Hi, Jeannie, Think of some of the old Charles Frederick Stein and Paul Mehlin scales, especially for smaller instruments. Best. Horace At 04:57 PM 1/30/2008, you wrote: >Yes, they do. > >-----Original Message----- >From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David >Ilvedson >Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:29 PM >To: caut at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width > >I'd like to see a picture of this. It seems like you have to compress the >keys closer together...lots of space at the existing cheekblocks...but the >stack remains the same, relatively. Don't the keys have some extreme >angles? > >David Ilvedson, RPT >Pacifica, CA 94044 > >----- Original message ---------------------------------------- >From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt at mail.smu.edu> >To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org> >Received: 1/29/2008 9:49:32 AM >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width > > > >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
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