Steinway Sostenuto

[Sarah Torrella]

On Thu, 30 Jan 1997, Ronald R Shiflet wrote:
[snip]
> I just got an email stating that the sostenuto doesn't work.  I took a
> quickie look but to be honest with you I didn't have the time.  The
> sostenuto lever is now higher than the tabs.  Are there some screws on
> the back of the action I can loosen and then just slide the bar down a
> little? What's the correct adjustment?

Preface:  NY Steinway sostenuto rails (or "rods", as Steinway refers to
them) are attached to the action stack (you knew that, right?) by brackets
with two screws. The brackets slide in and out -- toward and away from the
keyboard -- on a generally horizontal plane.  Sometimes, because of
necessary adjustments to make things line up with the sostenuto tabs on
the damper blocks, we have to bend the sostenuto brackets up and/or down,
causing subsequent sliding of the brackets to take on a slightly arcing
path -- which means the rail is not only moving in and out, but up and
down.

Now, you say the sostenuto doesn't work, but you don't say *how* it's not
working.  If, when the sostenuto pedal is depressed, tabs are caught atop
the sostenuto rail, either the rail is too far in (towards the keyboard)
and perhaps low, just too far in, or the upstop rail could be set too high
(jumpy dampers?).  If tabs are *not* being caught in the usual fashion
(push key down, push pedal down, release key, damper stays up), the rail
may be too high.  When you lower the rail, you have to re-check the in/out
adjustment since it may have moved out (away from the keyboard).

Seems to me Steinway sells a gadget to help locate the height of the rail
relative to the height of the sostenuto tabs.  I hear it saves time ....
and takes the "fun" out of adjusting the ... thing. I don't own one and
have never felt the urge to rush out and buy one.  I'm sure I'm not alone.

			     Ron Torrella, RPT
			Assistant Piano Technician
			  University of Michigan
			      School of Music