Steinway guide pins

[Jerry Anderson]

Often during grand regulation we remove
and replace the cheek blocks repeatedly
as we go through our procedures.  I used
to be in the habit of giving a moderately
strong tap on the cheek block  with my
fist, once it was in place, to make sure
that they were properly seated.. that
is, until Stephen Knupfer of Steinway
Hamburg pointed out that this common
gesture has the effect of bending the
guide pin into a downward angle after a
number of repetitions.  Then, of course,
the pin will rattle in shift position.

Giving the left guide pin a half turn once
it's bent just inverses the problem and
makes the action tend to stick in shift
position.  For the right  guide pin the
situation is roughly the opposite: if  it
rattles at rest it could stop at shift,
and given a half turn it can rattle in
shift position but not at rest, all
depending on the regulation of the
cheek block bracket.

The best solution is, of course to
replace the guide pin.

The moral is, don't bang on the cheek
blocks, set them in politely.

I've been stunned to see our piano
movers heft a grand onto a stage
by flipping it upside down (i.e. plate
and string side down towards the
floor)!  I don't imagine that this does
much for the guide pins either.

Jerry Anderson
Paris