Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Una Corda pedal moves keys to the left

My 1883 Steinway model A was recently restored at the Steinway factory. When it was then delivered to my home, the movers (chosen by Steinway) installed the legs, lyre and pedal box. I recently discovered that now, depressing the left-most pedal, the Una Corda, shifts the keys to the LEFT. Everything I read says that it should move the keys to the RIGHT. Does that indicate that the movers did not correctly install the lyre and pedals? How can this be changed so that the keys move to the right?

I’m not sure how it could be installed in a way where it wrongly shifts the keyboard the opposite direction—if for no other reason, there is a spring which pushes the action back into place and it’s very doubtful the movers also moved the spring.

If pushing the pedal down moves the action to the left, and releasing it makes it go back to the right, then I’m guessing that’s how it was designed. I’ve not heard of it though.

https://books.google.com/books?id=w...a%20Corda%20pedal%20reversed&f=false

Click link, then scroll down a couple pages. It makes clear that indeed Steinway's una corda shifted to the left in early versions, then switched to right shifting there after.

All is well, you have a weird old Steinway!

It sure would be worth a call to the factory and find out what's going on. I have seen some models that went to the left instead of the right, so they are out there. I guess as long as it goes one way or another, at least it's working.

Hey, I learnt something today! I'd never heard of a piano where this pedal moves the hammers to the left, but after all, why not? If it produces the desired effect, there's nothing to worry about.

Something I'd be interested to know: Wendy, does your 1883 model A have a sostenuto pedal? If so, does it work as it should?

Yes, very early model A's shifted to the left. It does make for a better force path sort of akin to front wheel drive on cars verses rear wheel drive.

The problem is, the action can bounce on the shift return spring during shipping and this can damage the action.

I think the left and right pedal functions should be reversed. Shift on right, damper on left. This would make the trap work simpler and more trouble free.

Wendy, I think the design of my 1905 Ibach dates back to the early 1880s too. The keyboard shifts to the left.

Yes, some pianos shift to the left.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

This thread reminds me of something that happened years ago, but it didn't pertain to pianos. I was driving down the road, and saw a car on the side of the road with a flat tire. Upon a closer look, it was an elderly lady who was a member of my Church. I stopped to help her change the flat tire, and the car was an older Chrysler product.

We opened the trunk lid, and I got the spare tire out, which had enough air in it to get her where she was going. Before jacking up the vehicle with the jack, I took the tire tool to loosen the lug-nuts first, or get them un-torqued so they'd come off easily once the vehicle was jacked up. They were extremely tight, and didn't want to turn loose a bit. They seemed to get tighter as I turned them counter-clockwise. Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey, or so I thought.

Before giving up and offering to take the lady to get help (it was back in the days before cellphones) I thought I'd try turning the wheel lug-nuts to the right. Eureka! Loose lug-nuts! The wheels lugs on that model Chrysler had left-hand threads.

I'll admit, I've never heard of a left direction una corda on a grand piano.

We live and learn...

Rick

I mentioned the Hardman grand with the very nice sostenuto system. That is a left-shifter. It is a nice piano.

Rick,

I wonder why they would have done that. Seems counterintuitive considering the effect of centrifugal force (me thinks).

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

Almost certainly on one side only so that they tend to tighten rather than loosen.
Older sports cars with wire wheels and one centre fixing are always this way. Most have a little arrow on then to help.
Nick

Yes, it has all three pedals and they work.

Is this a factory defect or just feature?

About half the world's cars are left hand drive !

Yes and yes