[pianotech] Strike Point

[Ron Nossaman]

> I plan to assemble a piano without damper action or dag blocks, to allow 
> temporary changes in strike point for selected notes.  I'm thinking it 
> might be better to use 1:8 up to Middle C, with a geometric progression 
> to 88, yeilding slightly shorter strike points in the killer octave.
> 
> All comments welcome.
> Frank Emerson


Hi Frank,
I ought to be in enough trouble for anyone by now, but since 
you haven't gotten a flood of conventional wisdom so far, I'll 
comment. I've read the posts on list about optimal strike 
point deviating through the killer octave, and wondered why. 
I'm told it's a casting shrinkage thing, where the Vbar isn't 
where it should be. Whatever. With conventional rebuilds, I 
found it was indeed necessary to adjust the strike line 
through the killer octave for a more optimal tone. But that's 
changed. Since I started building rib supported boards, I've 
found that the tone differences with a slight strike point 
shift through the killer octave were so slight (if detectable 
at all) as to not be worth the trouble. I've also found that 
the C-8 strike point gets a lot wider and more forgiving. I 
have no idea why this happens this way, but I like it, and am 
becoming more convinced with each piano that most of the 
problems associated with the top half of the scale are 
directly related to traditional soundboard construction 
methods using high panel compression for crown support.

Sorry, I know that doesn't help, but that's what I've got.

I enjoyed your Grand Rapids class. Thanks.
Ron N