Viennese Grand Action Regulation

[Stéphane Collin]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Hello Dave.

A Bechstein with viennese action ?  Never seen that.  Isn't viennese =
action that with the hammers placed on the key, and turned toward the =
player ?
>From what you say (and from the age of the instrument), I believe that =
it has a Isermann action, where you aling the jack to the knuckles by =
replacing the little piece of soft felt on which the jack rests (often =
compressed) by a new one of the correct thickness.  This is very =
important, as incorrect alignment of the jack causes much heavyness due =
to extra friction of the jack on the knuckle, and extra work of the jack =
lifting the hammer shank over a longer distance.
If I guess right, the by you called capstan arrangement is a rocker with =
two screws, and with a little leg linked to the whippen.  I believe that =
this arrangement, well regulated, provides more control and quicker =
repetition capabilities, as the key never looses contact with the =
whippen.  It is just much more work to take off the stack from the =
keyframe.  Apart from this feature, it should be the same as a modern =
standard action.
A common cause of noise in this action, apart from all the worn felt =
bushings and punchings, is precisely that rocker, whose two screws must =
be tight against it.  Else, you get that wooden noise from the rocker's =
minute wobbling.  You would need a special (horizontal) screwdriver =
allowing you to access those screws.  There is a "tour de main", when =
regulating the blow distance with this rocker, to always keep good =
contact and pressure between both screws and the rocker.
If the action has a rail attached to the back of the hammer rest rail =
(but I don't think so), that is a rail intended to stop the upward =
movement of the back of the key (causing the key to lift from the =
balance rail on forte blows, thus wobbling), and if that felt is =
compressed also, you can get much knocking noise from there.  Replace =
the felt by mid soft one, and regulate so the keys fully depressed are =
just touching this rail.

Hope this helps.

St=E9phane Collin.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Piannaman@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 7:05 AM
  Subject: Viennese Grand Action Regulation


  Hello list,=20

  Just got through tuning a 200 cm Bechstein grand built in 1891.  All =
in all, it was a pretty sweet sounding piano.  Except for the action.  =
It's a viennese type action, and it's noisy.  I guess that's the nature =
of the beast.  =20

  I am curious if anyone can point me to information regarding the =
regulation of these actions.  The capstan arrangement seems =
unnecessarily complex.  And how does one align the jack to the knuckle?  =
Didn't have time to mess around with it, but I'm very curious about this =
piano.  And has anyone come up with a way to quiet the actions a bit?=20

  Thanks in advance,=20

  Dave Stahl=20


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/d2/29/26/6d/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--