[CAUT] Natural key width

Jim Busby jim_busby at byu.edu
Thu Jan 31 15:14:58 MST 2008


Paul,

Yes. If the pictures are the same as the ones I remember it was kind of interesting, albeit not too detailed because of smaller sized pictures.  I'd at least like to have them, and I think others might like a peek. The way he engineered it to fit (with adjustments) any D was worth seeing.

Thanks,
Jim Busby

________________________________
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 12:50 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width


David and Jim,

I have the step by step instructions to install one in a Steinway D.  Would you like me to post it?

Paul


Jim Busby <jim_busby at byu.edu>
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org

01/31/2008 01:33 PM
Please respond to
College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>


To

College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>

cc



Subject

Re: [CAUT] Natural key width










David,

I used to have the "step by step" instructions as to how to fit it to the piano. He said we could share that, if anyone was interested, but I guess I deleted it. These instructions and the pictures that go along with them are enlightening. It might answer some of the questions here.

Regards,
Jim Busby

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 5:50 AM
To: Ed Sutton; College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width

Well, you could easily spend a day on it.  When Tom Servinsky brought it
here when it was new, he spent two days.  Since that initial set-up and
regulation I'd suppose the routine stuff would amount to a day.  David
Steinbuhler was the one who did the regulation/set-up last summer when
it went to Chicago for a piano teacher's convention.  I'm suggest that
anyone seriously curious about all this write him at
dskeyboards at tbscc.com and ask.  He continues to develop the action and
I'm sure he has made a few innovations since he made the action we have.
He is a serious innovator.  Check out http://www.steinbuhler.com/

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 Ed
Sutton
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 6:18 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width

All told, this amounts to a regulation, or at least regulation touch-up,

after fitting the action to the piano, including spacing hammers and
also
key tails to the damper levers, and sostenuto regulation. Also fitting
hammers to strings and voicing? How long does it take? How much should a

technician expect to be paid for doing this? Do they really expect a
concert
level regulation: close let off, even dip and aftertouch?
(I see a potential for a serious disjunction between what a performer
expects to pay and the work that is expected of the technician.)
Ed Sutton
----- Original Message -----
From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt at mail.smu.edu>
To: <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>; "College and University Technicians"
<caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:01 AM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width


> David:
>
> Renner shanks, flanges etc. Renner wippens Ronsen Wurzen hammers.
>
> I should have mentioned in the last post that all adjustments are done
> to the action so that nothing has to be done to the piano.  When you
> pull the 7/8 action out and replace it with the piano's native action
> nothing has to be changed back.
>
> dp
>
> 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
> David Ilvedson
> Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 9:51 PM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Natural key width
>
> What hammers is he using?   Renner parts...?
>
> 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
>



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20080131/f65d086a/attachment.html 


More information about the caut mailing list

This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC