[pianotech] Hammer strike line. Was-----Yamaha Hammer Suggestion

[William Truitt]

Hi Dale:

 

I too have staggered the strike line on Steinway grands and other pianos to
find the sweet spot and get the best tone.  So let's ask the question of the
why of that - what is going on in the plate and string interface in relation
to the action that requires something other than a straight line to achieve
the best tone?  

 

Will Truitt

 

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of erwinspiano at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 4:39 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Hammer strike line. Was-----Yamaha Hammer
Suggestion

 

 Randy /Tom

 You mean like this S & S Model B? 95 % of our steinway hammer lines look
sometyhing like this. They arne't the only ones that benefit

  Dale Erwin

DSCN6686 Stwy B strike line.JPG

 

Randy 
With regards to the "sweet spot" it's a matter of experimenting with several
guide hammers with only a dry fit to the shank. Play around with the action
by sliding it in and out ever so slightly. It's rather obvious when you've
arrived at the sweet point as the tone will spike once the true spot is
found. 
I find that about 90% of the pianos you are safe with a straight hammer
strike line from 1-88. That's how most factory jobs are completed. However I
find that the older Steinways can benefit from a varied line from #70 and
up. You just need to experiment and find the general parameters and off you
go. 
 
Tom Servinsky 
 
----- Original Message ----- From: "Randy Chastain"
<Randy_Chastain at sbcglobal.net> 
To: <pianotech at ptg.org> 
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 12:58 PM 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Yamaha Hammer Suggestion 
 
Tom, 
I like your two cents and from having almost completed today a hammer job
for a Steinway L with Steinway hammers (request of owner) , thank you for
bringing up part of the detailed process and skill it takes to do a good and
proper job. The attention to detail can be overlooked for sure by some and
end up with a bigger problem. The hard work starts at the beginning no
matter who you get your parts from. Its the detailed work that pays off. I
still hear of techs who buy, for example pre hung Steinway hammers :( . I
did that once early on and, oh my gosh!!!Never, never again. 
 
I would be very interested in how you or anybody else find the proper hammer
line/sweet spot. I can ALWAYS learn something. I have one of those diseases
that I have to keep learning. There's just so much out there that I can't
help myself. I live in the San Francisco bay area and I wish there was a
better way for me to continue to learn after 15 years of this. I have it. 
 
Randy Chastain 
 
 

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