<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1226" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT face=Garamond color=#800000>Jim,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT face=Garamond color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT face=Garamond = color=#800000>I am glad to hear of your positive experience with Eric. That is always welcome. = When they recommend 1-4 g friction, that is a large range, so I assume that that = means ~4 grams in the bass tapering to ~1g in the treble. How does this translate = into the swing test for your pianos in question? 10 swings? = </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT face=Garamond color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT face=Garamond = color=#800000>I like RicB's comment  <FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000>"I = prefer to deal with hammer weight from a leverage standpoint." <FONT = color=#800000>So S&S has decided to use a heavier hammer and make touchweight specs = through reduced friction. Did you ask Eric why they would choose to use friction = instead of leverage to get touchweight to the range they prefer? I don't = mean to be presumptuous here, it just seems a curious decision when, as a = manufacturer, they have ultimate control over that. </FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003></SPAN><SPAN = class=232422316-07102003><FONT color=#800000>Alan McCoy</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=232422316-07102003><FONT color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #800000 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Richard Brekne<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 07, 2003 2:52 AM<BR><B>To:</B> = College and University Technicians<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Steinway "pinning" dilemma<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>Hi Jim <P>Jim Busby wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">Thanks Fred, <P>I've been out of state for a week. <P>Several excellent techs have told me that Steinway does it the = way they <BR>do to "cover a flaw in the design", i.e. in order to get more = power they <BR>hang a heavy hammer, and in order to compensate for the heavy = hammers <BR>they have to reduce friction to make proper touchweight specs.</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Never mind what some techs say about manufacturers doing things = wrong... I mean take it for edification, but realize that a great deal = of such talk is simply (for various individual reasons). This idea of = Steinways is a perfect example the way its coming out. There is nothing inherently = wrong with using heavy hammers and their use in no way represents a flaw. It DOES = present some problems that need to be addressed for an action to be playable. = There will be some yings and some yangs...as there is with any solution. <P>This particular way of dealing with heavy hammers is a new one to = me... Hamburg shanks and preglued hammers come in  with 5 to 9 = swings... or in their way of doing things... tapping the horizontally held shankk will = see the flange stay level... if it rises there is too much friction, if it = falls there is too little. <P>My own preference is to insure 4 - 7 swings. This insures enough = firmness and at the same time allows enough freedom of movement. I prefer to = deal with hammer weight from a leverage standpoint. <P>That being said.... if Steinway can insure enough firmness to the = shank center/bushing with so little friction... then there is no real = problem in doing so. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE"> <BR>After spending the day with Eric I'm = not totally a proponent of their <BR>way, but I'm definitely more open = to it. I agree that if that's how they <BR>do it I should at least look into = it... <BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>Sounds reasonable to me. Tho like you, my = initial reaction is .... "strange" :) <BR>  <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">BTW, maybe my readings were not as accurate = because of how fast I ran <BR>through everything. Just trying to get a feel = for things there. But if I <BR>increased 5+ grams in the hammer flange = doesn't that multiply for DW?</BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Never figured it out. I suppose it depends on how you handle = friction in any formula based thing.  Why not just do a couple "before and = after" scenarios and see. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">  <P>Jim <BR>  <BR><A = href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"></A> </P></BLOCKQU= OTE> <P><BR>Cheers <BR>RicB <P>-- <BR>Richard Brekne <BR>RPT, N.P.T.F. <BR>UiB, Bergen, Norway = <BR><A href="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> = <BR><A = href="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broad= park.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A> <BR><A = href="http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html">http://www.hf.uib= .no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html</A> <BR>  </P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>