Pianotech

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

There's a tool for adjusting sostenuto rails. Easy to make too. 

-chris

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

My recollection of their sostenuto systems in that era is that they weren't very well made or installed, truing everything up might help. Is the F#5 right next to a bracket?
As it's just one note, possibly bending the damper wire slightly back, away from the action will do it, it's probably just catching by a hair.

There's a tool for adjusting sostenuto rails. Easy to make too. 

-chris

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

My recollection of their sostenuto systems in that era is that they weren't very well made or installed, truing everything up might help. Is the F#5 right next to a bracket?
As it's just one note, possibly bending the damper wire slightly back, away from the action will do it, it's probably just catching by a hair.

There's a tool for adjusting sostenuto rails. Easy to make too. 

-chris

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

My recollection of their sostenuto systems in that era is that they weren't very well made or installed, truing everything up might help. Is the F#5 right next to a bracket?
As it's just one note, possibly bending the damper wire slightly back, away from the action will do it, it's probably just catching by a hair.

There's a tool for adjusting sostenuto rails. Easy to make too. 

-chris

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

A tip from Richard Davenport, RPT, about how to not inadvertently tilt the damper head while pushing the top flange containing the sostenuto tab away from the rod: hold the damper head between your thumb and index finger, immobilizing it, while pushing the top flange.

Best,

Alan

My recollection of their sostenuto systems in that era is that they weren't very well made or installed, truing everything up might help. Is the F#5 right next to a bracket?
As it's just one note, possibly bending the damper wire slightly back, away from the action will do it, it's probably just catching by a hair.

There's a tool for adjusting sostenuto rails. Easy to make too. 

-chris

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

Hi Terry,

I know that you've got an 80's Baldwin in front of you, and the document I've attached relates to modern Steinway grands, but I think the relationship of the tabs to the blade plus the rest position of the blade will be relevant and worth checking on your Baldwin.

Others have pointed out the importance of the tabs being in a (relatively) straight line up/down and fore/aft, and I would certainly check for anomalies there. However, it might be that the entire blade itself is too close to the tabs overall.

Confirm that there is about 1/16" distance between the tabs and the blade at each sostenuto bracket.  Also confirm the starting position of the blade is such that the blade is just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod

I highly recommend getting a rifle bore inspection light like the "Streamlight Stylus Reach" mentioned in the attached bulletin.  This tool allows you to get the light behind the tab and blade to help illuminate the distance very clearly.

Good luck!

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

Hi Terry,

I know that you've got an 80's Baldwin in front of you, and the document I've attached relates to modern Steinway grands, but I think the relationship of the tabs to the blade plus the rest position of the blade will be relevant and worth checking on your Baldwin.

Others have pointed out the importance of the tabs being in a (relatively) straight line up/down and fore/aft, and I would certainly check for anomalies there. However, it might be that the entire blade itself is too close to the tabs overall.

Confirm that there is about 1/16" distance between the tabs and the blade at each sostenuto bracket.  Also confirm the starting position of the blade is such that the blade is just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod

I highly recommend getting a rifle bore inspection light like the "Streamlight Stylus Reach" mentioned in the attached bulletin.  This tool allows you to get the light behind the tab and blade to help illuminate the distance very clearly.

Good luck!

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

Hi Terry,

I know that you've got an 80's Baldwin in front of you, and the document I've attached relates to modern Steinway grands, but I think the relationship of the tabs to the blade plus the rest position of the blade will be relevant and worth checking on your Baldwin.

Others have pointed out the importance of the tabs being in a (relatively) straight line up/down and fore/aft, and I would certainly check for anomalies there. However, it might be that the entire blade itself is too close to the tabs overall.

Confirm that there is about 1/16" distance between the tabs and the blade at each sostenuto bracket.  Also confirm the starting position of the blade is such that the blade is just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod

I highly recommend getting a rifle bore inspection light like the "Streamlight Stylus Reach" mentioned in the attached bulletin.  This tool allows you to get the light behind the tab and blade to help illuminate the distance very clearly.

Good luck!

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

Hi Rex,

Mark beat me to it suggesting to look up a copy of the Steinway & Sons World-Wide Technical Reference Guide, but the general information regarding blade to tab position is the same for the action mounted and case mounted sostenuto.

Ideally when sighted straight down from above, you want to see the tip of the blade just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod assembly at rest (which is usually set automatically by the monkey in an action mounted sostenuto system).  Additionally, the tip of the blade should be 1/16" above and 1/16" away from the foremost part of the tabs.  I personally have never used the device that Steinway used to sell for setting the action mounted sostenuto blade position.  Instead, I elected to use the Streamlight Stylus Reach to get light behind the tabs and blade with the action in place to observe the relationship of tabs to blade directly. 

This light is effective to use when sighting straight down through the strings as well as under the case cornice and through the action parts. 

With the light positioned behind the blade, the distance is very easy to observe directly even with many obstacles in the way. Then it is as simple as making corrections based on observations.  For up and down, determine how much to move it, establish a point of reference, then bend the bracket up or down to change vertical position.  For fore and aft, determine how much to move it, establish a point of reference, loosen the screws and make a fore-aft adjustment before tightening them again.

The only other thing I will add is that the screws holding the spring steel tabs that secure the blade to the bracket should always be tight.  If the friction is too high or too low (loose), these spring steel tabs can be bent to reduce that friction.

There are tricks as well, but they require practice.  The factory used to set the blade intentionally high and intentionally far, and they would use a long screwdriver to make adjustments from the front as well as through the strings.

I've found that the observation and correction method never takes me more than two attempts to set the blade correctly.  Hope this helps

Hi Terry,

I know that you've got an 80's Baldwin in front of you, and the document I've attached relates to modern Steinway grands, but I think the relationship of the tabs to the blade plus the rest position of the blade will be relevant and worth checking on your Baldwin.

Others have pointed out the importance of the tabs being in a (relatively) straight line up/down and fore/aft, and I would certainly check for anomalies there. However, it might be that the entire blade itself is too close to the tabs overall.

Confirm that there is about 1/16" distance between the tabs and the blade at each sostenuto bracket.  Also confirm the starting position of the blade is such that the blade is just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod

I highly recommend getting a rifle bore inspection light like the "Streamlight Stylus Reach" mentioned in the attached bulletin.  This tool allows you to get the light behind the tab and blade to help illuminate the distance very clearly.

Good luck!

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?

Hi Rex,

Mark beat me to it suggesting to look up a copy of the Steinway & Sons World-Wide Technical Reference Guide, but the general information regarding blade to tab position is the same for the action mounted and case mounted sostenuto.

Ideally when sighted straight down from above, you want to see the tip of the blade just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod assembly at rest (which is usually set automatically by the monkey in an action mounted sostenuto system).  Additionally, the tip of the blade should be 1/16" above and 1/16" away from the foremost part of the tabs.  I personally have never used the device that Steinway used to sell for setting the action mounted sostenuto blade position.  Instead, I elected to use the Streamlight Stylus Reach to get light behind the tabs and blade with the action in place to observe the relationship of tabs to blade directly. 

This light is effective to use when sighting straight down through the strings as well as under the case cornice and through the action parts. 

With the light positioned behind the blade, the distance is very easy to observe directly even with many obstacles in the way. Then it is as simple as making corrections based on observations.  For up and down, determine how much to move it, establish a point of reference, then bend the bracket up or down to change vertical position.  For fore and aft, determine how much to move it, establish a point of reference, loosen the screws and make a fore-aft adjustment before tightening them again.

The only other thing I will add is that the screws holding the spring steel tabs that secure the blade to the bracket should always be tight.  If the friction is too high or too low (loose), these spring steel tabs can be bent to reduce that friction.

There are tricks as well, but they require practice.  The factory used to set the blade intentionally high and intentionally far, and they would use a long screwdriver to make adjustments from the front as well as through the strings.

I've found that the observation and correction method never takes me more than two attempts to set the blade correctly.  Hope this helps

Hi Terry,

I know that you've got an 80's Baldwin in front of you, and the document I've attached relates to modern Steinway grands, but I think the relationship of the tabs to the blade plus the rest position of the blade will be relevant and worth checking on your Baldwin.

Others have pointed out the importance of the tabs being in a (relatively) straight line up/down and fore/aft, and I would certainly check for anomalies there. However, it might be that the entire blade itself is too close to the tabs overall.

Confirm that there is about 1/16" distance between the tabs and the blade at each sostenuto bracket.  Also confirm the starting position of the blade is such that the blade is just visible beyond the body of the sostenuto cross rod

I highly recommend getting a rifle bore inspection light like the "Streamlight Stylus Reach" mentioned in the attached bulletin.  This tool allows you to get the light behind the tab and blade to help illuminate the distance very clearly.

Good luck!

I have a client with a 1980s (or so) Baldwin L. F#5 damper catches on the sostenuto rail when when played after pedal is depressed. I really don't have very much experience adjusting sostenuto mechanisms. Any suggestions where to start with correcting?