Steinway NY utilized sugar pine for keyboards some decades ago, a short-lived practice that they, thankfully, abandoned. Believe me, artists give lots of negative feedback everytime they play the one here. So far, I haven't convinced the town that their aging, ailing, D needs a total overhaul. Andrew Anderson On Feb 13, 2009, at 3:05 PM, William R. Monroe wrote: > Hi Ric, > > Good to see you back. > > How would you suggest we quantify this flex coefficient? The only > thing I > can imagine that would satisfy the quest for exacting numbers is > something > along the lines of what Hoadley does to find break strength. > Obviously not > to that extent, but to accurately measure the flex in a keystick, it > would > seem like we'd have to get abusive on the part. As with so many > things in > this industry, there is a place for the "touchy-feely" stuff, the > Zen of > key-stiffening if you will. <G> > > Maybe we could simply clamp the front of a suspect keystick to a bench > (tightly) with about the first inch supported and the rest of the > keystick > extending out over the open floor. Then, hang a weight (how much > could be > figured by trial and error) from the key end. Measure height to the > floor > (or rig up a rigid platform to extend under the key so it could be > measured > with a depth gauge/caliper/whatever) prior to weighting and after > weighting. > Keep a spreadsheed of different keysticks lenghts, and deflections > and after > a while one could develop a nice, quantified level of acceptable > flex in a > keystick. > > Sounds fun. Maybe I'll do it. <G> Now, where did I put that time > sheet......... > > William R. Monroe > > > One understands the general rational to be sure. Its just that the > whole > thing has never really been even close to quantified in any real sense > of the word. Then too... I don't really see pianists making any kind > of > a point out of this. If the general, albeit vague, consensus of > pianists > assessment is laid to bear on the subject... then this seems less > then a > necessary procedure. I dont see it written in stone that the delay > between key depression and hammer string contact that can be traced to > key flexure is something pianists do not appreciate. That said... I > have a few Yamaha's laying around that have a horrible delay feeling > on > a hard blow... and key flexure has nothing to do with it. > > Not to dispute the desirability of stiffer keys on some instruments > out > of hand... I just think it would be valuable to better quantify the > relationship between key stiffness, action compliance otherwise, and > how > pianists react to various configurations. > > Cheers > RicB > > > The basis is that they flex too much and you lose power at the > upper > end. When Steinway went to the accelerated action they removed the > lower shoe in order to make room for the bearing. On a D, in > particular, with extra key length that reduction in height adds > unwanted flex and it is easily demonstrated as well as felt on hard > blows with a delay between key depression and hammer string > contact. Restoring the original height of the key with an > elongated > top shoe also restores much of the lost stiffness. Keys can be too > stiff, I suppose, but it is not likely to happen in this situation. > > David Love > www.davidlovepianos.com > > > > > >
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