Baldwin accujust hitch pins

[Farrell]

Charles Walter Pianos uses a vertical hitch pin (at least their current
grand), however it has a groove around the upper portion that forces the
string to ride at a specified height (it is not vertically adjustable like
the Baldwin). Don't know what will be on their new grand.

I like them. I routinely modify plates during the rebuilding process and
convert from traditional hitch pins to vertical hitch pins. I use simple
stainless spring pins. However, the bridge top does indeed need to be planed
to proper height for downbearing - but you do have a bit of play when
placing the string on the pin - you want it up off the plate, but you don't
want it so high that you introduce excessive hitch pin torque on the plate.

Don't see how a vertical hitch pin could be associated with tuning
instability - unless of course a two adjacent notes with radically different
string tensions share a string - but you shouldn't have that anyway - but
from a factory, who knows.

Terry Farrell

> Some people like them, and I know a couple who really
> dislike them.  I think they are a very intelligent
> solution.  You can adjust the downbearing exactly as
> you wish on every string, and the manufacturing
> process is greatly simplified - the bridge top doesn't
> have to be custom tailored to the plate.
>
> The main cause of tuning instability on Baldwins is
> that the pin block often hasn't been fit to the plate
> flange.  With time, the pin block can move.
>
> I don't know of any other manufacturer who uses the
> Baldwin hitch pin design.
>
> Vladan
>
> =============================================
> Someone I know complains the Baldwin hitch pins cause
> them to not stay
> in tune. I can't imagine the hitch pin would affect
> tuning in that way,
> but I wanted to ask what other technicians on the list
> think about
> that.
>
> Any other comments about the hitch pins are welcome. I
> understand their
> purpose (isn't there another piano maker that uses a
> similar idea?),
> but I wasn't sure if it was actually useful in the
> real world.
>
>
>
>
>
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