---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hello List, Avery, Stephane and Richard, I have written about this mystery issue before a long time ago. I=20 personally have no explanation for it. I just learned this from a very gifted Japanese teacher. he introduced=20= me to "the one and only right position" of a back check versus hammer=20 tail. According to him (Tsuji-san), there should be a space of 2 mm after=20 drop between hammer tail and back check. Indeed that is true, and it is a mighty weapon. Throughout the years, there have been many miracles described on this=20 list to improve tone and action. If we delve into all what has been said, we must come to the conclusion=20= that, to achieve the very best in regard to the way an action performs=20= and to get the ultimate outcome...the tone, our profession is extremely=20= complex. The mystery of the back check has not been solved yet. I have as of yet=20= not heard an explanation that totally convinces me. Nor was Tsuji-san=20 able to explain it to me. A very powerful regulation is one thing, to make a fantastic tone=20 another. Among the weapons we are able to employ are : 1. Our experience, talent, knowledge and understanding first of all 2. The use of high quality materials like : the best felt and the best=20= front punching (indeed heavily underestimated) 3. A thorough understanding of the use of anti-friction material, and=20 what it really means 4. The ability to make a superb concert tuning 5. The ability to bring a voicing to a high standard. As described above, the back check height belongs to this list. It is a=20= very handy help in the voicing process. We start this process with the usual list, like anti-friction=20 treatment, regulation, tuning and voicing, but we can improve the final=20= outcome with the help of this back check phenomenon. To give you a clear example : A long time ago I had to prepare a number of instruments for customers=20= in the showroom of Yamaha in the Netherlands. After a few rounds, one C5 grand was their favorite, but they explained=20= to me that still something was missing.... it was just not powerful=20 enough. My piano instinct told me to do the one and last thing : I told them to=20= have another cup of coffee (yes Huber Liverman!) and I also told them=20 that I knew exactly what they meant. This was partly true, but also bluff on my side, but under the=20 circumstances, my professional life was on the block. I got out my Japanese tool to change the height of the back checks and=20= I started twisting and turning the back checks to the desired height. On the way I broke one of the back checks but was so extremely lucky to=20= be able to replace it immediately and without their seeing any of it=20 (they were busy slurping their adrenalin). After 10 minutes, I wiped the sweat from my brows and joined them for=20 my round of the brown stuff, and I told them that I thought I had=20 successfully solved their complaint. They went back and played the C5, and bought it immediately!! Thanks to the generous lesson of Tsuji-san. Andr=E9 Oorebeek On 16-aug-04, at 8:27, Richard Brekne wrote: > Hi Avery > > In the case of the grand at the University, they were higher then what=20= > turned out to be best for the sound. I am not sure whether they can=20= > be too low in this regard. Andre is following the whole thread so I=20= > am sure he can answer better. > > btw... I've heard the standard set both 2mm above and 2mm below the=20 > hammer tail at let-off through the years. Quite a few times both ways=20= > actually. It would be nice to hear what the consensus is here. > > Cheers > RicB > > Avery Todd wrote: > >> Ric, >> >> Just curious. Is Andre referring to the backchecks being higher than=20= >> normal >> (2 mm below the hammer tail at let-off), or lower? >> >> Avery >> >>> This brings me to another one of Andre's suggestions... that about=20= >>> the height of the backcheck having an impact on tone. Now this one=20= >>> is just plain weird sounding... I'll be the first to admit it... but=20= >>> there it was. When Andre was up here a couple years back he=20 >>> demonstrated it to 5 of us, and no one could avoid admiting that=20 >>> he'd changed the tone... the openess of the tone on the notes he'd=20= >>> adjusted. I asked the famous Japanese pianotechs Mr. Ono and Mr.=20= >>> Takahara about this too whilst I was in Japan this summer, and they=20= >>> both immediatly responded along the lines... "but of course-- didnt=20= >>> you know that ???"... tho to this day I have yet to find a=20 >>> satisfactory explaination for why the height of the backcheck can=20 >>> influence the openess of the tone of the piano. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > friendly greetings from Andr=E9 Oorebeek Amsterdam - The Netherlands www.concertpianoservice.nl www.grandpiano.nl "where music is, no harm can be" ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5002 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/ce/2b/82/88/attachment.bin ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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