Steinway key humping

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Chick (Earthlink)" <tune4@earthlink.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: October 22, 2003 5:29 AM
Subject: RE: Steinway key humping


>
> An S&S rep told me that the reason for humping the key leveling is to
> compensate for the fact that they shape the key bed for a level of crown
of
> about 1/16 inch during manufacturing.  The key level then should follow
the
> curvature of the key bed.  This requires the key frame to be clamped by
the
> cheek blocks for the purpose of having better contact due to the
curvature
> of the key frame.  I was then told that it was necessary to level (sic)
the
> keys in the piano since that would be the only way it would be accurate.


During my visit to the Steinway factory in the mid 1970s the woman
responsible for key leveling told me that one day someone discovered the
leveling stick was warped. The story came later. Who knows?

Del