<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252"> </head> <body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> <div>We learned this at the Steinway/Oberlin seminar a couple years ago.  Don't assume a straight line is correct, and yes, check by pulling the action in and out to listen for the sweet spot.  It is indeed about 2-4mm just in the lower capo section as I have experienced.  It is a very gentle curve, not dramatic at all.  Very subtle, but the results are outstandingly different than just setting a straight line.</div> <div>Nice to remind myself of this as I'm going to start a new project on a 20's Steinway M with new hammers and shanks (at least),…maybe new wips too.  I abbreviate them as hamshanks!</div> <div>Good luck!</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Paul</div> <div><br> </div> <span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION"> <div style="font-family:Calibri; font-size:11pt; text-align:left; color:black; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt"> <span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>Dale Erwin <<a href="mailto:erwinspiano@aol.com">erwinspiano@aol.com</a>><br> <span style="font-weight:bold">Reply-To: </span>"<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a>><br> <span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Friday, September 14, 2012 4:34 PM<br> <span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>"<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a>><br> <span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>Re: [CAUT] 70's St. B strike point<br> </div> <div><br> </div> <div> <div><font color="navy" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif" size="2">I routinely set a curved strike line in these pianos and it is set by ear.  That said I usually find hammer C-64 needs to be pulled in toward the player 3 to 4 mm. This note is always in mu experience the furthest out of line. The hammers typically start the curve at </font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif" size="2"> G-5 and reach the apex of the curve at C -6 from there to note 71 they curve back out. Its a kind of a crescent moon shape in appearance. The aural test is to listen for sustain and clarity of the power. The real indicator is how the notes sound with and with out the shift pedal shifted over. When the hammers are in the non optimal spot the tone is woody, whiny and weak. When the hammers are in the optimal position most of that goes a way. Sustain is the best and soft pedal playing is sweet.</font> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif" size="2">See the pictures attached.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif" size="2">I find  that this is required on all Steinways of most vintages.  Eric Schandall has said"The newer ones have had most of the issues corrected" It the soundboard has potential;....the curved strike line in Steinways can make the difference between a mediocre treble and a spectacular one.<br> </font><br> <div style="color: navy; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; clear: both; "> <font size="1" color="royalblue"><b><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><font color="black"><font color="mediumblue" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif">Dale Erwin R.P.T.<br> <font color="green">Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.</font><br> </font></font></font></b></font><font color="darkgreen"><span style="font-style: italic;"><b><font size="1"><font size="1" color="black"><font color="blueviolet"><font color="black"><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif">Mason & Hamlin</font><font face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif">/Steinway/</font><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif">U.S. pianos</font><font face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif"><br> </font></font></font></font><font size="1" color="cornflowerblue" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif">www.Erwinspiano.com</font><font size="1"><br> </font><font size="1" color="crimson" face="Comic Sans MS,sans-serif">Phone: 209-577-8397</font><br> <font color="darkgreen"></font></font></b></span></font><tt><tt><font color="darkgreen"><br>  </font><br>   <font size="2"></font></tt></tt><br> <br> </div> <br> <br> <div style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; ">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Delwin D Fandrich <<a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com</a>><br> To: caut <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a>><br> Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 11:16 am<br> Subject: Re: [CAUT] 70's St. B strike point<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_72a02c9a-9c08-4c59-bb52-8c4ea8d51318" style="margin: 0px;font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif;font-size: 12px;color: #000;background-color: #fff;"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>The V-bar should have a curve to it. It's just that they sometimes got the curve wrong and sometimes they put the whole thing in the wrong place. In these cases we have to set the hammers in or out to compensate. The exact hammer strike point is not all that critical from the bass through the tenor. It becomes increasingly critical from the top of the tenor section up to C-88. ddf Delwin D Fandrich Piano Design & Fabrication 6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA Phone  360.515.0119 — Cell 360.388.6525 <a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com</a> — <a href="mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com">ddfandrich@gmail.com</a> -----Original Message----- From: <a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org">caut-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of Rob Loomis Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 9:35 AM To: <a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a> Subject: Re: [CAUT] 70's St. B strike point I understand that the strike 'line' in this piano should probably be an arc. The capo certainly is. Referencing a straight line from note # 52 - #88 - the capo arcs out 10 mm. at note #69. It's the placement of note #72 that I'm really searching for. I have the WN&G tool and I've moved the hammers in and out to find the right spot. My ear agrees with their tool. Assuming I bore as usual and don't rake the hammers, if I were to hang hammers #72 & #88 = 5 1/8" out from the flange center, put in the bass end block, then pull the treble end of the keyframe out until #72 is correct, then the treble end of the keyframe is 6 mm. proximal of the proximal edge of the keybed and hammer #88 is 2mm. closer to the capo than it should be. Any guidance? many thanks! Rob Loomis On Sep 14, 2012, at 11:30 AM, "Delwin D Fandrich" <<a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com</a>> wrote: > Strike lines are often not a straight line in older pianos. (They > should be in modern pianos but it's always wise to check.) You can do > this by trial and error--dry fitting #72 and #88 hammers snugly to > their respective shanks and sliding them back and forth until you find > the right spot--or you can contact WN&G and buy one of their handy > little tools designed for just this purpose. > > ddf > > Delwin D Fandrich > Piano Design & Fabrication > 6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA Phone > 360.515.0119 — Cell 360.388.6525 <a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com</a> — > <a href="mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com">ddfandrich@gmail.com</a> > > > -----Original Message----- > From: <a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org">caut-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of > Rob Loomis > Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 7:56 AM > To: <a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a> > Subject: [CAUT] 70's St. B strike point > > Hello- > > I'm trying to hang a set of hammers on a Steinway B from the early > 70's. The capo's a bit wonkie, the original hammers were obviously > hung strangely - they are raked back and must have under-centered from the beginning. > > I've got #88 figured out, but am confused about where to hang #72. > Does anyone have string length / strike point - or other info - info to guide me? > > Thansks - > > Rob Loomis > </tt></pre> </div> </div> </div> </font></div> </div> </span> </body> </html>