Steinway parts

[Joseph Garrett]

Some of you are wondering what my post was about. I did some tests, several
years ago regarding the difference in tone production and hexagonal/round
hammer shanks. It was my findings that the hexagonal gave the piano a harder
sound. When I order parts from S&S I specify NY Shanks or NY Wippens. I
don't want Hamburg parts. It's a simple as that. I have had little problem
with those parts, other than inconsistant pinning and traveling, which are
easy enough to deal with. In short, I want to strive to produce THE Steinway
sound of olde, not to attempt to make the sound as a current model. It's not
to say that the current model is bad. On the contrary, the current model(s)
are ok. But, my ear prefers the sound of the past. That's what my customers
want, most of the time, so that's what they hopefully get. Clear?
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)