Pianotech

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it? 

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way. 




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

Piano as ballast --- what Larry Fisher used to call a (was it?) a Beau D'Ahnker piano.

------------------------------
Susan Kline
Philomath, Oregon
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

As Franz Mohr used to tell us in the basement: "There's good money coming out of bad pianos!"

------------------------------
Karl Roeder
Pompano Beach FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

"Good money coming out of bad pianos". Sounds like the Steinway business plan post WW2!

------------------------------
Edward McMorrow
Edmonds WA
425-299-3431
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 15:29
From: Karl Roeder
Subject: From the terrible piano department

As Franz Mohr used to tell us in the basement: "There's good money coming out of bad pianos!"

------------------------------
Karl Roeder
Pompano Beach FL

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

HI Jim -
Couple+ of quick questions:
- what is key ratio? (also, how short are they?)
- what sort of key dip does 18mm knuckle placement require?
- is 5.3 AR distance or mass?
- please remind me of formula for MAR

I know you can come up with an artful way of retaining piano's ballast potential.

Thanks -


------------------------------
David Skolnik [RPT]
Hastings-on-Hudson NY
917-589-2625
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

David,

I didn't bother to look any further to "analyze" this action. I'm completely ignoring it and redesigning...it will go ten times quicker than trying to figure out a plan to something that had no logical plan, other than make sure all the notes go "plink".

5.3, for that key, and only that key was distance AR...I don't do Mass AR. Keep the hammers reasonably light, and Mass AR is superflous, in my experience. 

Regarding the 18mm question, your question assumes, that they had intended to confine themselves to silly things like regulation specs. You see, 9mm dip works, if you don't feel constrained to achieve superfluous things like letoff, or aftertouch...really...letoff is for wussies.  <G>

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 06:57
From: David Skolnik
Subject: From the terrible piano department

HI Jim -
Couple+ of quick questions:
- what is key ratio? (also, how short are they?)
- what sort of key dip does 18mm knuckle placement require?
- is 5.3 AR distance or mass?
- please remind me of formula for MAR

I know you can come up with an artful way of retaining piano's ballast potential.

Thanks -


------------------------------
David Skolnik [RPT]
Hastings-on-Hudson NY
917-589-2625

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

Original Message------

David,

I didn't bother to look any further to "analyze" this action. I'm completely ignoring it and redesigning...it will go ten times quicker than trying to figure out a plan to something that had no logical plan, other than make sure all the notes go "plink".

5.3, for that key, and only that key was distance AR...I don't do Mass AR. Keep the hammers reasonably light, and Mass AR is superflous, in my experience. 

Regarding the 18mm question, your question assumes, that they had intended to confine themselves to silly things like regulation specs. You see, 9mm dip works, if you don't feel constrained to achieve superfluous things like letoff, or aftertouch...really...letoff is for wussies.  <G>

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 06:57
From: David Skolnik
Subject: From the terrible piano department

HI Jim -
Couple+ of quick questions:
- what is key ratio? (also, how short are they?)
- what sort of key dip does 18mm knuckle placement require?
- is 5.3 AR distance or mass?
- please remind me of formula for MAR

I know you can come up with an artful way of retaining piano's ballast potential.

Thanks -


------------------------------
David Skolnik [RPT]
Hastings-on-Hudson NY
917-589-2625

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------

I think that "letoff is for wussies" has just entered my collection of immortal sayings.

------------------------------
Susan Kline
Philomath, Oregon
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 20:56
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

David,

I didn't bother to look any further to "analyze" this action. I'm completely ignoring it and redesigning...it will go ten times quicker than trying to figure out a plan to something that had no logical plan, other than make sure all the notes go "plink".

5.3, for that key, and only that key was distance AR...I don't do Mass AR. Keep the hammers reasonably light, and Mass AR is superflous, in my experience.

Regarding the 18mm question, your question assumes, that they had intended to confine themselves to silly things like regulation specs. You see, 9mm dip works, if you don't feel constrained to achieve superfluous things like letoff, or aftertouch...really...letoff is for wussies.  <G>

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 06:57
From: David Skolnik
Subject: From the terrible piano department

HI Jim -
Couple+ of quick questions:
- what is key ratio? (also, how short are they?)
- what sort of key dip does 18mm knuckle placement require?
- is 5.3 AR distance or mass?
- please remind me of formula for MAR

I know you can come up with an artful way of retaining piano's ballast potential.

Thanks -


------------------------------
David Skolnik [RPT]
Hastings-on-Hudson NY
917-589-2625

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2019 08:55
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: From the terrible piano department

Legrand runt grand. Horrible piano from the word go. Deceased father won it in a poker game. Only value in the piano is emotional, and the client after much deliberation decided the emotional connection was worth the partial rebuild fee.  So, I'm prepared for the worst, and engaged, as a challenge.

Short keysticks have several tons of 5/8" lead...and...get this, back leads too, in the same keys with all those front leads. What??...yup...whatever...I figure they were intending to use this piano as balast.

So Dave checks the AR. Measures the knuckle distance at 18mm. I say, "not possible". Checks again 18.25mm, then checks some other shanks to confirm. Not one is consistent. One 16.5mm, a bunch, 17.5MM some 18mm, all the same vintage shanks. We are putting on new WNG shanks, so that's not an issue, but really, that's pretty hard to pull off on a production run of shanks. I wonder how they did it?

AR = 5.3  with 18mm knuckle

Can't wait to see whats next...kind of exciting in a weird way.




​

------------------------------
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
------------------------------