Rebuilding Whippens

Recently much has been said about the proper definition of a rebuilt piano. The older parts do not have to be replaced but must come up to the standards set by the manufacturer for the new part. I would like to concentrate on one part frequently replaced by rebuilders - the whippen. There are several reasons that I have not to replace parts but to rebuild them instead.

First, there is the convenience of not having to adapt parts possibly not made for the particular piano or that are not the same quality or size as the originals. Secondly, because of excessive action noise caused by teflon - I simply refuse to install Teflon bushed whippens into an old Steinway. Even if no definite clicks are present, there is still detectable noise in teflon whippens.

The ultimate product of a note played on a properly pinned, bushed and regulated piano is simply a bell-like tone escaping from the instrument with no evidence of mechanical means; and this can be more closely achieved with a cloth-bushed whippen.

Prior to regulation, a properly restored whippen saves on regulation and troubleshooting time, with no action noises to track down.

Lastly, the intrinsic value of the instrument, which may not be an antique now, but may be in 50 years has to be considered. Basically, antique collectors see the most value in a piece that has never been refinished or changed by a later craftsman. The highest prices paid for an antique of any sort are those for pieces in original condition. This has to be tempered of course by the function of an instrument. We want a piano to be playable with the least amount of change in the original design so that future generations will have examples of late 19th and early 20th Century instruments as close to the original as possible.

The first step is to space the hammers to the strings. This will insure that after removal whippens can be replaced accurately. Number all whippens upon removal. In many cases you will be replacing screws with a slightly larger one for a tight fit, but if you plan to save them keep them in order.

Usually an initial dusting off is required just forclose examination of the part. This can be done prior to removal with an air compressor of after removal with a soft paint brush by hand. I use three-sided action trays with a row of numbered screw holes in the back for easy transportation of parts around the shop. Remove all felt and cloth that you have determined has to be disposed of for reasons of wear, moth holes, etc. Clean the spring slot with a toothpick or other wooden scraping tool and regraphite with a No. 3 pencil. Examine the spring to determine if it is too severely bent or corroded to use. New springs are available from supply houses. Remove the centre pin first if one exists (some only have the cloth bushing) and ream the hole.

The new spring should be threaded on the bushing cloth as it passes through the hole in the wood. Usually the springs can be cleaned with either very fine steel wool or metal cleaner. Use of the metal cleaner (Noxon) avoids any possibility of scratching the surface of the spring that rides in the slot.

Frictionless contact between the spring and the slot is crucial. Many times the reason the spring does not make the hammer walk up properly is that ...

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Pre-Voicing

When confronted by tone problems, many piano technicians seem overly anxious to find a quick remedy by using voicing needles or lacquer. Both needling and lacquering are important elements in the over-all voicing picture; a skilled technician must know when and how to use voicing needles, as well as how to prepare and use lacquer solutions for hammer hardening. The point is this: both these methods are ultimately destructive to hammer felt, and shouldn’t be used until all other possible solutions have been explored. What are some of the things to check before we begin to needle or lacquer?

A. Before thinking about voicing we must make sure the piano is well tuned. We all have had clients comment upon the remarkable change in tone or volume after a good, solid tuning. A major pitch change will most assuredly change a piano’s voice, so tune it first. As part of our preliminary tuning procedure we must consider several areas which can affect tone:

1) Tighten all plate screws.

2) Seat strings properly, using a wooden or brass tool to tap them down on bridges, aliquots, duplex bars, and counter-bearing bars. This can clear up false beats, and clean up a muddy sounding tone.

3) At this time, check and, if necessary, correct the tuning of the duplex scale - if the instrument has one. You may notice a brighter, louder tone when the duplex strings properly reinforce the harmonic structure of a given note.

4) We also double check the location and tension of stringing braid. A minor point, but one which can either add or eliminate high partials without using needles.

B. Next, we consider the role of proper action regulation in piano tone-building. Perhaps this is an obvious point, but sometimes we overlook regulation problems and are quick to blame hard or soft hammers, old strings, etc., for tonal problems. Some areas of regulation seem to have a greater effect on the tone we hear:

1) Of primary importance in this area is the bedding of the keyframe. This foundation for all our regulation has a very direct influence on what the artist hears, both physically and psychologically. Generally, an improperly bedded keyframe will cause loss of power and consequent loss of tone.

 2) Another major item to check here is the proper hammer striking point, especially in the high treble. Many a hammer has been unnecessarily hardened, when the problem was really an incorrect strike point. Check by experimenting- results here are immediately obvious.

3) Travelling of hammers and shanks can affect tone, so do this work carefully.

4) Of utmost importance is the actual hammer-string contact point: each hammer must hit its strings squarely and simultaneously. Space the hammers to the strings. File the hammers if necessary to remove dead felt, and to provide a perfectly level surface at the strike point. Later, we will discuss filing to bring up volume and brilliance.

After checking that the hammers are level, we check for level strings. String levelling is much over-looked, both by manufacturers and technicians. Here is an area that can dramatically improve tone. The symptom of an unlevel unison is an unclean, almost buzzing sound. It can also seem like a false beat, and can make tuning difficult.

Check all unisons by pulling the hammer up to the strings and blocking it there. Use either a hook to support the shank from the bottom, or use the method of pushing up on the bottom of the jack and not allowing let-off to occur.

When the hammer is blocked in such a fashion, the strings are individually plucked. It is immediately apparent if one or more strings is not level. The high strings will sound, while low strings will be deadened by the hammer. Carefully lift all low strings to the level of the high strings. Use a tool available from supply houses (string lifter) or make yourself a stringing hook using heavy gauge music wire epoxied into a handle of some sort. 

In string levelling we are actually pulling up and slightly bending the wire near the agraffe or cape bar. This technique is easily learned and is an important part of pre-voicing. (An added bonus of level strings comes when we regulate dampers- especially in fine adjustment of the tri-chord wedges.)

C. The piano can be well tuned and properly regulated, but still lack volume or brilliance. Don’t lacquer yet. If there is plenty of felt on the hammers, another filing can increase tone quickly. Getting down closer to the hammer molding, the layers of felt are harder and can create a more brilliant tone. This is especially useful to bring up sound in the high treble.

Some manufacturers count on the technician to remove...

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Concert Piano Preparation – part 2 (Conclusion)

The primary concerns in concert voicing are evenness (funny how often that word comes up in piano work, isn’t it?) and colour flexibility. By evenness, of course, I mean that notes should not stand out from their neighbours by being either too powerful and brilliant or too soft and mellow. By colour flexibility, I mean that the tone should be able to change to meet the artist’s needs. For instance, a note should sound mellow or “pearly” when played pianissimo, but should sound brighter and have more “bite” when played at louder levels. The best way to achieve these results in voicing is to start out with good quality hammers and a solid regulation, then follow the tried-and-true methods laid out in Franz Rudolf Dietz’s “Grand Voicing “(1). Short-cut voicing methods may make a quick and obvious difference in a piano’s sound, and may be fine for some home pianos, but I prefer the slower and more controllable traditional voicing techniques, especially when dealing with fine concert instruments.

Because pianists do not all have the same preference as to piano tone, no one piano and no one voicing are going to keep everyone totally happy. I recall attending a piano recital where a faculty friend approached me at intermission and said, “Steve, I think your piano is too bright.” Another friend, overhearing, said, “I think it sounds gorgeous. It’s perfect!” A few minutes later, I ran into a technician friend who thought the piano sounded nice, ‘but it could stand to be a bit brighter.” Three different people, three different opinions. That incident taught me not to take any one person’s opinion too seriously. Naturally, the best approach to voicing pianos that are used by a wide variety of performers is to keep the hammers in good shape (some technicians file the hammers after every performance!) and keep the sound as even as possible. I try to make the overall tone quality match my conception of what a piano should sound like, always remembering that it’s generally better to err in the direction of “too brilliant” rather than “too dull” where a concert piano is concerned. If a particular artist requests changes in a piano’s voicing, I will usually attempt to meet that request, but now we’re entering the realm of “working with people.”

The Artist

Whenever possible, I like to meet with the pianist during the piano selection process. If the artist has chosen the piano prior to coming to the hall (some choose a piano solely by brand name), or if there is no choice available, I try to meet the artist at the beginning of rehearsal time, when the pianist is first trying the instrument. I introduce myself, ask the performer if there are any problems with the piano, and after any necessary discussion, I leave.

Where voicing is requested, I prefer to have the pianist present while I voice the piano. This approach helps eliminate misunderstandings, especially when I can get the pianist to participate with me in the process by trying the piano after each stint of needling or filing. If for some reason the pianist can’t be on hand for this type of work or to try the piano after the voicing is done, I’ve found he or she is usually reluctant to have any work done besides tuning. That’s for a good reason: they would rather know exactly what to expect when they sit down to play at concert time. (2)

Other People

Besides the artist, we often deal with promoters, stage managers and stage hands. The rule with all these people is...

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