[CAUT] Which S&S replacement action parts?

[Fred Sturm]

On Jun 26, 2008, at 8:37 AM, Porritt, David wrote:

> Fred:
>
> I don't have an answer to the firmness-low-friction-no-wobble thing  
> but
> there is an advantage to even friction in even touch weight.  The
> highest compliment I feel I can get is when a pianist says "it's so
> even!"  If all the shanks are firm, sound good, no wobble etc. but the
> friction is uneven you miss that compliment (and I like that one!)
>
> dave
>
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> dporritt at smu.edu
Hi Dave,
	Yes, I agree, evenness is king, whatever the parameter. I had that  
thoroughly hammered home for me a couple days ago while doing a  
recording session (ie, me playing the piano, which I had,  
unfortunately, prepared - I hate wearing both hats for a specific  
gig). I had a section of about two minutes where there is a constant  
pianissimo trill done by the index finger and thumb of the right hand,  
while other fingers and hand do other things. I couldn't get the trill  
to sound or feel even, though I had been quite successful at it in  
rehearsal/practice at other instruments.
	I pulled the action and looked at the two notes. Sure looked pretty  
darned even to me. I looked closer. I ended up changing letoff, drop,  
and jack position relative to knuckle less than 1 mm each, changed dip  
of one note by .010", and did a wee bit of needling on one hammer  
(most of the problem seemed to be the relative feel of the jack  
rubbing the knuckle during letoff). And I was successful in pleasing  
myself. But it sure did reinforce the idea that you  can't be too  
obsessive in pursuit of evenness.
	BTW, this kind of trill really accentuates things, because the keys  
are moved the tiniest amount possible - allowed to rise only enough to  
re-engage. Check doesn't enter into the equation, as the key is  
released before there is a chance for the tail to hit the check - at  
least I think this is true, I'd have to see high speed videography to  
be sure. I think absolute evenness of aftertouch is the biggest factor.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu