Steinway regulation

Jeff Stickney jpage@selway.umt.edu
Mon Apr 10 09:22 MDT 2000


CAUT,
	One of our piano faculty recently purchased a 5-year-old Steinway D that
had been in Spokane, WA as a concert artist instrument.  He chose the piano
because it's touch "invited" him to play.  When I first checked it out, the
regulation was other than I thought was normal for a D.  The key dip was at
3/8", and hammer blow was set such that the hammers were quite high above
the rest cushions.  In all my wit and wisdom - even though he liked it that
way - I thought I would try deepening the key dip to .390, lowering the
hammer line, tweaking let-off, and thus giving him more power and bringing
the piano in line with what I thought (still think, according to the
Steinway manual) are normal parameters.  WRONG!  Although it regulated
well, the piano no longer "invited" him to play.  
	After a couple tries at reversing the process, the piano now invites him
to play again with the dip at 3/8", a "generous" let-off, and the hammers
1/2" above the rest cushions (I think blow ended up between 1 5/8 - 1
3/4").  However, the bass hammers are brushing the pin block as the action
is pushed in, repetition is not what it should be, and on a very hard blow
there is a clicking/knocking sound that I believe is the jack slapping up
against the hammer flange because the wippen is so high.  What can be done
about this situation?  Does the stack need to be shimmed higher?  The
"inviting" touch the pianist wants seems to require a shallow dip, but more
than a minimal amount of aftertouch.  Any light you can shed on this would
be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.
Jeff Stickney, RPT
University of Montana
jpage@selway.umt.edu



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