Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum PTG Piano Action Handbook vs Steinway Service Manual?

For anyone replying to this thread trying to help the original poster with regulating his Steinway vertical, you should realize he asked the question over six years ago and is probably not around to read your replies.

Never mind ! we have answered (we have so little to do that it is a good occupation anyway )

I am in the process of regulating the dampers on my circa 1896 Steinway upright after having replaced felts. The action is in good mechanical shape otherwise and the felts line up OK. It looks as though this process is different for Steinway than other pianos. Rather than bending wires, it looks like the adjusting screws at the base of the damper lever do the trick. I’m assuming this is done with the action out of the piano. Is part of the regulating process done with the action inside the piano? If the damper lift rod is used as the benchmark for regulating, where and how should it be set? In other words how the heck do I do this?
Thanks!

Again, I thank all of you for your advice, instruction and most importantly, your patience with a neophyte. I now realize this is art and science with a bit of Zen thrown in. I have taken it to heart and am taking the time to learn properly from a professional. I really love the work!

What defines an amateur? Lack of certification? Inability to master new challenges? Inexperience? Inattention to detail? Or what?

When my Yamaha S400 arrived decades ago, it was hands down the best piano I had ever played. It could do anything; the results were limited by my playing, not the instrument.

After a few months, the dealer sent a professional technician for a free tuning. When he left, every note was just slightly out of tune with every other note. The power and resonance of the instrument had evaporated.

Eventually I found a well know tuner in the Chicago area who had retired from working Orchestra Hall. He always tuned the piano twice, spending much more time on his second fine concert tuning. The results were superb, and he tuned my piano until I moved in 2000.

He adjusted the action once, but his results were not as good as the factory, so I took up piano regulation. It was not easy, but less difficult than the challenges of my professional life.

From Schaff I purchased a Jaras Rack with accessories, got specs from Yamaha and went to work. After a some hours, the action was like new again.

After a while, the knuckles became worn and some were badly distorted. At 5 years I called Yamaha to put in a warranty claim, only to be informed the 10 year warranty did not apply to the knuckles....oops.

Back to Schaff - they had new synthetic knuckles from Yamaha so I bought a set. Took a long afternoon to remove the old knuckles and glue in the new ones. The next day I regulated the action and put it back in the piano. Amazing difference, the action was like new again, much easier to play both loud or soft. These synthetic knuckles wore very slowly, they lasted over 20 years.

After moving in 2000 there was no time to play for 5 years. A house remodel improved the acoustic environment of the piano so I called a local tuning professional based on a recommendation from a local university music department.

After he left I played the piano. Yes, the pitch had been raised and there were no obviously out of tune notes. But, to my great surprise, the piano was less musical to play than before the tuning! That improved somewhat after I re-tuned the bass by ear. It was way too flat, there was no resonance with the upper octaves.

Other local tuning professionals had other issues. One insisted on his signature historical tuning; decent until I played the Chopin Barcarolle in F# major, then there were loud beats all over the keyboard.

So I reluctantly took up tuning. I use Tunelab and after persevering get excellent results. I don't tune by ear and am a bit slow, but have no trouble hearing the difference between a great tuning and a mediocre (unplayable) one. My Chicago tuner was a little better, but the piano is a pleasure to play every day. And the action? I regulate it every year or two as needed, it's perfect.

Ernst B. Eng. Physics '69

I realise that the original post is from Nov 2006 so how is it possible that this appears now as a first post?
Ian

Ian,

I suspect he was searching around and found it. Maybe he realizes it is old, maybe not. Took me a while to figure out every now and then that I was replying to something over ten years old occaisionally.

Tuning and regulation is not rocket science. Anyone can do it if they have the perseverance to learn it. Numerous ones on this site have indicated success. Others have given up and leave it to a pro. Not all "pros" are super good. The difference between a "pro" and an "amateur" is that one gets paid, the other does not. Some amateurs are better than some pros. This is true in most fields. I can do electrical and plumbing work, but a good pro is MUCH faster, and has EVERYTHING needed on the truck. I have to go to the hardware store as needed. Anyone can learn these skills too (If they have reason too) but it can prove to be more convenient to hire the pro.

As to the quality ofvthe tunings...that is subjective and without actually HEARING what his tunings are like, I reserve judgement. As to a historical UT, it is correct that F# has the most garbage in it, but it misses the point about WHY one would have a UT in the first place. I don't like it either, but I don't play in that key anyway so it doesn't matter to me. I have clients who LOVE that dissonance. To each his own. I don't like ET anymore. I prefer a mild UT. But I suspect that unison quality is a significant issue in this posters post. I would have to hear it first. I have had clients who prefer significantly wobbly unisons and think tight clean unisons sound dead. I have my own preference.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor