Pianotech

  • 1.  Sordino Pedal

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-06-2017 19:11
    I have customer with a Bechstein 8 and he's asked about replacing the practice rail (which he never uses) with something more useful.  He would like to consider the notion of putting in a much thinner layer of felt to create a "sordino pedal" similar to what Steingraeber offers.  

    Just wondering if anyone has tried this on an upright and can make any recommendations for a selection of felt.  I may just buy some and give it a try. 

    I also worry that it may not work very well when the sordino and sustain pedals are both engaged.  With a practice rail engaged, you can sometimes hear adjacent notes faintly playing if the dampers are lifted from the felt bumping the neighboring strings. 

    Thanks!

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    Rob Mitchell, RPT
    San Francisco CA
    415-994-1030
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  • 2.  RE: Sordino Pedal

    Posted 03-06-2017 20:58
    This can work very well, producing a change of tone similar to an una corda pedal.
    A strip of thin muslin will produce a noticeable change in the voice. Just try a sample of cloth held in place by hand.
    Then attach it to the rail or felt by sewing, trim the muslin edge to match the existing felt, then cut away enough felt so that only the muslin is between the hammers and strings. Leave the rest of the original felt in place as a support layer.
    I use this on my Yamaha U-1 with great joy, and don't understand why it is not more common.
    [Take some good photos, and let's make an article for the Journal.}

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    Ed Sutton
    ed440@me.com
    (980) 254-7413
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  • 3.  RE: Sordino Pedal

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-07-2017 13:02
    You can fix the problem of the material hitting adjacent notes by just slicing it into "fingers" instead of a continuous strip. The easiest way I have found is to push the hammers to the strings and use a sharp pencil to mark in between and slice with some sharp scissors. It's quick and accurate and it does improve the function. 

    It also helps if the material is as close to the strings as possible. Mute rails that position the felt very close to the strings don't seem to have as much of the adjacent note interference problem

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    Ryan Sowers
    Olympia WA
    360-705-4160
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  • 4.  RE: Sordino Pedal

    Posted 03-08-2017 01:57
    Fingers will tend to twist . . . .   Michael   UK





  • 5.  RE: Sordino Pedal

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-10-2017 21:59
    Sound software company Native Instruments sells a sound library called Una Corda which features assorted interchangeable fabric strips as sonic treatments for a single string per each note vertical piano. The original acoustic instrument is performance oriented, with fully exposed structure (No casework). There is an overview video of the creator, David Klevins, tuning the Una Corda located here. The above product description link has further links to info on designing, constructing, and playing this piano. This is a link to the Klavins' website.


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    [Dwight][Denzer][RPT]
    [Dwight's Piano Works]
    [Springfield][IL]
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