<html> <body> "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: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">On Jul 20, 2006, at 8:40 AM, Becker, Lawrence ((beckerlr)) wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">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.</blockquote> 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@vermontel.net "Can you check out this middle C?. It "whangs' - (or twangs?)     Thanks so much, Ginger"     ...........Service Request +++++++++++++++++++++ </blockquote></body> </html>