Fandrich Action

Joseph Garrett joegarrett at earthlink.net
Sat Aug 26 16:54:47 MDT 2006


JD said: "Ah. There's no sign of this feature in the pictures I saw here: 
<http://www.dreams.org/staff/composer/music/piano/fandrich-action/>. 
So all the keys move down when you press the half-blow pedal? Rather 
disconcerting in my experience, for certain old uprights do have 
forward-weighted keys. There's no substitute for a proper una corda 
shift but so far as I know only Bl?thner and Brinsmead ever did it. 
Herrburger-Schwander made a very beautiful repetition action for 
uprights in the early 1900s in order to meet the exigencies of the 
player piano. It was fitted to most Bechsteins and the bigger 
Broadwoods. I can't find a picture of it right now. As to the 
action that feels most like a grand, I'd think immediately of the old 
Steinway action with the H flange. This was designed for excellent 
repetition without the need for fancy additions and when properly set 
up with new hammers behaves very much like a grand and feels very 
meaty. There have been dozens of upright "repetition action" designs 
over the past 120 years but a properly regulated and balanced upright 
action even without these additions will repeat very well."

JD,
You've really got to get off of that Island once in a while.<G> The unichorda thingee, on Uprights was done by many US manufacturers over the years! Two that come to mind are: Decker and Chickering. There are probably a few more, just can't think of them off hand.
As for the way the Fandrich Action works, it is far superior to the Steinway K52. In fact the first one that Darrell made was a retrofit on a K52! Totally blew everyone away, IMO! Once the pianist gets used to the keys moving with the pedal, infinite coloration is possible with this action. As I said in an earlier post, this action MUST be approached, (regulation-wise), as if it were a Grand action, else you get in deep doo-doo!<G
REgards,



Joseph Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain, Tool Police
Squares R I
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