[pianotech] Sustain

[David Ilvedson]

A little more explanation of what you did...?   

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "John Delacour" <JD at Pianomaker.co.uk>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 12/30/2008 3:23:38 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Sustain


>At 15:58 -0600 30/12/08, Ron Nossaman wrote:

>>...The tonal envelope in the "short sustain" section had a sharp 
>>short attack spike, with the dwell and decay considerably quieter. 
>>The impression, even though the total duration was similar, was that 
>>the sustain was short. What worked best on this piano was side 
>>needling high shoulders. I had him listen while I worked a hammer 
>>and he could hear the attack peak lessen, and extend further into 
>>the tonal envelope, blend more smoothly with the dwell and decay. 
>>The impression was a longer sustain, but it was just a 
>>redistribution of the power curve.

>I had a very similar experience this year with a very old but quite 
>nicely rebuilt big BlŸthner when I was called in by some London 
>colleagues to tone and regulate it in order to satisfy a "very fussy" 
>"prima donna" type who was due to give a recital on it.  My 
>preconceptions and my initial impressions of the piano led me to 
>think that I would not end up satisfying the man and saving my 
>colleagues' reputation and pocket.  I demonstrated to the man what I 
>saw as the problem, namely a short attack followed by an uneven and 
>too rapid decay and he was able to hear what I was showing him. 
>Politics did not allow me to tell him I doubted if I could make much 
>improvement.

>By the end of the job, which took about 16 hours including a lot of 
>regulation work, he was delighted with the piano and I myself thought 
>I wouldn't mind having it at home.  Exactly how it works I'm not 
>sure, but I accounted for it rather as you have described.  Somehow 
>the attack, although it was not terribly metallic, was stealing from 
>the dwell and sustain.  Contrary to my initial fears, there was no 
>significant energy being lost in the resonant structure, and once the 
>tonal envelope was rectified the soundboard sang like a goodun in 
>spite of its 120 years. The hammers were plain off-the-shelf Abels 
>and not what I would have used myself, but the result was fine.

>I must say that I find that sort of job the most rewarding of all, 
>not least because one has first to listen very carefully to the 
>client and translate his or her artistic ramblings into usable data 
>for the progress of the work.  In this case the pianist was indeed 
>fussy and full of artistic soul but he knew something was wrong and 
>as the work progressed I found out exactly how to satisfy him and 
>myself into the bargain.

>JD