Steinway & Sons, A2 (Circa 1904)

This beautiful Steinway & Sons grand piano has just been completed in our restoration facility.  Commissioned with the upgrade of both top and back WNG carbon fiber actions, this instrument just flies!  

Full documentation is currently being assembled into the final book form.  In the meantime, enjoy the following pictures:

Carol of The Bells

University of Mobile Christmas Spectacular - Enjoy!

Now if that doesn't get you in the holiday mood, I just do not know what will.

Merry Christmas from the Staff at Forte' Piano Gallery!

Whippen Assembly

The Whippen Assembly - where do they come up with these names?!?  Actually, the grouping of parts commonly referred to as the 'whippen assembly' is 3 separate groupings: Whippen; Repetition Mechanism; and the Jack & Let-Off Button.  

We'll go over each area of the whippen assembly in the next couple of weeks. Below are pictures of both a wooden and a composite whippen assembly on grand pianos.  You can see they are generally configured the same, with design differences specific to the manufacturer:

Traditional Wooden Whippen Assembly

Composite Whippen Assembly

You can readily see the whippen assembly is located directly underneath the hammer shank, and over the top of the key stick.  The whippen assembly transmits the motion of the key to the hammer, which in turn strikes the string to produce the musical sound.

The whippen, is the lower half of the assembly and is in direct contact with the key.  

• 1. Heel
• 2. Heel Cushion
• 3. Body
• 4. Flange
• 5. Flange Rail 
• 6. Hammer Shank Rest Post
• 7. Rest Cushion
• 8. Jack Flange
• 9. Spoon

Specifically, it works like this:  the Heel (1) rests on the capstan screw which is attached to the key.  When the key is depressed, the whippen is set into motion by the capstan screw pushing upward on the Heel Cushion (2) causing the Whippen Body (3) to move.  The body rotates on the Flange (4) which is supported by and attached to the Flange Rail (5).  The Hammer Shank Rest (6) is located at the back of the whippen directly under the hammer shank and topped with the Rest Cushion (7), a felt cushion on which the hammer shank rests when not in motion.  The Jack Flange (8) is built into the opposite end of the whippen to position the jack and allow it to rotate.  The Spoon (9) supports the jack in the proper position.

Next week we'll see how the remaining two parts of the Whippen Assembly contribute to the overall movement.

"The Disclaimer" - Technical Tuesdays are intended to give folks who are curious about pianos a bit more understanding of all those technical terms thrown about by piano technicians.  This is not intended for super-in-depth technical analysis, nor micro measurements; just general knowledge for those who are interested in how a piano works.

Hammer Shanks

The last piece of our hammer assembly is the 'shank'.  This is a long & slender shaped action piece.  Hammer shanks are produced in various sizes and shapes depending on the manufacture and model of piano.  All are generally cylindrical in shape.

On one end the hammer head is mounted (this strikes the string to produce the sound), and on the opposite end, the shank is attached to the flange (holds the hammer/shank assembly in position to precisely strike the string).

Grand Piano - Wooden Hammer Shank

Traditionally made of wood, hammer shanks are now also produced in a composite material that includes carbon fiber, creating a hammer shank that is strong and consistent in strength without being effected by humidity and climate changes.

Grand Piano - Carbon Fiber Composite Hammer Shank

 I love this picture above - don't the hammers look like little faces?  I like to call this one the "3 Stooges".  :)

Vertical Piano
Wooden Hammer Shank

We'll talk more about composite action parts as we move through the piano's action.


Next week - Whippen Assembly!


"The Disclaimer" - Technical Tuesdays are intended to give folks who are curious about pianos a bit more understanding of all those technical terms thrown about by piano technicians.  This is not intended for super in-depth technical analysis, nor micro measurements; just general knowledge for those who are interested in how a piano works.

Body Parts On A Piano?

It's Technical Tuesday & we're back after a short hiatus!  Today we'll be talking about 'Knuckles' and 'Butts'.  Body parts, you say?!?  Let's explore this a bit.

The same component in both a grand piano action and a vertical piano action has two different names.  On a grand piano it's the 'Knuckle'; on a vertical piano it's the 'Butt'.  

This small component is located at the lower (larger) end of the hammer shank, and rests atop the jack which controls the velocity of the  movement of the hammer from its resting point to the point where it strikes the string.  The velocity of this movement is determined by the speed and pressure applied to the piano keys by the player.

The Knuckle

On a grand piano the knuckle is attached to the underside of the hammer shank near the hammer flange.  The knuckle is small and round in shape, traditionally covered in buckskin.

The Butt

On a vertical piano, the butt is located directly on the end of the hammer shank.  A modified square/rectangular shape, the butt is also configured to rest on top of the jack.  Just like the comparable knuckle on the grand piano, this is also traditionally covered in buckskin.

Note: Pictures in this posting were taken of piano action models to allow for close-up, detailed views; and were taken of both traditional wood actions, as well as composite actions.

Next time, we'll take a look a the hammer shanks.  

"The Disclaimer" - Technical Tuesdays are intended to give folks who are curious about pianos a bit more understanding of all those technical terms thrown about by piano technicians.  This is not intended for super in-depth technical analysis, nor micro measurements; just general knowledge for those who are interested in how a piano works.

Little Things

Just about anyone who knows me, knows I like 'little things'...little pianos, miniature quilts, tiny little buttons.  I could go on and on.   I particularly like our little "Baby Grand" paper clip holder.

How cute is this? 



Sometimes in life, it's the little things that make you smile.   :)

Hammer Flanges

Technical Tuesday - Hammer Flanges

One more component to the Hammer Assembly!  The flange is such a small, unassuming component, but a very important member of the assembly as a whole.

Hammer Assembly

The flange attaches the hammer assembly to the action rail, and it's primary purpose is to line the hammer up and hold it in the correct position to strike the corresponding string.

In most piano actions, the hammer flange is made of wood, however, some piano actions have hammer flanges made of carbon fiber composite. 

Traditional Wooden Flange (see the hinge on the right side?)

Carbon Fiber Composite Flange (holding the hammer assembly to the action rail)

The hinge motion of the hammer flange is directly correlated to the touch of the piano's keys.  This motion is a key element in controlling the motion of the hammer as it strikes the string.  If you're interested in specifics, 2-3 grams of friction is ideal for the hinge.  If there is too much friction (too tight), the hammer will have difficulty in repeating; if there is not enough friction (too loose), the hammer is unable to strike the string the same way each time.  Either way, the player is unable to control the hammer if the friction in the hammer flange hinge isn't spot on.

There!  Now, aren't you glad you asked about hammer flanges?  

See you on the 18th for the next Technical Tuesday.  There's another component - can you guess it?  We have them on our hands and feet!

DISCLAIMER:  The yada yada as the other Technical Tuesdays.  :)

 

Humidity & Your Piano

Things got a little crazy around here this week, so we are having Technical Tuesday...on Wednesday.  :)

Your piano is made primarily of wood, which is not only beautiful, but a very versatile material.  This means your piano is also affected by humidity and climate changes.  Seasonal changes in humidity can cause wood parts to swell and shrink, affecting tuning stability and touch.  Humidity also affects the leather and felt materials in the piano's action, causing changes in dimension that affect regulation and friction.

What can you do to minimize humidity?

The first and most simple of precautions you can take is to position your piano away from areas where it would be exposed to extremes of temperature and humidity such as heating and cooling vents, stoves, doors and windows.  Direct sunlight is especially damaging.  If your home is not well insulated, an interior wall is preferable to an outside wall.

Controlling the humidity levels within your home is another step.  To monitor and measure the relative humidity changes in your home, moderately priced hygrometers are available at many home supply stores.

A practical solution to humidity problems in your home is to have a humidity control system installed in the piano itself.  The system has 3 parts:  a humidifier for adding moisture to the air, a dehumidifier for eliminating excess moisture, and a humidistat/control unit which senses the relative humidity of the air within the piano.  The humidistat/control unit activates the system to add or remove moisture only as needed.  The system is designed to maintain a relative humidity of 42%.  All components are installed out of view, and are very easy to maintain with minimal instruction.

How do you know if you need a humidity control system?

Your piano will tell you.  That bears repeating:  Your piano will tell you.  If you experience changes in the touch of the action, if your piano goes out of tune quickly after tuning service, or if you are noticing condensation on the metal parts of your piano, speak with your Technician.  Humidity may not be the only culprit.  Your experienced Technician will know best how to advise you.

Technical Tuesdays - Hammer Assembly, Part 2

Today's all important question:  When is it not cool to be "Feeling Groovy" ?

Answer:  When you're a piano hammer.

Remember the pictures of the piano hammers in Part 1?  Nicely smooth, densely packed wool fibers in a pleasing oval shape; the piano hammer head is a vital contributor to the voice of each and every piano no matter if the piano is old or new.

When a piano is played,  as each key is depressed the corresponding hammer strikes the string.  The physical impact of this action begins to compact the fibers of the hammer head from Day 1, wear away the material and eventually grooves begin to form.  The pictures below show how piano hammers can change with wear:

Deeply grooved hammers, viewed from a bird's eye perspective.

Deeply grooved hammers, viewed head on. 

Because these changes happen ever so slowly over a long period of time, often folks don't even realize their piano's tone has changed.

The next time your piano is tuned, ask your technician to check the condition of your piano's hammers.  Your piano may not be giving you all the rich, beautiful tone it is capable of.

"The Disclaimer" - Technical Tuesdays are intended to give folks who are curious about pianos a bit more understanding of all those technical terms thrown about by piano technicians.  This is not intended for super in depth technical analysis, nor micro measurements; just general knowledge for those who are interested in how a piano works.

Technical Tuesday - Hammer Assembly, Part 1

This week it's all about the piano hammer assembly and it's parts 'n pieces. Let's work our way down from the hammer head to the flange:

There are 88 of these little babies on most pianos, whether you have a grand or vertical.  For our discussion here, all pictures are from a grand piano hammer assembly.  Let's take a closer look at each part and what it is:

Hammer Head:  The hammer head consists of a wooden core (can be made of different types of wood), and the dense material known as the felt.  Hammer heads are not all created equal, as there different qualities and densities of felt.  The hammer head is generally ovoid in shape, and attached to the wooden core either by adhesive and/or a very small staple.  As you can see from the pictures, some hammers have a second layer of 'underfelting' which departs an additional tonal quality to the hammer head. 

The felt material that makes up the hammer's head is vitally important, as it is a contributing factor to the voice of the piano (more on this in Part 2 next week).

Hammer Shank:  A flexible, traditionally round shaped shaft that brings the head of the hammer to the proper placing when striking the string.  Shanks can also be made of differing types of wood.  Some are even now available in a carbon fiber material (zoom, zoom!).  Shanks vary in dimension and size, depending on the manufacturer's design of the piano action as a whole.

Knuckle:  (Knuckle applies to grand pianos; the comparable component on a vertical piano is the Butt)  A small round component, the knuckle is located at the lower end of the hammer shank and is traditionally covered in buckskin.  The knuckle rests on top of the jack, which controls the velocity of the movement of the hammer from its resting point to the point where it strikes the string.  The velocity of this movement is determined by the speed and pressure applied to the piano keys by the player.

Hammer Flange:  This is an important piece of this puzzle, as it holds the entire hammer assembly in place on the action rail for correct alignment, assuring the hammer will strike the string(s) in precisely the correct place for optimum touch and tone.

So, there you have it - Piano Hammer Assembly 101.  Now that we've identified the components, we'll get a little more in depth next week in Part 2.

"The Disclaimer"  Technical Tuesdays are intended to give folks who are curious about pianos a bit more understanding of all those technical terms  thrown about by technicians.  This is not intended for super in depth micro measurements, just general knowledge for those who are interested in how a piano works. 

Technical Tuesday - Piano Lid Props

The grand piano's lid is supported by...you guessed it...the Lid Prop (also called the Lid Stick - both terms are used interchangeably as will be obvious between the text and pictures below).

The lid prop performs the important function of supporting the grand piano lid to allow the escape of all that beautiful music you are playing. And, as physics would have it, the longer the piano, the heavier the lid. The heavier the lid, the more important it is to make sure the right prop is in the right cup if you have more than one option on your grand piano.

Some grand pianos have 2 lid props, some even have 3! However many lid props your grand piano has, matching the correct prop with the correct cup on the underside of the lid can save you a real headache later.

The most important of the lid props is the LONG ONE! Let me say that just one more time, the LONG ONE! Neglecting to place the long lid prop in the correct cup creates instability in supporting the grand piano lid when it is in the full raised position, and even the smallest movement can result in the prop popping out of the cup & then you know what happens! No kidding, have you ever heard the lid of a 9 ft. concert grand slam shut? Can you imagine the force of it and goodness gracious, what if you happened to be standing there with your hand on the rim right about that same time?!? (shudder) Let's not even begin to think of the damage the lid slamming shut could potentially do to the piano.

Let's take a little tour, shall we?

Two props are very commonly seen on today's grand pianos. The shorter one typically nestles right into the body of the longer one when it is not being utilized.

The long lid prop is correctly placed in its corresponding cup (away from the edge of the lid). You can see how it supports the lid nicely.

Incorrectly placed, the long lid prop cannot provide stable support for the grand piano lid (even baby grand lids are heavy) and can easily pop out.

Here the short prop is in its correct cup (the one closest to the lid edge) to properly support the grand piano lid in its lower position closer to the body of the piano.

Here you can see this grand piano has 3 props. The medium sized prop nestles down into the body of the long prop when not in use, while the short brass prop resides alongside the long prop.

Notice how the middle and short prop cups are offset in their placement on the underside of the lid? This ensures the when you place any of the 3 props, they are in the correct cup to support the lid. Pretty nifty, don't you agree?

However, lid props aren't just for grand pianos! Vertical pianos have gotten in on the act in recent years:

Having a small lid prop on your vertical piano allows for even more enjoyment of the music as it escapes the confines of the cabinet while the piano is being played.

So, prop up those lids, Kids, and let the music sing!