Old Knabe

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi Avery.

 

I just finished a 1877 Knabe with the same setting as you mention.

 

For the linked rocker I developed a hand technique that is fast and secure.
If there are some small screws that tighten the linked leg, of course
unscrew them, no more than half a turn (to avoid loosing the tiny screw).
Then, put your hands together so the back of the hands touch each other.
Put both hands as far as possible under the whippen, so your medius
fingertip is as close as possible to the linked leg.  The other medius
fingertip presses on the key, and the first medius presses on the whippen,
both fingers taking the other as a lever.  Works very well and quick.

The opposite operation needs a long nose pliers pair in order to position
the linked leg on the rocker.  Then you push gently on the top of the
whippen at the vertical of the linked leg.  Careful not to push too hard, or
hammer height will be spoiled.

 

About this action, I had a question for action geometry fans.  Does the
magic line rule apply in this arrangement ?  And if so, what point should be
taken for reference ?  The very link between the capstan and the leg ? or
the middle of the leg ?  or the link between the leg and the whippen ?  I
suppose it is less important than in the normal capstan setting, but that
ideal would be avoiding excessive movement thus friction in both centers
involved. 

 

I faced the same problem with screwing damper wires.  There is a similar
setting on old Pleyel pianos, but on these, you can reverse the damper heads
180° so it is easy to turn the wire.  Not so on the Knabe.  It seemed very
perilous to me to turn the heads, as the wires were quite rusty and stuck in
the underlevers.  So I replaced the wires with conventional ones and added a
screw on the underlevers in order to hold them.

If somebody knows the correct way to regulate those Knabe dampers, I’d be
pleased to know.

 

My Knabe turned out very well.  Strange enough, the design is quite close to
a Bechstein, yet the sound is more in direction of a Steinway.  No duplex,
no capo, yet more sustain and easy overtones than the Bechtein usually
features.

 

Best regards.

 

Stéphane Collin.

 

I need some information about an old Knabe grand (1893). It has the rocker
arm "capstans" and I need to know how to get the stack off the keys! I tried
to remove a wippen, but it was attached somehow to the key and I couldn't
figure out how to remove it! There are a lot of sluggish jacks and I need to
get the wippens out to be able to repin them. 

 

Another question. I think the dampers are the type that one has to screw up
or down to regulate them (doesn't have the usual set screw) but I can't see
how to get the upstop rail out of the way to be able to lift them high
enough to be able to do that. I also can't see how to remove the underlevers
to be able to work on them. 

 

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