[pianotech] Square grand Key pins and Backchecks

[Terry Farrell]

> Joe Wrote: As for the Backchecks, here's how those are made: a piece of leather,
> similar to thin shoe leather on the back & front, glued around a flattened
> wire w/serrations. Then, (and this is variable from piano to tpiano), a
> medium thick piece of what I used to get from Pacific Piano Supply as
> "Understringing Felt". It is softer than the Upright backcheck felt and
> less than the normal 1/4" thick. After that, there was usually something
> like thick Elk hide, suede side out for the tail to check on. 


These backchecks do not have the last layer of leather like you described - "like thick elk hide". There is nothing to suggest that there ever was any leather on the checking surface. These hammers have been checking on the dense-ish felt surface. You stated that there was "usually" a leather layer for the checking surface - was it sometimes just the felt?

> Sometimes the
> whole thing was all leather and the softer stuff was usually Rabbit.

I don't understand what you are referring to: "the softer stuff was usually rabbit". What softer stuff? Where was it?

Thanks again!

Terry Farrell


> Other item is backchecks. Looks like the originals had two layers of
> leather on the back and then on the front, one layer of leather and then a
> thick layer of dense felt - something like hammer felt. Anyone know what
> type of felt this is - and a source?