<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1251"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <P> <DIV>JD said: "<FONT size=+0>Ah. There's no sign of this feature in the pictures I saw here: </FONT> <DIV><FONT size=+0><</FONT><A href="http://www.dreams.org/staff/composer/music/piano/fandrich-action/>."><FONT size=+0>http://www.dreams.org/staff/composer/music/piano/fandrich-action/>.</FONT></A><FONT size=+0> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>So all the keys move down when you press the half-blow pedal? Rather </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>disconcerting in my experience, for certain old uprights do have </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>forward-weighted keys. There's no substitute for a proper una corda </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>shift but so far as I know only Bl?thner and Brinsmead ever did it. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>Herrburger-Schwander made a very beautiful repetition action for </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>uprights in the early 1900s in order to meet the exigencies of the </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>player piano. It was fitted to most Bechsteins and the bigger </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>Broadwoods. I can't find a picture of it right now. As to the </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>action that feels most like a grand, I'd think immediately of the old </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>Steinway action with the H flange. This was designed for excellent </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>repetition without the need for fancy additions and when properly set </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>up with new hammers behaves very much like a grand and feels very </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>meaty. There have been dozens of upright "repetition action" designs </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>over the past 120 years but a properly regulated and balanced upright </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>action even without these additions will repeat very well."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>JD,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>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.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>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</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>REgards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0></FONT> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joseph Garrett, R.P.T.</DIV> <DIV>Captain, Tool Police</DIV> <DIV>Squares R I</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <P></P></BODY></HTML>