[CAUT] "phing....pck.....pluug", was: Agraff levels

[william ballard]

On Jul 20, 2006, at 8:40 AM, Becker, Lawrence ((beckerlr)) wrote:
> I have a way that works for me to use your bubble gauge near the  
> struts and where there isn’t room between the dampers and v- 
> bar......(snip)........Trying to hold both pieces in one hand might  
> feel a little fumbly at first, but if I can do it, so can most  
> other folks.

I have a way if string leveling which has nothing to do with a bubble  
guage, a brass block sitting on top of the strings,  and which  
confirms the straight line of three strings right at the point of  
hammer contact (not a 1/4-1/2" in front of it, nor at some point  
close to the capo/aggraphe). It also neatly confirms that when hammer  
fitting is correct in the standard position, it will also be in the  
U.C. shift position.

1.) Hammers get filed early on in the regulation (after travel/burn/ 
space). At this points the row of hammer crowns is confirmed to be  
level, by laying a straight-edge on the hammer rail, and sighting  
across the entire line of strike points (not at 11:30 or 12:30, but  
at 12 o'clock). Yes I know, everyone else's hammer filing produces  
nice level tops, but I still check mine.

Later on in the regulation (after all the button turning is done),  
the hammer fitting starts.

2.) I use the jack to lift the hammer into contact with the string,  
and I listen to the pattern of open/closed in the standard position  
(ie. "phing....pck.....pluug", but hopefully "pck....pck....pck"). I  
memorize this.

3.) With the U.C. on (shift set at 75% of string space), I now listen  
to the open/closed pattern, to see how is has changed. Remember that  
the part of the hammer crown which was hitting the LH string is now  
hitting closer to the center string, the RH string is now being hit  
by the part of the hammer near to what was hitting the center string,  
the RH side of the hammer is hitting nothing, and the LH string is  
not being hit. (These last two are simply out of the picture as far  
as the U.C. open/close pattern goes.)

4.) Taking the first example ("phing....pck.....pluug"), if the U.C.  
pattern is "phing....pck" (hammer felt on center and RH strings  
respectively--remember, the LH string and right side of the hammer  
are out of the picture), that tells me that it's the hammer that's  
not square. The pattern moved when the hammer moved, right?

5.) If the U.C. pattern is "pck....pluug", that tells me that it's  
the string that's not level. The pattern stayed when the hammer  
moved, right?

6.) If the U.C. pattern changes to something entirely different, then  
both or cock-eyed. I go back to square one.

7.) Taking the second example, "pck....pck....pck": if in the shift  
position the pattern is "pck....pck" that note is fine, I move on to  
the next.

Nothing mucks up the U.C. sound more than open strings in the shift  
position, except of course for reinforcer in the in-between zones of  
the hammer strike point. The U.C. sound is the first thing I listen  
for at a recital on someone else's piano.

I stumbled on this 20 years ago and haven't met anyone else who has.  
However the logic behind this routine is so simple, I can't believe  
it hasn't been a part of some of the best "voicing tool bags" over  
the years.

Kind of like Ludwig Tomescu's trick for finding leaning hammers once  
the traveling and spacing has been done. Use the key to lift an  
individual hammer and, simultaneously compare the space between the  
sides of the hammer and each neighbor. (Works no matter whether the  
hammer sides are straight or tapered.) It never would have occurred  
to me, but the logic is so simple.

Plenty more to say on hammer fitting and string leveling. I've said  
most of it already, but will say it again if anyone's interested.

mrbl
wbps at vermontel.net

"Can you check out this middle C?. It "whangs' - (or twangs?)
     Thanks so much, Ginger"
     ...........Service Request
+++++++++++++++++++++