Steinway Sostenuto

[Mark Dierauf]

Is it possible to limit the throw of the sustain pedal so that the sos
tabs exert less pressure on the rail? 

- Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: David Love [mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net] 
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 11:30 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: Steinway Sostenuto



A stronger sostenuto spring would simply push the blade past the tabs
sooner (as the sustain pedal was released), the noise would still occur.

The blade, according to reports was not going too far up, evidenced by
the
noise being made consistently as the action was pulled incrementally out
until the sostenuto no longer engaged at all.  The sequence of events
is:
sostenuto down, blade turns up; sustain pedal goes down, tabs go up
under
the blade and the collective spring tension of the tabs holds the blade
up
even when the sostenuto is released.  Then when the sustain pedal is
released, the blade slides down the tabs until such a point that it lets
go: KTHUNK.  Would the noise be lessened if the sostenuto were adjusted
so
that the blade was engaged by the tabs at the bottom most possible
position
of the blade so that when released, the blade would have the least
amount
of travel remaining to achieve its rest position?

 David Love
 davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


 > [Original Message]
 > From: <A440A@aol.com>
 > To: <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>
 > Date: 9/21/2003 6:45:13 PM
 > Subject: Re: Steinway Sostenuto
 >
 > David  writes:
 >
 > << NY Steinway, c 1950.  Hinged sostenuto tabs.  Push down the
sostenuto, push
 > down the sustain pedal, release the sostenuto, release the sustain
pedal,
 > KTHUNK.  Normally this occurs on pianos with tabs that are not
flexible,
 > but not on with flexible tabs.  Regulation of the sostenuto does not
seem
 > to be the problem, though I was not there.  Thoughts? >>
 >
 > Weak sos. spring and or the blade is going too far up and in.  The
cumulative 
 > strength of the tabs is holding the sos. blade in place until you
begin 
 > releasing the damper pedal and then the whole sostenuto action is
snapping back to 
 > its rest position.  
 >  ( I think). 
 > Ed Foote RPT 
 > www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
 > www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
 >  <A
HREF="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/399/six_degrees_of_tonality.html">
 > MP3.com: Six Degrees of Tonality</A>