Floyd: Glad that you are sharing your project. Very little seems to be said about making uprights play their best, especially when adjusting touchweight. Here are some thoughts I have had about it. Even though the weight of the hammer is not significant when using gram weights, because the hammer shank is nearly vertical, the mass is still felt when playing due to acceleration. The hammer return spring tension is significant both statically (gram weight) and dynamically (acceleration). Another peculiarity for consoles and spinets is the bass hammers are thinner and much lighter. Again, this does not affect the static weight, but does affect the dynamic feel. All in all I think the bass hammers should have a few grams more static weight than the low tenor, and the entire keyboard should average around 46 grams downweight to have a similar feel to a grand with 50 grams downweight. On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 7:00 AM, Floyd Gadd<fg at floydgadd.com> wrote: > Whether or not Crescendo punchings are the perfect choice, I've discovered > that the front rail punchings do exert a very significant influence on the > feel of the piano. The original punchings in this piano were simply too > soft. Who knows -- I might have been just as pleased if I'd substituted in > used punchings from that 90 year old Doherty whose plate went "snap" on me > as I tuned it a few months back . . . > > Floyd > > > David Love said: > > FWIW I've had very mixed reactions to the Crescendo punchings. In terms of > regulation they provide a nice crisp sense of the regulation however, some > pianists have complained that they're just too damned hard and their fingers > end up getting sore. I've changed a few sets out (or back) to the softer > more traditional style. Others haven't noticed. Admittedly, no one has > really said "Wow, those punchings are really great!". For me personally, I > find them too hard. I do sometimes wonder if their perceived benefits > aren't more for technicians who are more concerned with achieving exact > regulation standards than for pianists who actually have to play on them. > > I have found another use for them, however. Glue them to a leather trapwork > disk and drill an 3/8" hole through the punching down to the leather and > when glued to the bottom of the damper tray and top of the damper trapwork > lever opposite they make very good female receptors for the modified 3/8" > wooden pitman when you are opening up the hole through the keybed on a > Steinway so you can get rid of those noisy brass ones that squeak and squawk > against those keybed bushings (follow that?). > > David Love > www.davidlovepianos.com > > > > > > Hi David, > > I meant that the change in the front punchings alone made a huge difference > to the feel of the piano. I installed the Crescendo straights, which is > what Jurgen Goering recommended to me for an upright piano. The first work > I did, other than some very preliminary hammer shaping, was on the > keyboard -- reconditioning, lubricating and regulating key height, level and > dip. It was not until I got to setting the dip that I began substituting in > the new front rail punchings, so I was able to get a very clear "before and > after" evaluation as I worked my way up the keyboard. > > Mark Cramer has suggested to me that a crisp escapement and a firm landing > work together to give a precise sense of aftertouch. This project has given > me some insight into what that means under the fingers, even though the > postential for a feel of crisp escapement in this instrument is somewhat > limited. > > Floyd > > > > > David said: > > Floyd, your mention of the Crescendo punchings used on an upright is > interesting - I've wondered myself if it would make much difference; the > mentions on here seem to have been in relation only to grands. > > When you said "what a difference!" did you mean specifically from the > Crescendo punchings, or from all the other bits too that you mentioned? > > -- Regards, Jeff Deutschle Please address replies to the List. Do not E-mail me privately. Thank You.
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