[CAUT] Fwd: Steinway sound-Hammer weights

[David Love]

Which brings up an interesting point regarding hammer sets generally.  The aim of the hammer weight curve in manufacturing tends to be the same.  The difference between #1 and #88 is often similar, the entire curve just ratchets up.  If the lower hammers are heavier so are the upper hammers.  In practice what you probably want is a curve that gets a bit steeper as the piano gets bigger with  the difference between #1 and #88 becoming greater.  On a larger pianos the lower end hammers may well need to be heavier but the top end should remain pretty constant.  Yet, nobody makes them that way. 

 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Delwin D Fandrich
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 8:15 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Fwd: Steinway sound-Hammer weights

 

Just how much does the string mass change in the treble section of a piano like the Model S compared to, say, a Model D? I just pulled up one each randomly selected Model S scale and Model D scale. The Model D has this:

     C-88 length = 49 mm

     C-76 length = 99 mm

     C-64 length = 184 mm

The Model S has this:

     C-88 length = 58 mm

     C-76 length = 97 mm

     C-64 length = 182 mm

 

String scales certainly do change with the length of the piano further on down the scale but for the top two octaves, well, the guy notching the bridges could have been off that far. I tend to end up with hammers of the quite similar mass in the top octave or two regardless of piano length. 

 

ddf

 

Delwin D Fandrich

Piano Design & Fabrication

620 South Tower Avenue

Centralia, Washington 98531 USA

del at fandrichpiano.com

ddfandrich at gmail.com
Phone  360.736.7563

 

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Dale Erwin
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 8:27 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Fwd: Steinway sound-Hammer weights

 

Hey David
 Comments below

 

Dale S. Erwin
 <http://www.Erwinspiano.com> www.Erwinspiano.com
Custom restoration



FWIW those original hammers at 8.5 and 3 grams respectively produce strike weights around 10.3 grams for note 1 and 4.6 grams for note 88. This will vary depending on the type of shank used. ie An Abel tapered shank yields about .3 tenths of a gram lighter than a non tapered one & I suspect the WNG type even lighter yet. Something else to factor in when choosing a strike weight. The numbers I posted earlier for the S fall into the next to lowest place on the hammer weight part of the chart so I would call that  l really light and appropriate for a small piano but an S is a really small piano.  As  the size grows so does the string mass, soundboard mass etc. And this is pretty much what I find in countless pianos. 

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