[CAUT] Shank Pitch

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Jim

I have never run into the studies you mention Chris presented. That 
said, I notice a change in piano sound as a whole between loose pining 
and appropriately tight pinning. That goes off in another direction 
however and has to do with the solidity of the hammers impact with the 
strings.  Are you saying that Chis could demonstrate a difference in 
shank resonant frequency because of pinning differences ?

In anycase, no... Steinway did not remove and check the pinning. The 
simply marked the bad shank(s) and replaced them. Given the uniformity 
of the pinning at that point in the manufacturing process, I'd doubt 
that pinning would be in the picture regardless.

It would be pretty easy to look into what effect (if any) pinning could 
have on a shanks resonate frequency tho. Just do the same resonance 
block and do a before and after check. 

Cheers
RicB



    Ric,

    Good info. Do you think, though, that it could have been other
    factors too? I mean, Chris Robinson did some studies that showed a
    marked difference in tone by the differences in pinning. (I think DS
    did this too?) Did your teacher actually take shanks off, tap them,
    etc. and prove this to your satisfaction, or was it just his theory?
    (Probably very well-educated theory, but if it ain't shown to me I'm
    kind of skeptical)

    Regards,
    Jim Busby