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I recently purchased a rebuilt 1933 Steinway A3. Per the rebuilder recommendation, the piano was only refinished and re-strung.The action was rebuilt around 30 years ago, and the hammers didn't show signs of excessive wear, thus no work was done on the action. The piano was delivered last week. I asked our local Steinway dealer to send their tech to tune the piano and do some voicing and regulations. The technician who also happens to be a concert tech, told me that the position of the hammers are wrong. He had a measure from Steinway that showed where the hammers are supposed to be and the hammers needed to be lifted up to that specific position. He mentioned for changing the position of each hammer, he needs to adjust around 28 different things. He gave me a quote for regulation which is quite expensive.
I would like to hear the experts opinion about this. should I pay the high price tag to get this fixed.
I also have a second question, does my piano have the Accelerated Action?
thanks
Last edited by onlysteinway; 05/14/13 02:04 AM.
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It may be that your piano needs regulating. It is impossible to tell how badly it is out of regulation without seeing it. What the technician told you sounds excessively dire, as regulation is routine maintenance. Also, Steinway specifies the distance the hammer is from the string by the amount of aftertouch, not by a specific measurement. You should get other bids for the work.
I believe that your piano is too early for the Accelerated Action. Chances are you will not notice a difference. No other manufacturer uses it, and yet somehow they survive.
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It may be that your piano needs regulating. It is impossible to tell how badly it is out of regulation without seeing it. What the technician told you sounds excessively dire, as regulation is routine maintenance. Also, Steinway specifies the distance the hammer is from the string by the amount of aftertouch, not by a specific measurement. You should get other bids for the work.
I believe that your piano is too early for the Accelerated Action. Chances are you will not notice a difference. No other manufacturer uses it, and yet somehow they survive. Thanks for your quick response. The Accelerated Action patent was granted on October 13th, 1931. How quickly Steinway implemented these patents in the manufacturing?
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It may be that your piano needs regulating. It is impossible to tell how badly it is out of regulation without seeing it. What the technician told you sounds excessively dire, as regulation is routine maintenance. Also, Steinway specifies the distance the hammer is from the string by the amount of aftertouch, not by a specific measurement. You should get other bids for the work.
I believe that your piano is too early for the Accelerated Action. Chances are you will not notice a difference. No other manufacturer uses it, and yet somehow they survive. Thanks for your quick response. The Accelerated Action patent was granted on October 13th, 1931. How quickly Steinway implemented these patents in the manufacturing? I concur with BDB. It honestly does not matter whether your piano has it or not.
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I recently purchased a rebuilt 1933 Steinway A3. Per the rebuilder recommendation, the piano was only refinished and re-strung.The action was rebuilt around 30 years ago, and the hammers didn't show signs of excessive wear, thus no work was done on the action. The piano was delivered last week. I asked our local Steinway dealer to send their tech to tune the piano and do some voicing and regulations. The technician who also happens to be a concert tech, told me that the position of the hammers are wrong. He had a measure from Steinway that showed where the hammers are supposed to be and the hammers needed to be lifted up to that specific position. He mentioned for changing the position of each hammer, he needs to adjust around 28 different things. He gave me a quote for regulation which is quite expensive.
I would like to hear the experts opinion about this. should I pay the high price tag to get this fixed.
I also have a second question, does my piano have the Accelerated Action?
thanks Making a complete regulation on an old instrument can take a few days, but what may really cause trouble is if the hammers are not well centered under the choir. If not a rough regulation job is done relatively fast. If the damper rise is not correct (perfectly even with the pedal, ) this may add also some work. With new strings , the damper felt should be new, but seem to me that on the NY models the felts at the back of the key wear fast, then it is good to change theme (and not use the cheap grade felt I often see there, as it will wear fast) Hammer stroke distance could be different from the book and perfect for the action, I am not sure of the argument. Then under "action rebuild" I have seen so many things done, some really wrong for a good touch
Last edited by Olek; 05/14/13 08:16 AM.
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You should break your 'onlysteinway' namesake and get an independent tech to look at it. Steinway-dealer-affiliated techs have to uphold the Steinway mystique, and so will inflate the importance and complexity of maintenence tasks and overcharge. IMHO, of course 
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May be charge more but they are the only ones who know how to regulate Steinways, here anyway.
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The old Steinway regulation manual covers both uprights and grands. Not sure if it is still in print.
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Greetings,
If that action was "rebuilt" 30 years ago and nothing done to it since, it is totally out of regulation. No other way. An action will settle out of regulation without any play if left alone for that amount of time.(felt and leather pack down, friction changes).
As far as the hammer being out of place, the STeinway specs don't really fit all their pianos. The plate heights are too inconsistent for hard and fast figures to give the best performance. The blow distance must allow suitable aftertouch with a range of key dip that can vary from .380" to .430". It takes a tech that understands the relationships between blow, dip, and customer to get these pianos at their optimum. Go play one that the tech has recently regulated. If they haven't regulated a piano in the last month, find someone else.
regards,
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What is it about the way the piano plays and sounds that the proposed work is supposed to remedy? That is the question for you and your tech. If you don't notice any problems and you have adequate experience playing well prepared and maintained pianos, then what result are you paying for?
In a seemingly infinite universe-infinite human creativity is-seemingly possible.
According to NASA, 93% of the earth like planets possible in the known universe have yet to be formed.
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Interesting to note this contradiction in the original posting. First the rebuilder; no mention if the rebuilder is connected to Steinway. Per the rebuilder recommendation, the piano was only refinished and re-strung.The action was rebuilt around 30 years ago, and the hammers didn't show signs of excessive wear, thus no work was done on the action. Then a Steinway dealer tech gets involved;
I asked our local Steinway dealer to send their tech to tune the piano and do some voicing and regulations. The technician who also happens to be a concert tech, told me that the position of the hammers are wrong. He had a measure from Steinway that showed where the hammers are supposed to be and the hammers needed to be lifted up to that specific position. He mentioned for changing the position of each hammer, he needs to adjust around 28 different things. He gave me a quote for regulation which is quite expensive.
I would like to hear the expert’s opinion about this. Should I pay the high price tag to get this fixed?
For me I would search out a third opinion of someone who has no connection to the previous two.
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The old Steinway regulation manual covers both uprights and grands. Not sure if it is still in print. Manuals are not enough, even if there is a good one provided by S&S NY. On Hamburg instruments, knowing the real tips can make an instrument rise from "passable" to very good. Also the Steinway touch and Steinway tone goes together. I am sorry to say so but real experience with the adapted prep method is really makung a difference in the end. Then indeed some tech will do more, some less, charge more, charge less. Could be negociated, but each time I see a Steinway precedently repaired , I have 2 -4 days work, often doing things that where incorrectly done. Many techs do not even position and travel the hamners correctly, as on new hammers,mating or position mistakes are not noticed, this is left aside "for later" , eventually. And then hammer wear is uneven, no UC voicing is possible, as regulating a car when suspension is uneven...
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Foo Foo specialist
I wish to add some kind and sensitive phrase but nothing comes to mind.!
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The piano was rebuilt in California and shipped to Canada. How important it is that the tech is familiar with older Steinways? can I ask a good tech with less experience on Steinways to regulate my piano? with what the Steinway tech is asking, I can buy a used Yamaha vertical.
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I have Steinway manuals from about 1950, 1970, and the current one. The regulation specs have not changed.
You can certainly ask for other estimates. There is nothing specific to Steinways that a good tech should not be familiar with, even without having a lot of experience with them. However, Steinway grands are relatively common, so most techs are familiar with them already.
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There is nothing specific to Steinways that a good tech should not be familiar with, even without having a lot of experience with them. However, Steinway grands are relatively common, so most techs are familiar with them already. This is worth repeating!
Marty in Minnesota
It's much easier to bash a Steinway than it is to play one.
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The piano was rebuilt in California and shipped to Canada. How important it is that the tech is familiar with older Steinways? can I ask a good tech with less experience on Steinways to regulate my piano? with what the Steinway tech is asking, I can buy a used Yamaha vertical. In my experience, no, I have seen Steinways rebuilb by Boesendorfer specialist, or by old French puanos specialists, ... No. The same apply in the other direction : I have seen a Boesendorfer partially rebuild at Hamburg ... No. That said, goid tech mean Steinway soecialist, most often, so your question is answered.
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Foo Foo specialist
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There is nothing specific to Steinways that a good tech should not be familiar with, even without having a lot of experience with them. However, Steinway grands are relatively common, so most techs are familiar with them already. This is worth repeating! Please gimme some help. A good tech will alwaus know vhow to do a basic job without hurting something, but so many details in those strange beasts , I would not give a first grade instrument in the hands of some... Yet for the tone, if you do not know it you cannot get it. But may ne NY instruments are more basic.
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Foo Foo specialist
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The old Steinway regulation manual covers both uprights and grands. Not sure if it is still in print. Manuals are not enough, even if there is a good one provided by S&S NY. On Hamburg instruments, knowing the real tips can make an instrument rise from "passable" to very good... True  . While helpful to have, manuals only cover the requisite basics. A good tech can help an instrument achieve greatness. As one concert pianist was reported to have said: "the difference between a Steinway and a good Steinway."
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Steinways are not certainly common in my city. Yamahas are.
Now I am confused, some of you are saying that I need a tech with lots of experience with Steinways, some are saying Steinways are not different from other pianos. What should I do?
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Steinways are not certainly common in my city. Yamahas are.
Now I am confused, some of you are saying that I need a tech with lots of experience with Steinways, some are saying Steinways are not different from other pianos. What should I do? You need a tech with significant experience doing high-level work. If they've never seen a S&S before, they may take a little longer to achieve optimum performance but they needn't have the majority of their experience on S&S. Here's a newsflash: The laws of physics are not owned by any particular manufacturer, brand or marque. Even regardless of implicit claims to the contrary.
Keith Akins, RPT
Piano Technologist
USA Distributor for Isaac Cadenza hammers and Profundo Bass Strings
Supporting Piano Owners D-I-Y piano tuning and repair
editor emeritus of Piano Technicians Journal
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