Second Action for Steinway Concert Grand

[John Hartman]

Dear Michael,

Many aspects have to be paid attention to in making a second action for
a piano. The new key frame must fit the keyboard exactly the same as the
original. The strike scale must be the same and the key ends must line
up with the damper levers. The balance rail glides have to be in the
same place. The overall head scale should match. This will not work if
you simple buy a new keyboard from the manufacturer.  

In addition to offering partial re-building services such as new
soundboards to technicians I also make replacement keyboards. Since my
shop is set-up for extensive woodworking I can offer a great number of
options. I can make the key stock out of any of a number of wood
species. For performance grade instruments I would suggest spruce. I can
also make the top plates out of quarter sown maple. I have been
installing maple top plates on pianos that originally had none. This
greatly stiffens the key to deliver more power (thank you DDF). I have
been using quarter sawn maple key buttons with leather bushing as well.

Since I am not mass producing keyboards I can duplicate what needs to be
duplicated and change what needs changing. For example I could make a
duplicate key frame that will fit the back dags and key blocks. I can
change the overall head scale to match. The key ratio can be adjusted to
provide a desired transmission ratio.

Please contact me privately for more information and prices.

John Hartman
Pianos
Beacon New York


Michael Jorgensen wrote:
> 
> Hello CAUT and Ken Sloan (if you're out there),
>       I recall Ken Sloan teaching in a class on how he built a second
> action for a concert grand at Oberlin so that pianists could have two
> options of voicing with one piano.  What I want to know is, has anyone
> else done this?  How much does it cost?  Who did the keyset, keyframe,
> action rails etc?  Did both actions use NY hammers or other "genuine
> parts"?  How well did this work?  What unexpected pitfalls were there?
> Was Steinway willing to do this?  How much of the work could you do
> yourself?  Where do you store it?  Has it made your job a headache in
> anyway, (i.e. artists making you pull the action twenty times so they
> can make up their mind which one to use)?  This would make a great
> Journal Article.
>      I am seriously considering making a recommendation to do this given
> that artists can't agree on how bright a piano should be, and we have
> one D which must please all.
> Thanks in advance
> -Mike Jorgensen RPT
> School of Music, Central Michigan University.