Dissing S&S rails (:)}}?

[Jon Page]

At 02:09 PM 9/7/98 EDT, you wrote:
>After a long thread, mostly down on the dowels, 

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

Is the rail to be included in the 'soul' of the piano? I though you got the
'feel' from proper geometry and material. Can the stack be given the same
kudos as the rim? Wouldn't hammers and soundboard/case construction 
have more to do with tone production than the rails?

Are Bechsteins, Boesendorfers, Bluthners, (hey, the three B's  :-), Grotrian,
Ibach, . . . to name a few; deficeint in tone because they do not have
molded or lighter rails? I never hear of someone taking one of them and
changing to a 'reduced mass' rail.

It's something like the discussion on whether to place cloth on the rail.
Is it to reduce the percussive effect of the hammer or to keep the flanges
from rattling when the screws get loose.

If it is there to reduce noise, doesn't the screw transmit the vibrations
to the rail?
I replace the cloth with emery cloth.
At this point in time I would rather replace the rail.  

Not having replaced a stack I only have questions and speculation.
Perhaps someone who _has_, can comment on the tactile and tone aspects.

Come on in, the water's fine.


Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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