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

[Susan Kline]

"phing....pck......pluug" is a keeper. If this were a message board,
it would garner recos.

Now, why didn't I think of that, to see where the unlevelness is?
So logical, so obvious ...

Susan

P.S. How did "agraffe" lose its final "e"? Or should I say "loose"? <grin>

At 09:27 PM 7/20/2006, you wrote:
>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
>+++++++++++++++++++++
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