Thanks to all who indulged me on this without making me feel like J. Carson's Carnac (remember or google it). Don Mannino wrote these perfectly lucid 'answers' on December 8-9 of 2008 titled, cryptically enough "String Level" (no wonder I couldn't find anything), and three months later I supply the question. I should be syndicated. Still, I truly appreciated the additional information and perspective from those who responded, here (Fred, Tom, Wim) and on Pianotech. Regards - David Skolnik Hastings on Hudson, NY At 07:42 PM 3/8/2009, you wrote: >On Mar 8, 2009, at 4:52 PM, David Skolnik wrote: > >>- What, ideally, should bi- and tri-cord level be parallel to? >>keybed? stretcher? plate? top of agraffe, (if not rounded, a la >>Bechstein)? > > In real life, I just try to see if the strings can be level > relative >to the center of the earth, meaning the bubble is centered between the >lines (most pianos are level enough for this to work just fine - if in >doubt, put the level on the plate webbing in a few places and see what >you see). Then the real fine adjustment is that all three strings are >equally "muted" by the brass, with a subtle pluck of each string. I >think a lot of people get hung up on some artificial standard of >perfection, agonizing whether the piano itself is level and so forth. >That isn't the point of the tool. The point is to get the strings all >in one plane, ideally parallel with the top of the hammer (must be >well filed), and at a right angle to the hammer's travel. But minor >tilting isn't that big an issue - it's far better than the random >condition it probably was in before. The main point is to have an >efficient procedure to have the hammer strike all three strings >simultaneously. If the strings are a bit tilted, you file the hammer a >bit tilted. If the strings all center the bubble, you will likely have >a very easy time mating. What you don't want is one string out of sync >with the other two. So the real test is the even sound of each string >on pluck, more than where the bubble is. > If conditions (agraffe drilling in particular) are such that it >doesn't look like you will be able to get the bubble centered, just >try to get the strings all in a line to the bottom of the slightly >tilted gauge. It is possible to overbend the strings. And it is >possible to get one string so high the others can't reach it (how >would I know that? <G>) So subtle and discrete pulling is in order. > BTW, that electronic tool for string leveling that was patented and >mentioned a month or two ago would use the keybed as the reference. On >first glance, I thought it was crazy too complicated, but after >looking at it more closely, I think it is simple and elegant and might >work quite well. >> >>- How often do you come across ideal? > >Pretty often, but certainly not always. >> >>- How many times (at which points) do strings get leveled after >>stringing? > >I like to wait until the piano has been chipped a couple times, and >like to have it maybe 25 cents sharp, on the theory the bends will >migrate as the wire stretches (so they should be at a "sharp" point in >the wire), and making the bends will drop the pitch. That is to say, >after bending I expect the pitch to be a bit sharp still, but I expect >it to drop more or less to pitch over the next week or so, and then >the bends will be more or less where they ought to be. I do a rough >leveling then, not being overly particular. Then I do a fine leveling >some time later before voicing. Over the lifetime of the stringing, >there may be touch up of a few strings any time you voice. > BTW, I have read on this list a lot of fussing about > whether the tool >is at the strike point. In my observations over the last few months, >in most pianos it is possible to place the level either right at the >strike point, or a mere centimeter or so in front of it for most >unisons. So this is really a non-issue in most cases. > > >Regards, >Fred Sturm >University of New Mexico >fssturm at unm.edu > > > > > >-- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.11.9/1989 - >Release Date: 3/7/2009 6:43 PM
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC