striking point in uprights.

[Andy&Chris Taylor]

Hi
This has caused me no end of grief once, when I 'built'  one good upright
Foster out of two basket case pianos  The back was from piano "A" and the
case from piano "B"

well........you guessed it!the striking point was off the high treble went
'clack"

the piano tone went bye bye! I had just restrung the piano and now I had NO
indications of where the striking point went........oops! The tone was
hiding out somewhere in the piano and I had to find it again. (private
investigators said they could find it but they charge $300 an day)<chuckle>

here is how I found my long-lost tone:
First I removed all the keys, and turned the two middle action posts down so
they would be out if the way.

my action was too high,  so I lowered the post on each end, playing the
whippens and listening. the bass dampers will pretty much tell you where the
action should go on that end.(a good reason to NOT remove the damper felts
first!)

Always force your ear to listen to the CLEARNESS of the tone, rather than
beats.  you will find the right point.  play the piano softly, and you can
hear the point quite clearly. if you pass this point, the tone will become
"muddy" again. then turn the middle action posts up to where they contact
the action again without raising it.

the following point is very important on uprights: from the treble break to
note #88, once you find the ideal setting, lower the treble section of the
action a scant 1/32" more.
 here is why:
most upright treble hammers I have ever seen had a slight downward 'pitch"
in other words the hammer _is not_ glued on the shank at a 90 degree angle.
the designers understood that the striking point should vary slightly
between soft and loud playing, particularly in the high treble. despite what
schaff piano supply may say about "custom bored hammers" they _do not_ bore
the hammers with pitch( who would want to use Schaff hammers anyway??)

when a treble note is played loudly, the striking point actually raises very
slightly. due to the shanks flexing the effect is slight, but is there. that
is the reason to lower the treble side of the action 1/32" from the ideal.

BTW, guys, bring your piano and a pocket full of money, and I will restring
your piano :-)
(just a good excuse for me to stay at home!)
Andy

"A fallboard is the largest cabinet of the piano in the shop that keeps
falling over........often on your foot!"