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<P>I often pull the action out slightly to get a better view of=
the hammer/string for let-off, especially in the bass. I=
don't see any huge problem in regulation in the piano as long as=
I'm not doing it 8 hours a day..;-] One of the perks=
of the independent tech...variety!</P>
<P>David Ilvedson<BR><BR><BR></P>
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Original message<BR>From: jason kanter=
<JKANTER@ROLLINGBALL.COM><BR>To: Pianotech=
<PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Received: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 10:00:22=
-0800<BR>Subject: Let-off in piano<BR><BR>
<DIV align=left><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT=
face="Trebuchet MS"><FONT color=#008080 size=2>Just reading=
David Nereson's post about the old Blüthner he takes care of. He=
comments: </FONT><FONT color=#008080><FONT size=2><SPAN=
class=622313517-01022005>"</SPAN>Can't regulate let-off in the=
piano -- no way to get at the regulating=
screws."</FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2>Which brings up an important point for me.=
How DO you regulate hammer height and letoff in the grand piano?=
The method I learned is: Pull the action, measure string height=
at the extremes of each section using a string height gauge and=
a busines card; put the action on a nice, firm, flat surface (I=
know that this is the place where errors creep in, if the keybed=
and the work surface are not both quite flat); use a contraption=
to simulate string height; and regulate hammer height, letoff,=
checking, drop, etc outside the piano.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2>In some situations I have had to do an=
on-site regulation where there is no good, flat surface for the=
action, so I've tried to do it in the piano. I can't see how you=
can do a good job with it. Feeding a hammer blow gauge through=
the dampers, turning it 90 degrees and pulling it gently up to=
contact the undersurface of the string, and holding it there=
while trying to get an eyeball on the hammer surface from the=
front of the piano and using the other hand to regulate the=
capstan ... difficult enough to do samples but what a challenge=
to do them all that way. Very hard to get a good line of sight=
over the hammer flange under the pinblock. So I have resorted to=
approximating, measuring only a few, pulling the action into my=
lap and eyeballing the tweeners. I *know* the results are not as=
good as what I could do on a good bench.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2>Same issue for letoff, and same for=
backcheck. No doubt you more experienced folks have developed=
fast, efficient, easy ways to do this. Please=
enlighten.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
color=#008080 size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT color=#008080=
size=2><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">Does Bill Spurlock's=
description sound like what any of you do? "<FONT=
color=#000000>hunching over the stretcher, peering past the=
dampers and through the strings to judge let-off distance, then=
looking under the pinblock to place the tool on the adjusting=
screw, then leaning forward again to watch as you make the=
adjustment. All the while you must "squeeze" the key gradually=
to slow hammer movement enough that you can accurately see the=
let-off point."</FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS"=
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=622313517-01022005>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=2>| | | |=
| | | | | | | | =
| | | | | | | | |=
| | | | | | | |=
| | | </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>Jason Kanter . piano tuning=
regulation repair</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><A href="mailto:jkanter@rollingball.com"><FONT=
face="Trebuchet MS">jkanter@rollingball.com</FONT></A><FONT=
face="Trebuchet MS"> .. cell 425 830 1561</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>serving the=
eastside and the san=
juans</FONT></DIV></SPAN></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>