[CAUT] Agraff levels

[Willem Blees]

Quoting A440A at aol.com:

>  
> << particularly obstreperous D I got down close and checked.  The 
> agraffe was cock-eyed! Look closely on some pianos and you will note
> 
> the agraffes aren't always parallel to the same plane from one to the
> 
> next...Grrrrr! >>
> 
> Greetings, 
>    Yes, it amazes me that the Standard Piano of the World is built so
> 
> carelessly.  It is not at all uncommon to find Steinways with the
> agraffe holes in 
> the plate bored so poorly that there is no way to bend the wires to
> accomdate a 
> truly level hammer strike point. The entire agraffe is canted to one
> 
> side,(usually the treble) When this problem is accompanied by poorly
> made agraffes, 
> there is a real mess.  I usually have several hammers that are
> slightly crooked 
> on the strike point in order to make even contact with the strings. 
> 
>      And I still don't understand why it is so difficult for the
> factory to 
> space the agraffes evenly!  
> Regards,
> 
> 
> 
> Ed Foote RPT 
>   
> 

It sounds like we're talking about two different issues. One is the 
level of the agraff itself, compared to the level of the of the plate. 
What you claiming is that the plane of the agraff holes are not level 
with the plate. Which could be caused by poor drilling, or that the 
counter sink of the agraff hole is not flat, which will cause the 
agraff to cant to one side when it is tightened. 

The other issue is the holes in the agraff, which is what I was 
referrring to. Although there might be very minute differnces in the 
plane of the holes compared to the top of the agraff, I think the holes 
themselves are level. 

BTW, does Steinway make their own agraffs, or are they outsourced?

Wim 
Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA