I like the Kawai method of laying a piece of thin bushing cloth across the top of the wippens, under the knuckles. This keeps the jack from escaping and you can align hammers, check for fit with strings with little fuss... David Ilvedson ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: "David M. Porritt" <dporritt@mail.smu.edu> To: <caut@ptg.org> Received: Mon, 31 May 2004 08:52:57 -0500 Subject: Re: Practical Concert Work >Fred: >If I'm doing a complete regulation I'll slide the action out and turn the let-off buttons up to >the blocking stage using an upright let-off tool chucked in my cordless screwdriver. >With hammers blocking I'll check fit to strings -- it's easier than trying to force the jacks >to do something they don't want to do, and it's easier to judge how much force you're >putting in to the key. After I've done the fitting, I'll start doing let off. Drop needs to be >fairly close at this point. Using my ratchet let-off tool I can quickly run the let-off buttons >down until it feels right when played very softly. I'll then check drop again, and verify >let-off and usually there's very little to correct. Now, having done it this way, I can't >really give a dimension to let-off but it's close and doesn't sound funky. >dave >__________________________________________ >David M. Porritt, RPT >Meadows School of the Arts >Southern Methodist University >Dallas, TX 75275 >----- Original message ----------------------------------------> >From: Fred Sturm <fssturm@unm.edu> >To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> >Received: Sun, 30 May 2004 17:34:14 -0600 >Subject: Re: Practical Concert Work >>Hi Dave, >> I agree, I don't want to feel the hammer letting off on the string. I >>suppose we all have different approaches to how we measure actual letoff >>distance. I do it by eye, by feel, and by response, so an actual >>measurement number is probably not an accurate representation. But I sure >>do go for less than 2 mm, in the neighborhood of 1 - 1.5. >> There was a time I shied away from such close tolerance because blocking >>problems showed up. But further analysis showed it occured where I had >>dimpled regulating buttons. Or brand new, fuzzy ones. So I started ironing >>my letoff buttons, and that problem disappeared. >> Of course, different parts of the country experience different changes, >>and we all learn from our own experiences. Bottom line, I have not found >>closer letoff tolerances risky. I do fine regulation over the summer, and >>almost never find an incipient blocking hammer during the school year when >>touching up. Nor do I find double-striking an issue. I guess that has to be >>qualified with controlled aftertouch, drop, front rail punching firmness, >>check distance, yadda, yadda. There's no simple answer to any question >>concerning pianos. >>Regards, >>Fred >>--On Saturday, May 29, 2004 4:25 PM -0500 "David M. Porritt" >><dporritt@mail.smu.edu> wrote: >>> Fred: >>> >>> Just musing here, but I do think a "reliable" regulation has some merit. >>> I've regulated pianos to the gnat's eyelash and had it go south on me >>> making blocking hammers, or double striking hammers. Generally, when you >>> go back to fix that you say something about fine regulation being very >>> close to blocking. I don't think the customers are impressed at that >>> point. You regulated, you had to come back and fix it. In their mind it >>> was wrong. I heard Bill Garlick once tell a class that if you're going >>> to regulate it that close make sure to hang around for the concert! >>> >>> I live 17 miles from the school so I do tend to like a "safe" regulation. >>> I don't set it at 3mm but I don't like it so close that you can kind of >>> feel the hammer letting off on the string. In addition, in a recital >>> hall seating 500 there is seldom any playing done at the pppp level such >>> that the note would miss. Most recital playing is pp to sfffffff! >>> >>> I enjoyed his perspective and his comments on voicing. I too mainly >>> worry about the striking surface though I understand that this is >>> somewhat controversial. Whatever floats your boat! >>> >>> dave >>_______________________________________________ >>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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