<html> At 04:52 PM 5/22/99 -0400, you wrote: >After reading the comments about the Steinway hammer rail cloth, I have a >question.  Several of you substitute sandpaper for the cloth used by >Steinway.  Why do you do that?  But first, why does Steinway use the cloth? > >With Steinways propensity for doing everything to the n'th degree, I have a >theory why they use cloth.  I don't know if I am right, but I am sure some of >you will tell me. > >I think the reason they use cloth is to keep the action quieter. Because the >hammer rail is brass, when the hammer hits the string, the impact will >resound through the hammer shank flange to the rail. The cloth acts as a >buffer on that impact.  If you leave the cloth off, or replace it with a hard >material, even something like sandpaper, the impact will travel through the >hard material, and reverberate. > >Any one care to discuss this? > >Willem Blees RPT >St. Louis > I thought that also until I realized that the impact noise will be transmitted via the screw to the rail. Sandpaper makes spacing more compliant. As to why does S&S use cloth -  tradition. Why else would they be still using those awful moulded rails in the first place? <div>Jon Page,  Harwich Port,  Cape Cod,  Mass.  <a href="mailto:jpage@capecod.net" EUDORA=AUTOURL>mailto:jpage@capecod.net</a></div> <div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div> </html>