Andre's Front Punchings vs Schimmels

[AlliedPianoCraft]

Kent.........happy to hear from the other side of this issue.

Al G

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Kent Swafford 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 11:08 AM
  Subject: Re: Andre's Front Punchings vs Schimmels


  Your mileage may vary.

  In a blind test (not double-blind) I put Crescendo punchings on a concert D at my university.The pianists didn't know what I had done, or indeed that I had done anything -- but they didn't like it.

  I left the Crescendos on for several months. I finally removed them, because there was general dissatisfaction with the piano. With the original punchings restored, again without telling anyone that I had done anything, there were many compliments about how the touch improved. I thought that one of the functions of the key punchings was to cushion the blows to pianists' fingers, and that without sufficient cushioning, playing will be uncomfortable. I don't think Crescendo punchings provide sufficient cushioning; I suspect that they can make playing uncomfortable for the pianist.

  I don't use Crescendo punchings. Sorry.


  Kent Swafford


   
  On Feb 5, 2008 6:49 AM, Jon Page <jonpage at comcast.net> wrote:

      This non-"voicing" voicing is quite intriguing...


    In KC I did a test with a small group of techs. Using samples
    from Jurgen, we compared the original punching to Crescendo
    straight-sided and conical-cut punchings.


    The consensus was that the straight cut produced a slightly better
    tone than the original and the conical cut punching was better than that.
    However when we turned the conical punching over (narrow side on bottom)
    the tone diminished.


    So the orientation of the conical punching is critical.  Which was why on those
    Asian uprights, I could notice a difference playing chromatically. A simple fix :-)
    However, conical punchings are not suitable for all verticals either.


    On a 3 y/o S&S S which needed the key travel to be increased I recommended
    the Crescendo punchings and made a test on C4.  The piano owner was surprised
    how much the tone focused when the new punching was installed, "That wavering
    went away", she said.  The action felt better too with a more positive landing to the key.


    All in a day's work in super-hero-land.

    Regards,

    Jon Page

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