[CAUT] Which S&S replacement action parts?

[Barbara Richmond]

Hey Fred,

I haven't worked on many newer Steinways with the low friction but firm
cloth.  Actually, I have strips of it and I haven't figured out yet how
anyone has determined that it is so firm.  It's nothing like the old S&S
cloth, of which I still have a strip hanging around and have never had a 
problem
working with. I had some experience with the new parts a few years ago,
which left me rather un-impressed.  But! I'm a better technician now, so
maybe my experience will be different with the next one.  I did have an
interesting conversation in Anaheim about balancier pinning/friction with a 
rather
well-known tech who deals a lot with Steinways, but I won't mention his name
because I don't have his permission (even if he was speaking with a member 
of
the press...<g>).

Mostly, I was raving about the last 3 pianos I repinned and regulated
this spring/summer, a 25-year old Kawai GE something, and two Steinway Bs
(one with Renner USA parts and one with factory Steinway/Renner parts)
where I bumped up the (balancier) pinning to 9-10 grams. (The pianists all 
raved,
but then, they usually do, don't they?)  He agreed getting up to that spec 
was
ideal, but he was reluctant to push new Steinway parts that far and was 
settling
for 3-4 grams at that center because he was afraid of stressing the bird's 
eye
and/or having to go up to telephone pole sized center pins.  He said that 
3-4
grams was better than none--especially for setting the repetition spring.

I'd be interested in hearing about your experience with the balancier
pinning.  Does that  friction also drop after re-pinning, or maybe the
question is how fast and/or far does it drop?

Barbara Richmond, RPT
near Peoria, Illinois


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Which S&S replacement action parts?


> Hi Barbara,
> This is ground we've been over several times, but maybe it bears
> revisiting a bit. It seems to me to be the question of friction versus
> firmness. I spent a good number of years in pursuit of friction, a  fairly
> high standard applied evenly throughout (shanks in particular),  thinking
> that gave me a feel and a sound that was improved. I'm not  sure exactly
> how much I was influenced by my mindset, thinking I would  have the better
> action feel and more focused sound, and so because of  my expectation I
> found it.
> In recent years, arguments by Don Mannino in particular, and various
> others as well, have led me to the belief that firmness is what  matters,
> and that friction can be very low and the action made to work  well and
> feel responsive. Partly that is just adapting to the reality  of modern
> Steinway parts - my first reaction was to try to get the  friction up.
> Didn't work. Didn't last. That teflon impregnation does  its job.
> In the end, I have come to the conclusion that firmness of pinning is
> what matters for tone, and that I can regulate adequately to whatever
> friction there is. That's where my head is at the moment. Partly it is
> just a matter of "going with the flow" (working with the parts I  have),
> but I certainly haven't found (in my alter-ego as pianist) that  I notice
> any particular difference in feel between, say, Renner parts  pinned
> firmly (4 - 6 gm)  and Steinway parts pinned like Steinway  parts (firm,
> but in the 0-2 gm range). I feel pretty certain that lack  of wobble in
> the bushing is the key to the sound component, and felt  impregnated with
> a solidifying teflon product does that quite well.  BTW, it is quite
> possible to pin with high friction and low firmness  (same goes for key
> bushings).
> I'm sure there are others with opposite opinions of various natures.
> Which is just fine with me.
>
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
> fssturm at unm.edu
>
>
>