[CAUT] more problems with the D

[David Love]

Yes, although I don't use a hook.  I take an old agraffe and put it in a
combination handle (the old style 7/16 shank type fit perfectly in a
combination handle).  I then take a small file and file a groove
lengthwise along the top of the agraffe.  That makes a place for the
string to ride in.  From underneath I massage upward on each string on
both sides of the capo bar moving from the capo bar out.  You can also
turn the agraffe widthwise so that you can massage all three strings of
a unison at once.  This is better for keeping the strings more on plane
but requires more muscle.  After you're done you then have to recheck
your hammer fitting.  

 

David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Bob Hull
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 9:34 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: RE: [CAUT] more problems with the D

David,
When you talk about seating in the capo area, would
that be with a string hook massaging the string upward
near the termination point (like in the agraffe area)?
 

Bob Hull

--- David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> wrote:

> Lack of focus may mean that there is a lot of
> leakage through the
> agraffes and/or capo bar.  This is not unusual on
> Steinways.  I recently
> had a D redone for me by Del Fandrich that had very
> similar problems.
> Modifications of the counterbearing area both in the
> capo and agraffe
> sections and new bridge surface/cap really helped to
> focus the sound by
> eliminating a lot of the noise.   A modified
> soundboard design with
> cutoff bar also helped to eliminate the distortion
> that is sometimes
> present in the middle section and increase the
> sustain through the upper
> end of the piano.   The piano has incredible focus,
> and depth and can be
> made quite "bright", if you want it, without getting
> buzzy.   If your
> piano has poor terminations then focus will be a
> problem and it will be
> exacerbated by harder or brighter sound.  While the
> real fix may be more
> involved than you are able to go without some major
> surgery, you might
> be able to at least temporarily address the problems
> by seating at the
> bridge, and capo-though my experience is that it
> will not last.   A
> slightly softer hammer will help to reduce the noise
> but, as you have
> seen, at the price of perceived power.  You can
> bring the brightness
> back with a couple small drops of acetone keytop
> solution (I use 1
> keytop to 12-16 oz of acetone, many people use a
> stronger solution of
> 8oz but I prefer a weaker one)/  The focus, but the
> focus problem is a
> bigger one.  
>  
> If the terminations are good, then lack of focus can
> mean that the
> hammers just aren't hard enough or shaped properly
> or fitted properly to
> the strings.  I would, of course, check those along
> with string seating
> first.
>  
> For design issues that address these problems check
> Del Fandrich or Ron
> Nossaman's posts on the subject.    In my opinion,
> that's the state of
> the art.  
>  
> David Love
> davidlovepianos@comcast.net 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org
> [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> Wimblees@aol.com
> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 2:45 PM
> To: caut@ptg.org
> Subject: [CAUT] more problems with the D
>  
> Two problems with the D. (Yes the same one)
>  
> First, I misinterpreted the faculty's comments. It
> wasn't "brassy" as
> such, as much as it lacked focus. I perceived this
> to mean to bright. So
> I voiced it down. But now he says it has lost it's
> power. He says the
> hammers will never come back. Is he right, or is
> there a way to get the
> power back on without them becoming too brassy?
>  
> The other problem, which I also misunderstood, is a
> noisy action. He
> said something about it when he complained about
> uneven voicing with the
> soft pedal on, but I missed his comments. I compared
> the action noise
> with that of the other D, and there does seem to be
> a little more action
> noise. I've narrowed it down to when the hammer
> returns, kind a of a
> mild knocking sound. I tried voicing up the wippen
> cushion, but that
> didn't do anything. Could it be that the back under
> key felt is too
> hard? Would that solve the noisy action? (remember,
> this piano is less
> than 2 years old. 
>  
> Wim 
> Willem Blees, RPT
> Piano tuner/technician
> School of Music
> University of Alabama
> 


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