Aftertouch Adjustment

[Les Smith]

On Fri, 14 Jun 1996 Wimblees@aol.com wrote:

> Mitch:
>
> As a piano player, you can give the technician a lot of guidance as to how
> you want the action to feel. A good technician should be able to take the
> information you give him(her), and make the necessary adjustments to the
> action to get the "feel" you want.
>
> Capstans adjust the hammer blow distance. The correct distance of  a Steinway
> is 1 3/4" from the top of the hammer to the bottom of the string. But that is
> not the only adjustment that needs to be looked at. Let off, drop, and key
> dip, also has an effect on after touch, not to mention repetition spring
> adjustment, back check adjustments, correct key hight, etc.
>
> My recommendation is to try to find another technician, perhaps someone with
> more experience. Perhaps he(she) will be able to get you  the "feel" you
> want.
>
> Good Luck
>
> Willem Blees RPT
> St. Louis.
>
Mitch, Willem's right, regulating a Steinway grand action just isn't a
do-it-yourself project. Since you've already been through 3 technicians
who have been unable to help you, you may want to seek out a technician
who plays the piano well. Perhaps he will be able to better grasp your
problem after HE plays your piano. As a technician who once studied for
a career as a concert pianist, I suspect your problem may involve more than
just a lack of adequate aftertouch, although that certainly IS important.
Lastly, before a whole bunch of people on this list have a coronary, I
am NOT saying that one has to play the piano well in order to be a good
technician. Certainly there are many SUPERB tuner/techs who DON't play
the instrument they service. What I am saying, however, is that sometimes
the ability to play the instrument well can aid in the diagnosis of a
problem, especially when you're interacting with a highly advanced pianist.

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net