Aftertouch Question

[Farrell]

Thanks for your thoughts Roger. The action frame is soft & hard wood
composite - mostly soft with beech strips where the rail pins go. You may
have a good point that the frame flexes in a different way on the bench than
in the piano and that is changing checking. I fine tune let-off in the
piano.

"> When you say it check's out of the piano, I'm assuming you are using a
> regulation rack, if not, the hammer is travelling higher than the string
line."

Yes, absolutely. That was a critical part of my question. With let-off real
close and drop real small, aftertouch would have to be in the less than
ten-thousandths of an inch range (I'm pretty quick w/ metric conversions -
but I hope you are comfy w/ english units here!) to keep the hammer from
blocking against the string upon completing the keystroke through
aftertouch. Yes? When setting letoff & drop real tight, how do you handle
aftertouch, i.e. how do you make it pleasing to the touch, yet keep the
hammers from blocking against the strings?

Thanks billions for any thoughts

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Jolly" <baldyam@sk.sympatico.ca>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2000 12:37 AM
Subject: Re: Aftertouch Question


> Hi Terry,
>              If the action frame is the soft wood type( not  familiar with
> Boston's), there is Lot of flexibility in the frame. Bench reg to piano
> rarely works.  The key bedding is critical when you are working at those
> tolerences, so the regulation has to be done in the piano.
> When you say it check's out of the piano, I'm assuming you are using a
> regulation rack, if not, the hammer is travelling higher than the string
line.
> Regards Roger
>
>
> At 10:02 PM 25/05/00 -0400, you wrote:
> >OK grand regulation techies, here you go! Two related questions about
> >checking and aftertouch.
> >
> >I just did a full regulation on my Boston GP178 (5' 10" grand). I set
blow
> >dist. @ 1-3/4", let-off as close as possible (about 1/32"), and drop (as
> >recommended by Steinway) as short as possible - about 1/16" or maybe a
tad
> >more - but less than 1/8". I have my checking up nice and high - about
3/8"
> >over the treble & up, about 7/16" in tenor, and about 1/2" in bass. Key
dip
> >is about 0.45".
> >
> >Out of the piano, all hammers check on even the softest blow (I
roughed-up
> >the tails a tad). When I put the piano in the instrument, I often get a
few
> >hammers that will not check on a light blow. And of course, because I
have
> >the let-off so close and drop so little, the hammer rises up and
> >blocks/bobbles on the string when pressing the key through aftertouch.
> >
> >Question #1: Should ALL hammers ALWAYS go into check, even on a very,
very
> >LIGHT BLOW?
> >
> >If answer to Question #1 is yes, then Question #2 is: Why do all hammers
> >check out of the piano but not when action is in piano (keep in mind, I
am
> >talking about very soft blows).
> >
> >If answer to Question #1 is no, then Question #2 is: If it is normal for
> >hammers to occassionally not check on a very soft blow, when let-off and
> >drop are real small, is it really feasable to make aftertouch the
necessary
> >10 thousandths of an inch (or there abouts - perhaps even less). Because
if
> >aftertouch is any greater, the hammer will simply rise up into the string
> >and mute it in a very nasty manner. I like alot of aftertouch - generally
in
> >the ballpark of 50 thousandths or so. I can't do that unless I am sure
that
> >all hammers will check every time a key is struck - even when struck VERY
> >LIGHTLY.
> >
> >Any good input for me?
> >
> >Terry Farrell
> >Piano Tuning & Service
> >Tampa, Florida
> >mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
> >
> Roger Jolly
> Saskatoon, Canada.
> 306-665-0213
> Fax 652-0505
>