if this message appears twice. I experienced some kind of 
electronical confusion sending it the first time.



>David Nereson wrote:

	"Down-bearing pressure" is the only term I've ever heard. (Downbearing
itself is the actual angle from the bridge to the hitch pin).
	As for "hammer fall angle," I think that's what we usually call
"overstriking" or "understriking," since if the bore length (bore
distance) of the hammer isn't exactly equal to the distance from the
strings to the center of the shank, the hammer will hit the strings
slightly above or below the center line of the hammer molding (British,
"moulding").  The preceding assumes that the hammer is at 90 degrees to
the string when it contacts the string.  If it's not, the hammers are said
to have some "rake," which can range from nothing to as much as 5 degrees,
depending on the piano.  I think I measured 7 or 8 degrees once, which was
extreme, in an old Steinway upright.  When new hammers are hung, they are
usually made to understrike a bit, to allow for future hammer filing.
This distance I would say is less than 3 mm or so.
	The areas of the pinblock where groups of tuning pins are located are
usually called the tuning pin "field(s)," just as you had it.  Many
uprights have only two, the bass and the treble.  I don't know if I've
ever seen six, but maybe I haven't paid attention.
	Your English is impeccable.  Few Americans know even one word of
Norwegian, but then the most common foreign languages taught in schools
here are Spanish, French, and German.
	--David Nereson (a Norwegian name), RPT

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