Steinway C

[David C. Stanwood]

Dear Claude,

Another Choice is Bob Marinelli at Pianotek.  He can build a complete
action to the highest standard.  Plus he balances his keyboards with the
Stanwood Touch Design System .  This means that each hammer is weight
calibrated to a smooth curve to the nearest tenth of a gram,  each key is
scale balanced with a digital scale to the nearest three tenths of a gram
to a smooth curve, and the overall action weight ratio is set to a
specified value to the nearest tenth of a ratio.   You can order parameters
to create any kind of touch you want with heavy, medium, or light hammers
depending on your choice.  He can also make high performance actions with
88 wippen support springs that have almost no lead in the keys with the
added benefit of being able to fine tune the key balance by tweeking the
support springs.  If you want to throw concert weight hammers with the
least effort support spring actions properly configured are the way.  If
you have a touch designers toolkit you can share in aspects of the work
such as Strike Weight calibration.

By the way Stanwood Action is an obsolete term it refers to an early system
I used with really light hammers, hard anodized aluminum capstans, and
balance weight system keyleading. (PTG Journal Oct, Nov 1990).  Oh and the
jack adjustment screw on the jacks were removed and the felt glued to the
end of the spoon.  Adjustment was made with a spoon bender.  This reduced
the weight of the jack by 50%.  In addition friction adjustment was added
to the hammer flanges and frictional touch weight set by tweeking the
screws to set the difference between up/downWt.

I learned later that all aspects needed to be specified in order for
complete control of touch characteristics hence the invention of the New
Touch Weight Metrology (PTG Journal June 1996) and the development of key
balancing techniques using digital scales and adressing hammer weight and
leverage.

If you really want a full dose of touchweight metrology I'll be teaching
full day course, (four class periods with hands on), at PA State in March,
Provo Utah in April, maybe NE Regional in April, and a special Weds. full
day pre-registered format at the Kansas City Annual Institute in July.

David C. Stanwood

http://www.tiac.net/users/stanwood

>I have in my shop 1 grand piano 7'5" Steinway C dated 1893 serial# 75991
>Someone picked up the action for servicing a few years ago from the
>customer and never returned the action. Unknown technician cannot
>locate. The plate is also signed by composer Arthur Rubinstein.I am
>looking for a complete action for this piano. I have called Steinway New
>York for a quotation of cost.They referred me to the parts lady at
>steinway to try and put an action together.What an experience , I have
>to order everything one item# at a time.Frustration !!!! All I asked for
>was one complete action for this piano (frame, keys, stack,etc...).Will
>the Steinway D action fit in this piano. Should I consider retrofit A
>Stanwood Action. Need Comments. Need prices.
>
>Musically yours Claude Quincy Damphousse RPT