[CAUT] Natural key width

[Porritt, David]

Fred:

When David Steinbuhler first said that he was going to make an action to
fit any D I suppressed a 
smile as I didn't think it could be done.  A few weeks later the action
arrived and indeed it can be adapted to fit any D.  There are
adjustments for damper timing, keyframe bedding, una corda placement,
everything.  It helps that the action was totally of his manufacture.
The hammer flange rail is flat so hammer spacing is easy to do, the pins
that go under the cheek blocks are fully adjustable in all directions.
Key bedding is quite ingenious.  I'm very glad now that I didn't say "it
can't be done" because he has clearly done it.  The only Steinway
factory part is the sostenuto rod and that only because it was easier to
buy it than to make one.  The rest of the action, brass brackets, wooden
rails, key frame etc. are Steinbuhler.  

One assumes that any venue that has a D and puts on concerts will have
some arrangement with a technician of some skill.  Generally I'd say
that any technician who can keep artists happy with a standard D can
make the adjustments necessary on this action.  The venues where this
one has been, have been mostly colleges and the resident technicians had
no obvious problems making it work well.  We have a box that David made
for shipping the action that has protected it in transit.

I'm sure there will be further development in the action but the current
product is a very capable one.  

dave

David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Fred Sturm
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 10:55 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width

Hi David,
	I'd be a bit worried taking a keyframe/action assembly with me.

First, getting it packed well and having it arrive safe and sound at  
the venue at the other end; and then packed well for the return. But  
second, you would need to be certain there was a tech at the other end  
capable of doing the work needed. And it _could_ be a lot, depending  
on a lot of factors. For instance, width of keyblocks (might not  
accommodate optimum positioning - S&S keyblocks are custom cut to each  
piano in the factory, so width is not standard); alignment of hammers  
to strings (capo sections can vary a lot, and agraffes often do as  
well); string height; string level (or out of level); unison spacing  
in the capo sections (individual strings within the trichord -  
especially problematic for una corda voicing). It might work out fine,  
but it might turn out to be a nightmare, where a less than fully  
competent tech faced a problematic fit. Certainly getting it in  
concert ready condition would need a top notch, efficient tech, at  
least in many cases. And how can a pianist know whether X tech in a  
far away venue is competent in that way? Pretty much a roll of the  
dice in many cases, especially off the beaten path. I guess if it  
became common enough, a grapevine of techs and pianists would develop.
	I suppose going back and forth from 7/8 or 15/16 to full
wouldn't  
really be any harder than going from violin to viola, probably an  
almost instant adaptation for a decent pianist. It's where I go from a  
keyboard where I can fairly consistently reach that 10th around the  
edges of the corners of those naturals (without making one of them  
sound a little) to one where it is definitely hit or miss that is more  
disconcerting. So close and yet so far. Frustrating as all get out.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu