[CAUT] Re: mystery center pinning

[Richard Brekne]

I also have to take issue with the stanse that pianists seeking a
lighter touch are usually asking for more upweight. This is not at all
in my experience. Number one, I find that pianists seeking lighter touch
are not usually asking anything in particular. Some want a brighter
sound for more immediate response, some want lower friction levels, some
want just plain less mass to push around, some want combinations of the
above and some want things that are way out there in right field.  I
usually start by ruling out what action parameters fit nicely into
established tolerances. Upweights between 24-30 grams should just dandy
for most every pianist out there, and I immediatly start looking for
other solutions to touchweight concerns.

We had a Petrof grand here that I pinned with very low friction a while
back as an experiment. Folks had been complaining of too heavy a touch.
Initially their response was enthusiastic, yet not more then a couple
three weeks passed before complaints of control problems started popping
up. Fly away hammers syndrom.  I ended up pinning again as I usually do,
and reducing hammer weight by filing and removing wood to a Stanwood # 8
curve (down from a very inconsistatnt # 10-11 curve). The voicing was
brightened a bit as well naturally enough by the filing. That did the trick.

Usually, I find that if friction is a real touch problem... then its to
be found in dragging key bushings, problems with the contact between the
knuckle and jack top, or similiar such moments, and not centerpins.  A
slow centerpin is simply one that hangs up the movement of a part. ALTME. :)

Cheers
RicB

Richard Brekne wrote:

> New New York Steinway shanks I suppose ?  We had a long discussion 
> about these just a bit back, seems they've gone off on a low friction 
> kick. They are supposed to be pertpetual motion machines by design as 
> the story goes.  I am with you tho, I do not like very low friction on 
> this point, and always opt for establishing as firm a hold as I can 
> get. This typically yeilds a 4-6 swingtest result.
>
> If you want  Steinway shanks that are the old style with more usual 
> friction levels, you will have to get somebody in Europe to send you 
> some me thinks. Course you can always order shanks from someone other 
> then Steinway.
>
> Cheers
> RicB
>