This sounds better than the non-captive knobilling pin / framus theory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jon Page Cape Cod. Mass ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At 05:55 PM 11/9/96 +0100, you wrote: >Dear list, >This backcheck thread reminds me of an experience I had >in the Hamburg Steinway factory that may be in some way >analagous. > >Several years ago, in one of the Hamburg voicing rooms >Stephan Knupfer demonstrated to me that he could get >a noticable difference in tone quality in a Steinway D by >changing the front rail felts. The piano was one of their >circulating concert instruments, only about 18 months >old. By changing an 18 month old, not visably worn, front >rail felt with a new one (controlling carefully that the touch >depth was not altered), he demonstrated that the tone became >significantly more warm sounding. He could move the >new punching from one note to another without my looking >and I could find it every time by it's distinctive sound. > >Stephan didn't have an explanation at the time, but after >several years of reflection I tend to believe that the >difference comes from the fact that the percussive impact >of the key against the front key rail (and key bed) is >resonating through the piano body, and is more of a >part of the piano tone then we generally realize. The >slight difference in changing to a brand new, softer felt >is sufficient to make a change in the total sound! > >This is why I take Andre perfectly seriously, and offer >the following hypothesis: Altering the back check configuration >may be changing the nature of a similar impact sound >that is occuring just after the strings are excited, and is >resonating through the key and keybed. I would imagine >that the closer this impact approaches the moment when the >stings are struck, the more it would conribute to the general >power of the instrument. > >Anyone buy that? > >Jerry Anderson >Paris > >>If the backcheck does not touch the hammer on the way up to the >>string, it can have absolutely no effect on the tone of the piano. >>or far away, so it can make no decisions as to good tone or dead >>tone. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jon Page Cape Cod. Mass ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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