Steinway regulation

[Jeff Stickney]

At 10:45 AM 4/10/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Jeff:
>
>If he likes it, leave it alone!  If it ain't broke, don't fix it!  I
understand Glen Gould liked a shallow dip (he did play all that harpsichord
music).  It's his piano.
>
>I know, you don't want someone else to play his piano and ask who
regulated it, but....
>
>dave


Dave, Newton, Jon,
	The problem at this point is that, yes, he likes how it feels now, but the
lack of repetition and the jack noise are troubling to him.  He knows just
enough (too much?) about piano tech and terms to be curious about this
minutia - and to have his cake and eat it too.  He says the bass still
feels not as inviting as the treble - I left the hammer line slightly lower
in the bass since the hammers were already high enough to rub the pin
block, as I mentioned.  AAARGH, have I created a monster??  Would shimming
the stack up allow the same "feel", and help with the other problems?  Of
course you realize, also, that he's going to want me to start regulating
the D's at the Music Dept. in the same way.... 







>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
>On 4/10/00 at 9:15 AM Jeff Stickney wrote:
>
>>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
>
>
>
>
>David M. Porritt
>dporritt@swbell.net
>Meadows School of the Arts
>Southern Methodist University
>Dallas, TX 75275
>
>
>
Jeff Stickney, RPT
University of Montana
jpage@selway.umt.edu