Dissing S&S rails (:)}}?

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi Ed,

>After a long thread, mostly down on the dowels, 
>Ron writes:

* Now doggone it Ed, this is a brand (shiny) new thread, started by Jon Page
a mere couple of iterations ago, and I really didn't mean to steal it. The
question of whether tightening plate fasteners improves tuning stability
still remains unproven. (I haven't given up, or been convinced, I'm just
temporarily out of participants.)


>     There are a number of things I like about the Steinway rails. 
>     The ability to travel and space at the same time, with only a thin strip
>of  tape. Beyond that, once properly shimmed, which, admittedly takes more
>time, the spacing and traveling is permanent. (twisting to space, with a tool
>is ususally a short term adjustment.  The only permanance I have found is with
>brown paper tape. ) 

* I've found it depends to a great extent on what kind of cloth is on the
brass rail. Maybe it's just me.


>      Rails have a combination of weight and rigidity which contributes, IMHO,
>to the tactile responsiveness that a good action exhibits.  

* I find them to be light and springy, not nearly as rigid or massive as a
good conventional rail configuration. 


>If there are
>impedance factors involved, ( and I think there are) in how the keyboard
>transmits the string vibration to the players hands, it would seem that there
>is an optimum amount of mass in the construction of the action. This means
>that rails, (both action and key!) can be too light or too heavy.  you takes
>your choices, you get your action. 
>     Huge rails of softer material may or may not produce the "feel" that
>elegant 19th Century maple-stuffed tubular technology offers.  Is it possible
>for action rails to be too rigid?  This I cannot answer, but I bet others here
>have an idea or three.......
>Regards, 
>Ed Foote
>

* I'm not a piano designer, so I can't speak from experience other than
observation, but... I would think that the action frame and stack should be
massive and rigid enough to make use of what you put into the keys (which
should be as stiff as possible too). Rigidity is probably more important
here than mass. Any action flexibility anywhere between the finger and the
hammer absorbs power and compromises control. If a pianist wanted to feel
what she was doing, wouldn't she rather not have to try to filter
information out of the timing lags between compression/flex, and rebound in
an elastic action? Wouldn't she rather have near instant, predictable,
controllable response if she could get it? Now that's impedance without
impeding! As to the keyboard transmitting string vibrations to the player's
fingers, that would be coming from the keybed, regardless of the kind of
stack the action had, wouldn't it? Ok, ok, if the stack weighed 700 pounds,
it would probably affect the feeling of string vibrations, not to mention
the shift, and someone else could service it. Incidentally, this is a new
one on me. I've never heard a pianist say anything about the feel of string
vibrations through their fingers except as a complaint. It seems to bug the
very few I've heard even talk about it. The players I know all seem to want
an action that can not only keep up with them, but one they feel can do
things they can't. It makes them feel secure, like they aren't on the ragged
edge of functional limits and have something farther out there that they can
reach if they're having a good day.  

 Ron