Position of the hammers relative to the strings

Member

Posts: 4
City: Como

March 23, 2024, 00:49

Good morning,

i have a couple of questions regarding hammers in general, which I had never considered before.

I have a Yamaha LU-101 from the '90s, on which I graduated, as well as a brand new U1 I just bought, and I am "having fun" observing the similarities and differences between the two.

I noticed in both that the hammers (grooved in the first, barely hinted at in the second after 4 months of use) do not always strike their own strings quite symmetrically relative to the center of their felt, but - and this is especially evident for those that strike three strings each - one might do so, another strikes them more "shifted" to the right, someone with the third string impacting almost on the edge of the felt, etc...

I was wondering why there is this variability, and if it could in principle affect the intensity of the sound produced... but then I thought that, while the strings are rigidly anchored in their positions, the hammers, despite appearing perfectly aligned with each other, are nonetheless a "physiologically" less rigid system and, to use a play on words, "each thinks for itself"... so in fact these small individual differences do not alter the homogeneity of the sound at all, as long as they "catch" all three (or two, or one) of their strings anyway. Is this correct?

Furthermore: it seems to me that (or perhaps it is just my impression...) compared to the old LU-101, in the U1 the una corda pedal brings the hammers closer to the strings a little less (and similarly it seems to me that the resonance pedal moves the dampers a little less), even if the auditory effect is almost identical, in fact slightly greater in the new U1, but still quite minimal... and despite the similarities, they are different models. I was wondering regarding this: would it be technically possible to regulate the una corda pedal so as to bring the hammers closer to the strings to help more with the pianissimo?

I also have a third curiosity: I noticed that - in both my pianos, but also in others I have seen recently, not just Yamaha - both the vertical lid of the strings and that of the keyboard are slightly (a couple of millimeters) shifted towards the left axis. Therefore, I think this is generally a constant construction characteristic related to the assembly phase, is that correct?

Finally, I wanted to know if in this forum (which is the most professional and detailed Italian resource I have found on the web so far on the subject) there is a section dedicated to instrument cleaning.

While I didn't have any problems regarding this with my old LU-101, also because being walnut colored and with a rather thick gloss I almost never noticed small marks in backlight, on the new U1 "polished ebony" (i.e., polished black) I noticed that it is very, very easy to create them on the surface polyester layer, even simply by passing a microfiber cloth or a finger horizontally due to the dragged dust particles...

So, first of all, I have decided to tend to use only a Swiffer duster to remove the dust as gently as possible, and - only for example for the most unsightly "fingerprints" - to use a microfiber cloth, but only after having dusted beforehand.

In case I wanted to try to remove some already formed marks of the kind mentioned above (which are anyway only visible in backlight up close and not normally), could you advise me? For example, a silicone-based product to "seal" them? I saw regarding this that there is a Yamaha product called Unicon, but my dealer did not provide any information about it.

Thank you very much for your patience and for the answers... moreover, I have already been answered previously on two other requests and I take this opportunity to thank you here! It hasn't been long since I started thinking more about the construction details of the instrument... being a pianist and teacher, I have always dealt almost "only" with playing and correctly transmitting the principles of piano technique!

I apologize for the prolixity...

Thanks again, and have a good weekend!

Andrea Leoni

pianoexpert

Moderator

Posts: 3,876
City: rocca di papa

March 23, 2024, 16:36

You are a very attentive person and have noticed the decentering of some hammers. This certainly affects the sound quality, just as the lack of simultaneity with which the hammer strikes the two or three strings affects the sound. However, if the hammers themselves are already marked by the strings, even minimally, they cannot be recentered, otherwise you will obtain timbral diversity! One should not even think, as some technicians suggest, about "shaving" the hammer rail. Personally, I am absolutely against this! Removing part of the hammer structure means getting too close to the wooden core, accelerating excessive hardness and the end of life for the entire hammer rail. Furthermore, if—as is often improperly done—the shape of the hammers themselves is distorted, for example by rounding them on the high notes, the striking point becomes uncertain, the distance of the striking point relative to the capstan is altered, and the entire geometry of the action is altered (with a consequent loss of energy).

For the piano pedal, it is entirely possible to adjust the lift of the let-off that brings the hammers closer to the strings. Simply act on the nut of the relevant pedal.

For polyester, use old cloth; never wool! A few small scratches can be removed with Car Polish or at most with very fine polishing abrasive paste.

Fingerprints are removed the next day (once the greasy part has dried) using only cotton cloth. Avoid microfibers and dusters over a long period of time. (The Swiffer duster is antistatic because it is greasy!)

For deeper marks, there are kits with two-component black pigment, but they are very difficult to use and therefore I do not recommend them. You can fill a few small deep spots using glossy black paint as a touch-up, with a small brush.

I understand the total dedication to teaching. In the past, I taught a lot. Over time, I have developed an interest in the correlation between the proper functioning of the piano and the development of piano technique. Even today, I wonder how some Conservatories (and not just them) do not periodically maintain the pianos provided. Flattened hammers and flattened repetitions as well, out of regulation, out of intonation, out of tune... no piano in this state can help a student understand what they must do to overcome this or that passage! Understanding immediately whether our dissatisfactions depend on us or on the instrument we are playing is, I believe, fundamental. I talk about this in my Video Tutorials, and these concepts sparked the desire to create this site and this FORUM.

Good work

torrese57

Member

Posts: 17
City: casorate sempione

March 31, 2024, 10:50

Good morning, in my opinion the funds destined for conservatories are poorly spent and diverted by private interests!