Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Can someone identify this baby grand?

When buying a small grand piano to work on, especially in the UK, it's important to make sure that it has a full repetition action, not the cut-down D-Type Spring & Loop action. I'm sure rXd will agree with me that in the UK there are plenty of those around. I don't know if there are many in the USA though. They were fitted to small, cheaper grand pianos.

Well I never quit learning that's for sure. I will be sure to check out the repetition mechanism for baby grands then.

While an education in the various types of action is a good thing, condemning them out of hand is another.

A powerful experience of mine was being guests for a few days at a large monastery with a well known concert pianist for a few fundraising recitals. The piano turned out to be a single action 5'+ grand and We were already there and obligated.

After two x four hour sessions, the piano turned out to be better than it had any right to be in tone quality and playability and, as it was played by a consummate pianist, it was remarkable and surprised us all.

One important thing with these actions is, because there is no drop mechanism, to adjust the rudimentary 'repetition' spring, however it is configured, so that it holds the hammer at 1/16"+ drop.

I don't think I ever came across one of those single grand actions that Broadwoods made so many of in my thirty years in the 'States, however, In the 1980's USA, I purchased a gorgeous 6'3" Blüthner 'patent action' grand for next to nothing. It had been part exchanged (traded in) for a new piano at a travelling warehouse sale and had travelled the country being offered for sale and at every sales venue, roundly condemned by all the technicians that saw it as less than useless because they didn't understand the action.

Now, in part thanks to websites like this, those pianos are in demand and better understood. If the parts are in good condition or can be put in good condition or replaced, a fine piano can be produced. Again, an aspect of these which I don't find mentioned in the regulation instructions published for them but taught to me by a technician who was trained when those actions were still being made, is to adjust the L-shaped spring to give a 1/16" non bouncing, solid feeling drop.

The pinning has to be the right resistance and the really old ones actually had hammer shank centres that were adjustable. The bushings were in the flange and had one saw cut from both of them that could be opened and closed with one grubscrew close to the normal action screw. I only ever saw one and it may have been experimental but wouldn't that be a great thing to have nowadays? There might just be a niche market for someone who can produce reliable aftermarket adjustable friction shanks/ flanges.

You heard of it here first!!!

I totally agree. What I had in mind was that someone wanting to obtain an inexpensive grand so as to practice grand action regulation, might get an unfortunate surprise if they discovered that the piano they bought doesn't have a full repetition action.

I think it's fair to say also, that the UK industry tended to put the D-Type Spring & Loop actions in the cheapest of their grand pianos, which could also be victims of other cost-saving strategies, and therefore just not very good pianos.

Anyone got pictures of these D-Type Spring & Loop actions? So I can see the difference?

Yes, let me find link on my website!

http://pianopinions.tumblr.com/search/D+type+spring+%26+loop+action