This is good information, but the question was about a Knabe upright piano, not a Yamaha Concert Grand. This method won't work on a vertical piano. Ed S. -----Original Message----- >From: Concert Piano Service <concertpianoservice at planet.nl> >Sent: Jan 26, 2007 8:39 PM >To: ed440 at mindspring.com, Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org> >Subject: Re: aftertouch / hammer striking distance > >There was a time in my professional life where I had a complete break >through. >It was when I learned that a hammer travel distance gauge is not >necessary anymore. >At the time, I was working for Yamaha in the Benelux and they had >just gotten a brand new concert grand, the handmade CFIII-S. >This instrument was used as a demo and it travelled from here to >there etc. >A couple of times it was loaned to Yamaha France, and every time it >came back, I noticed that someone had changed the hammer striking >distance. >Later I found out from a Japanese Yamaha tech why and how it had been >changed and I will tell you about it here. >At the concert grand level, regulating the 'final' hammer striking >distance is one of the last procedures during regulating. >After a hammer change, the hammer striking distance is regulated in a >rough and so so way, only to make it workable during the regulation. >The final striking distance is the last procedure in regulation and >it is in immediate connection with after touch. >When a grand regulation has been completed, the hammer striking >distance is defined by the amount of after touch. >At the Yamaha Academy they teach that a perfect after touch is when >one depresses the key, one goes through the motion of let off and >drop, the key then rests on the front punching, and if one presses >lightly, there should be a slight hammer movement of 0,4 mm. >The 0,4 mm is a healthy average movement. >It ensures an 'extra' after let off and drop have taken place, so >that the jack can easily escape from under the knuckle, and >especially during ppp, always a danger zone. >The 0,4 mm is a very tiny distance, but it is enough and it also >creates a certain 'touch', a certain feeling. >It is safe and comfortable. However, because the movement is 'extra', >it is also a little bit of a waste. A waste in movement, a waste in >time, and thus a waste in energy, but, nevertheless, it is >comfortable and, when executed correctly, always gives the technician >a maximum of power. > >Some pianists demand a smaller after touch or hardly any after touch >at all. >This is highly dangerous for soft play and it is only possible with a >perfect action with maximum anti friction treatment. >Some pianists demand a larger after touch, but that's stupid and >literally a total waste. >They usually don't know what they are talking about. > >Of course the after touch is mainly defined by the elasticity and >hardness of the front punching but that is an other chapter, and an >old story I will not get into again. (for more info go into the >pianotech archives) > >OOR > >On 26-jan-2007, at 12:05, ed440 at mindspring.com wrote: > >> Ed Miller- >> >> 1/8" jack escapement is too much. 1/16" is plenty. >> >> Check for lost motion. Excess lost motion is often just enough to >> steal your aftertouch. >> >> Use a checking distance gauge as Cy Shuster recommends. Bend a >> coat hanger wire to 5/8" or mount a section of 5/8" dowel on a stick. >> >> Worn hammers or flat hammer butts may make it impossible to get a >> good regulation. >> >> If you are studying for the RPT exams, you can post questions like >> this to the ExamPrep list (see members' section of ptg.org) >> >> Ed Sutton >> >> -----Original Message----- >>> From: ed miller <edmiller3 at hotmail.com> >>> Sent: Jan 25, 2007 8:42 PM >>> To: pianotech at ptg.org >>> Subject: aftertouch vs jack escapement >>> >>> I'm regulating a Knabe upright. I’m having a problem juggling >>> acceptable >>> aftertouch vs. an acceptable amount of jack escapement out from >>> under the >>> hammer butt. >>> >>> With blow distance set at 1.75", let-off at 1/8", key dip at 3/8" and >>> checking at 5/8".... aftertouch is about .040". With the >>> dimensions as such >>> the key feels like it plays well. In previous regulations I would >>> have been >>> very happy with this. >>> >>> However, this time I'm regulating according to Bill Spurlock's >>> Vertical >>> regulation pamphlet. In it he talks about aiming to have jack >>> escapement be >>> 1/16-1/8" out from under the hammer butt when the key is fully >>> depressed. >>> With all of the above dimensions in this Knabe upright the jack >>> doesn't >>> rotate completely out from under the hammer butt. >>> >>> Spurlock suggests decreasing the hammer blow distance to allow the >>> jack to >>> escape further. When I do this my aftertouch becomes too great. If >>> rather, I >>> increase the key dip to allow for more jack escapement aftertouch >>> becomes >>> too great again. >>> >>> In order to have the jack escape properly I would have to decrease >>> the >>> hammer blow distance to under 1.5” (I know because I tried it). As I >>> suspected my aftertouch shot up, it was then .100”. If I then >>> decrease key >>> dip, the jack doesn’t rotate far enough. >>> >>> Then I tried to make my checking earlier. Even at less then .5” >>> checking the >>> jack doesn’t completely get out of the hammer butts way before it >>> is caught. >>> >>> What do I do???? >>> >>> Thanks, Ed >>> >>> _________________________________________________________________ >>> Get Hilary Duff’s homepage with her photos, music, and more. >>> http://celebrities.live.com&ocid=T001MSN30A0701 >>> >> >> > >friendly greetings >from >André Oorebeek > >Antoni van leeuwenhoekweg 15 >1401 VW Bussum >the Netherlands > >tel : 0031 35 6975840 >tel : 0031 652388 008 > >concertpianoservice at planet.nl >www.concertpianoservice.nl > >where music is, >no harm can be > >
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