David writes: << is there any consensus regarding the ultimate effects of the difference between "0 grams, without any sideplay", and whatever measurement might provide the "traditional" 5-7 swings (of the hammer)? >> Greetings, NO, there is no consensus!!! All of us seem to have variations on a theme inre hammerflange friction. Reactionary trolls in their darkened shop corners don't usually do it the way of the factory production line. Some of the melodies I have heard played in the technical counterpoints we call "discussions" : 1. Zero friction is better, it improves the touch response. 2. The firmer the better;a mechanical damping allows a stronger spring and key response to be controlled. 3. Just enough to prevent sideplay is all that is needed, (continuo to # 1, above) 4. Firm enough to focus the tone and no more. 5. Whatever it is, as long as it is consistent, its OK, ( this is more of a cadenza for the individualist) My own procedure was that taught by Bill Garlick, and it has stood me in good stead through all these years. It is humidity influenced. I swing the hammers to test friction, I count each pass through the nadir as a swing, i.e., if I let the hammer go from horizontal, and it swings out and back, that is two swings. The bass hammers are heavier, so I pin them swing 6 times, the middle will swing 5, the top will go 4. If the weather is very dry, I let everybody gain 2 swings, if the conditions are very humid, I may reduce all by 1 swing. Since all reaming will lose some tension after sufficient playing, I leave those bushings that I have had to, for one reason or another, ream a lot, a little tighter. (sometimes one bushing is fine, but the other is verrrry loose, causing me to ream the tight one a lot. It will lose tension more than the other, so I leave a little firmer fit in anticipation). I live amid my rebuilds, so I get to see how this system fares with time, especially in the school. It generally leaves me what I want, but occasionally, I find a repinned flange has loosened up a lot from where I left it. I learn from this, because I pencil the pin size under the hammer shank boss, and the date. The drastic loosening almost always comes from situations where I had to ream a lot of felt to equalize the two sides. (see above). Leaving extra firmness on these heavily reamed bushings minimizes this problem, but not always. The tone is affected by tension when the tension gets too low. With practice, you can learn to hear pinning looseness. It is not unlike a broken hammer joint, just a little more subtle. I have had one situation where I had to repin the hammer line on one day, and return to regulate the next. The owner, (a professional classical pianist), remarked how much better the piano felt and sounded after I did nothing but repin! The acoustical connection of the hammer/shank/string/flange/action rail is certainly a factor in how the transient impact forces are defined upon hammer contact with the string. I liken it to the control of sound any employs by changing their hold on the sticks. An artistic percussionist can dramatically alter the sound by how tightly or loosely they grip the mallets or sticks. (This is a Canadian concept that was worth the price of a convention several years ago). The later model Steinways felt is trickier. They say to use alcohol for the actions that tighten up, but my results with this have been way too inconsistent to accept. If too tight, I ream slightly looser than I would like, since the felt seems to recover and re-swell more than others. If too loose, the next size up will often be perfect. If not, then the least about of reaming I do, the better. The factories don't seem to ream anymore. They use a liquid solution to size the bushings around smaller pins, then take them out and replace with a larger size. It is quick, cheap, and inconsistent. It may leave results good enough to get the instrument out the door, but for fine work, it leaves much to be desired. I have not found any substitute for individual attention to the bushings. Consistency is paramount, and if you want a well finished action in both tone and touch, you Jolly well better check them all! (:)}} Regards, Ed Foote RPT http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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