[pianotech] Regulating drop

Richard Brekne ricb at pianostemmer.no
Mon Nov 30 01:16:56 MST 2009


We hear all kinds of things like this... taken from the perspective of 
the technician not thinking about the actions function from perspective 
of the pianist. In fact... just about any description of function we 
give for this, and many / most of the regulation moments we deal with 
have rather undefined meanings from that perspective. I dont really see 
much more or less validity to the "bring the hammer up from check" 
description then the "pushing the key down" one.... as long as one 
understands all along that the idea here is that the hammer and rep 
lever are being pushed in opposite directions from the rest of the 
action below in order to facilitate a fast repetition.

In my experience... just about any attempt at describing something has 
plenty of potential for ambiguity. People spend far more time talking 
past each other then they are aware... it only comes to surface when one 
discovers (or thinks one discovers) a point of disagreement. 
Clarification.... well I suppose it helps to put as many ways of 
describing a thing on the table as one can... and consider those given 
by others up against ones own thinking... but it seems to me that real 
clarification comes in the end by experience, and things never do really 
get perfectly clear :)

Cheers
RicB


    Paul,

    I thought it was necessary to clarify this. I have run into too many
    experienced technicians who apparently do not realize that this
    hammer "jump" that we induce during regulation is not something that
    is expected to happen during the normal functioning of the piano and
    say things like "the function of the repetition spring is to bring
    the hammer up from check" and the like. I have actually heard that
    said by a veteran technician during a chapter meeting - who was very
    surprised to hear me contradict him. He figured it out,
    eventually... So I like to clarify that point whenever I see a
    potential for ambiguity - especially when inexperienced technicians
    are present...
    Israel Stein




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