[pianotech] Knabe Specs

[Dean May]

Yes, I'm pretty sure that is a Young Chang piano and it will benefit greatly
from good letoff and drop. Set the let off close, in the piano. You can
develop a technique of watching the hammer top side come up to the strings.
Bottom side you feel which jack is coming up while you hold the regulating
tool and turn the capstan, all by feel. It can be done, and amazingly
quickly, once you get the feel for what is going on (learned this from
Shigeru factory tech who spoke virtually no English). This allows you to set
the let off very close. I'd recommend 1.5 mm. Then pull the action out and
set drop .5 mm below that, using the letoff of neighboring hammers as a
guide. Actually, after I set drop on the first hammer in a section, I set
the others to it, ocassionally using the letoff of a neighboring hammer to
make sure I'm still on target. Make sure you have adequate after touch after
setting your letoff (and before setting drop). Raise your hammer line and
fudge on the blow distance if you need more (assuming key dip is good,
should be about 10 mm).
 
Another thing it will benefit greatly from is carefully fitting the keys to
the key frame. Pull all the keys in a section, then one at a time start
dropping them on their balance rail pins. I like for them to be eased enough
to drop on the pin, YMMV. Then check the mortise fits on the balance rail
pin and front rail pin, easing as needed. Then pull the key back off and
using a pipe cleaner, brush some teflon powder in the balance hole and on
each of the mortise felts before final install.
 

Dean

Dean W May                (812) 235-5272

PianoRebuilders.com    (888) DEAN-MAY

Terre Haute IN 47802

 
 
 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Piano Boutique
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 7:49 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Knabe Specs


Bill,
 
If there is any one regulation to look at, it would be the let off.  If it
is far away, one looses soft control.
 
William
 
 
 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Piano Tuner Bill <mailto:Pnotuner at rochester.rr.com>  
To: pianotech at ptg.org 
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 2:47 PM
Subject: [pianotech] Knabe Specs


Does anyone have the specs for a five yr old Knabe grand? I don't have the
model number, but it's under 6', if that helps. The complaint is that it
doesn't play expressively i.e. hard to play softly with any control.  I'm
looking at it tomorrow and would appreciate any comments from anyone with
experience with these. I presume that it'll need regulating but I'm also
wondering about the geometry and touch weight.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Bill Costanzo

Rochester NY 

 

 

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