Steinway Sostenuto Adjustment

[Mark Dierauf]

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Years ago an S&S rep showed us this trick for the sostenuto:
 
Remove the shanks/hammers immediately adjacent to the breaks - on a B
this would mean hammers 1, 20, 21, 51, 52, 68 and 69. This will allow
you to see the sostenuto rail and tabs at the locations closest to the
adjustment points using a flashlight with the action back in place. 
 
Before sliding the action back in, loosen the screws and bolts that hold
the brackets just enough to allow the rail to slide in and out when
tapped with a screwdriver blade. With the action in and cheekblocks in
place you can use a thin long bladed screwdriver to reach down through
the strings and tap the brackets to position the sostenuto rail
correctly. 
 
Of course the rest of the system needs to be in at least reasonably good
adjustment before you begin, IOW, good damper regulation, nice straight
sostenuto tabs and proper amount of throw on both sustain and sostenuto
pedals.
 
- Mark Dierauf
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Piannaman@aol.com [mailto:Piannaman@aol.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 10:20 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Steinway Sostenuto Adjustment
 
Liszt,
 
A manager at a store that I contract for requested that I figure out
what what was wrong with a Steinway B sostenuto pedal.  I should add
that this piano was restrung, refinished, new hammers, etc., but the
work was not very well done.
 
Turns out, the dowel that goes from trapwork to monkey was not there.  I
fabricated a dowel that ended up being level with the keybed in the down
position.  I put the action back in and found that the lifting rail was
not regulated properly.  I could not get it right by sliding the rail in
or out.  It either wasn't lifting anything, or it was lifting everything
all of the time.  I did not feel comfortable messing with the height
without any guidelines.
 
Is there a trick to gauging the height and fore/aft position without
using endless trial and error?  I know this was a recent thread, so I'll
check the archives as time permits, but I wonder if anyone has any handy
advice on this one.
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Dave Stahl

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