It is black magic. Every piano is different in regards to manufacture, age, type, wear and tear. It is tedious, slow and frustrating. It is never straight forward and if you don’t do it on a regular basis and have good skills you will go nuts.
Exactly! I've been watching tutorial videos for literally months now.... and notwithstanding my best efforts - I still had many questions. Being confused led me to analysis paralysis...and I was stuck. Until I saw this video. Your concise, detailed / informative approach works perfectly. You give just the right amount of information, explaining some background, while skipping all the superlatives and historical narratives. All the other videos left me with "information fatigue", or a lot of questions. So, thank you!!! I assume you perform each step sequentially across the entire action, rather than taking each key through all steps, before moving to the next key, correct?
Congratulations, Alex! Hello from California. Great to have you in the Trade. There aren't enough of us. One of the best pieces of wisdom i learned early from from an L.A. Tech, David Andersen, (R.I.P.), a huge key to success is understanding the relationship between the client and their piano. It matters, even if it's want most Techs would call "junk". I have learned a lot working on old pianos. I remember rescuing an old Lester on life support because it meant something to the client. Nothing like working on high-end Pianos, but there is no shame in working on old uprights and spinets in order to refine your skills. Last thing, ANY Brian Tracy success books you can get your hands on are worth every dime. "Goals!' is a good one to start with. 👍👍
@@awride01 Good to meet you, Alex. I have many of Brian Tracy's books. "The Science of Self-Confidence" is another good one. This trade can be trying sometimes, as you troubleshoot, trying to resolve issues. You can tell yourself, "I like myself, I LOVE my work, and I am a great Piano Technician!". Mega confidence booster! "I never give up! I never quit!" 😃 It works, believe me!!!
Thank you so much for this video!! Regulating is the worst part of restoring pianos for me and I'm so grateful for this simple explanation of the regulating process!!
With the high cost of paying someone for piano regulation, I'm only using this to help me start regulating my own piano. I bought it for cheaper, and knew it wouldn't be perfect, so here I am haha.
Very helpful overview. I'm a newer technician, and have taken a more extensive action regulating class, which was great but a little overwhelming. Your concise instruction demystified much of the complexity of the process for me.
This video is a huge gift! Thank you for showing this process! This helps me to understand the grand regulation processes that I am reading about in resource books and is hugely helpful for someone like me who is studying to be a piano technician!
This is a good video! A lot of comments seems to come from people who has a good bit of experience. This action is in good shape already regulated. There is quite a bit of work to get it that point. Unless it’s in good shape regulation wise when you start. Asian piano actions don’t change much from piano to bench. On American piano actions some change from piano to bench meaning redoing some reg. Points. Some techs bed the action when in the piano. Along with other measurements. You can take the stack off. Put weights on the keys. Put key frame back in. For dip. setting key height samples etc. while the frame is on bench clean the bed lube key pins. Check for key checking when taking keys off. Making sure keys are free. In the beginning do all repairs first.
Thank you for this video, Michael. I love the PTG's 37 Steps of Grand Regulation. However, you totally simplified it. Thank you. I like your idea about setting drop before letoff. You covered 30 pages in about three minutes. Simplicity is genius. Much appreciated! 👍
Much appreciated. Working hard to complete a 1936 Steinway M restoration. Trying my best to stick with all of the original parts. I love the Guild, but sometimes, the information is difficult to assimilate. Outstanding video. Many great techs have great information to share (in the Journal), each with their own opinions about how to go about our work, but I have found that, ultimately, we have to do what is best for ourselves. I really needed to see this video. Best I've seen yet. And I've seen a lot! 👍 From the Southern California highlands, thank you so much!
Very cool. As the proud new owner of a baby Grand, I was a bit overwhelmed by the choices on RU-vid. After watching the first half of many, I found this one. Great combination of using "feel" as well as measurements. Nicely done.
Thank you so much for this video!! After watching this, I realize that the piano tech I hired did not do a good job. The action was clunky and difficult to play softly. After I, a beginner, regulated a full octave by myself with what I learned here, it played like a dream!
This video is a godsend! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything so carefully. I have purchased quite a bit of expensive reading material on piano tech but this video is so much easier to understand and follow! Are you planning to do some videos on needling and voicing? I’d love to see your method for softening/fine tuning sound on a piano! All the best!
Hey Gavin, thank you for the kind words! Glad you've found it useful. I do have a future video planned for more advanced voicing, the closest I have right now is the "Granny Voicing" video.
Este videotutorial es una maravilla como guía total y completa para regulación, calibración y ajuste de un pianos, no le hace falta nada lo tiene todo, gracias por la magnífica enseñanza que vale oro.
This was very interesting and educational. You explained it very clearly, I enjoyed it. Soon I'll be working on my own Yamaha C6, full of confidence because of all the things I've learned from you, thanks!
Hola Michael. Cómo estás. Te saludo desde Paraguay. Todos tus vídeos son muy demostrativos sencillos y muy fáciles de entender. Gracias por ayudarme a mejorar mis servicios y a contribuir en acercar la tecnología del piano a el público. Gracias por compartir tus conocimientos.
Great video. I was looking at all the measurements that have to be made across the length of the keyboard. I am thinking about designing a multi-laser system with millimeter scales/targets at each end. You adjust the laser positions for the keyboard being serviced, then adjust the keys and actions for the beam to just break (half on what is being measured and half at the far end target). This would get precision to about a 10th of millimeter. It would take only a few minutes to set up but making adjustments quicker and more accurate without having to hold guages in place. I was thinking lasers for: White keys up White keys down White keys after touch Black keys up Black keys down Black keys after touch Hammers at rest Hammers at peak (at a given key velocity) Hammers at escape (very slow velocity) Hammers at catch Hammer at repeat capture Hammer at repeat escape If I wanted to go all out: Calibrated Pressure Transducers on the string level and a calibrated velocity/force/distance solenoid on a movable sliding bench rail to articulate each key with perfection. Any other sugesstions?
Thanks! I’ve considered it, I’ve had a lot of people ask about it. What I did for now was I put a link in the video description to photos showing the measurements of it. Hope that helps for now but since I’ve had so much interest in it I think I’ll put something together in the future.
I am a hardware/software/electrical/mechanical engineer. I have retired and now 59 years old. I was thinking about becoming a piano technician. I play keyboards and bass and I think my technical attention to detail would suit me well to piano maintenance. How do I pursue this endeavor?
@@MrPianoTech Actually, thank you! With the help of your video and my copy of Reblitz's book, I am trying once again to see if I can finally manage to get this right on my Yamaha GB1K, which has been just last week terribly regulated and once again messed up completely by technicians. I am unfortunately in this situation since years, as there were a few weight/touch problems with my newly bought piano, and the interventions made by the piano technicians completely messed up the regulation. Thank you for your video.
@@MrPianoTech Hello! So after one week, and daily working on my GB1K, it feels now playable, and am quite happy with it. Fast passages seem to flow. Though I feel that the touch and sound of the hammer striking the strings is a bit on the percussive side, which was not the case earlier. I have regulated the let-off and drop around 1.5 and 3.5mm. Am not sure what could be the issue. Could you please help me? Thank you.
Hi. Thank you for the wonderful video! God bless you! One quastion please. I cant see the measurement very well on the photo that you show the bench. There are two levels of the hammer hit arrea. Other the bass and other the treble. Is this 11 cm? and the other? Warm regards
Hello! Are you looking for the measurements to build your own regulation table? If so, I posted a link in the description to photos I took showing the measurements of them. If you mean the difference in the height of the rail in the bass versus the treble section, that depends on the piano. The height of each section is determined by the measurements you take inside the piano, Keybed to the underneath of the strings, when you remove the action.
My english is bas sorry ,.About the base section you made, for the regulate. I understand that lever tool height, is in the hight of the strings. Τhe height is adjusted in this way as if the mechanism were inside the piano. So, if I want to make something similar for another piano, I will have to measure inside the piano between the distance of the strings and which point? Thanks you for the video, is very helpful.
my distance from hammer to the string at the left side is 21,5 but my hammer distance is not at 46mm. Is 50mm. Should I lower all the hammers to 46? .My problem is that when I play, very softly, the keyboard doesn't always pick up, it's like I have to put more power in a specific point otherwise it won't be heard. At this particular point, the keyboard also makes a click, but without sound, if I put less force than it wants.@@MrPianoTech Thank you for your time.
If your hammers are 50mm away from the strings that's likely too far. Try reducing the amount by moving the hammers closer to the strings by adjusting the capstan underneath the whippen. With the hammers a bit closer and the letoff set properly it should be easier to play. The hammer shanks should not be resting on the hammer rest felt rail, that's just for the rebound. If they're resting on that rail the hammers are too far away. Also, if that rail is set too low, or if it's loose, either the rail can make a tapping sound or the hammer shank may hit the adjustment screw that will adjust the repetition lever height. @@orfeastops1408
Hi Michael. How do you make sure the regulation you do on your table top will transfer to the piano? As I understand it, there are variations in each piano's keybed so the regulation you get on a flat tabletop may not transfer once the action is back in the piano, especially the bedding work that's done. Thanks!
Hello, thank you for your videos and greetings from Germany. I am a pianist and I bought an old Carl Mand piano but it sounds very good, I have been adjusting it and I noticed that the distance from the hammer to the strings is 51mm I reduced it to 44mm because I play repertoire with many repetitions by adjusting the capstan but sometimes it plays well and sometimes there are dead notes, also notice that the release button is closer (which modifies the escapement) so the notch feels "harder" when bringing the hammer closer to the string the knuckle is misaligned from the famous "magic line" Should I align this as you mention in your video apart from bringing the hammer closer to the string? If you see the machine in profile, it is easy in the first and last part because it is visible , but how do you do it in the rest of the keys? Wouldn't it be practical to disassemble one by one, or do you just use the tool to try it as trial and error? Thank you so much :)
Hello Dylan. Yes, once you make one adjustment you'll have to then make the others. You can do all steps per note one at a time but I find it quicker to adjust one setting all the way through the action then move onto the next. For proper repetition pay special attention to the placement of the jack on the knuckle and the repetition spring tension. Also, check the condition of the knuckles, if they're a bit stiff you can use some teflon powder on them or they might need to be replaced if they're not working smoothly.
@@MrPianoTech Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, it really helps a lot. The knuckles are fine and the action in general is in good condition, I assumed that by bringing the hammer closer I had to adjust everything but it is better to ask an expert like you 🙂with some adjustments I have managed to make it respond better to repetitions, but I feel still something strange on the keyboard. (Maybe because I haven't reviewed the repetition spring yet, I don't know how to do that and I don't want to ruin it) I “Adventured” myself to do it because it is my piano and I can experiment, but I wouldn't do that with someone else's piano!! It is a lot of work and knowledge that you need. If I had a question, could I send you a photo by email?
@@dylanmcqueen4656 Absolutely, email is fine. I find once you go through all the steps it should work fine. If it doesn’t then it’s usually time to either replace parts or a repair is needed somewhere.
Dear sir, thank you for the video. How much space do you need from the keybed to the back wall, so that we can better position the piano for technician (Or ourselve) to come without being uncomfortable to pull out action for regulation? 🙏
I find that if there's enough room for someone to sit and play the piano comfortably with the bench pulled out from under the piano that should be fine. Any extra is helpful.
What might be the problem if a white key clicks when played in front of the black keys, but when played in the middle to back, the key doesn’t click? This is a 30 year old Baldwin L, which was sold to me a month ago as “lightly used”. The piano itself is in great shape, as far as I can tell, and aside from feeling the click (on E5) under my fingers, the key response is even across the keyboard.
I'd check to see if the key cap itself is loose. Sometimes they will click when you play it if they have come up a bit up front. Lift up on it a little bit and see if it is glued on tight.
If it's a tapping sound it's usually the hammer rest rail. Try and isolate the problem by lifting up the whippen by hand and see if you get the noise on the release, if so then it's in the action. If not, it's probably the key, check the key balance bushing for excess movement.
Thanks for responding to my request. I found that I needed to brush the hammer knuckles with a wire brush that had hardened. That got rid of the extra noise in the action.
Good evening, I am buying a new Piano and I would like some suggestion: generally when I encounter, in my piano recitals, a Steinway, I found that its action is somehow “heavier” and “slower” than other brands like Fazioli or Bosendorfer. I found that also Boston pianos, (made by Kawai and designed by Steinway) are pretty similar in regulation to the Steinway. I want my new piano to be regulated in a way in which it doesn’t help me at all. My goal is to have my practice piano to let me do the hardest work possible in order to be prepared for any piano I will find in the next concert venue. Before move abroad I had my piano in Italy regulated like a Steinway, pretty heavy action, deep excursion of the keys, but at that time I didn’t know what my tuner did to made it practically identical to the “average” Steinway D model. Did he work on the counter weight? If you were my technician what would you do to satisfy my demands? Thanks a lot
In my experience, the action is made "heavier" by a combination of increasing the hammer to string distance as well as extending the letoff measurement a couple more mm away from the strings. Those may help get you closer to the feel you're looking for. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this video. How do you go about your height and dip with the stack still on? I can't seem to figure out (even with a slot cut in the punching) how to gain access throughout the keyboard. In the past, I have removed the stack and weighted the back of the keys, but haven't found the consistency that I need with that. Thoughts? Thanks for considering! -Darin
Hey Darin. The dip is much easier, you should be able to, on most grand actions, to lift up the front of the key enough to add or remove punchings so long as you remove the rail from on top of the keys first that hold them in place for moving. Yamaha, years ago, taught me the method of tipping up the front of the action, cutting the punching, and you can push the key out enough to get under the punchings with long tweezers. It works in a pinch but for me, I prefer to pull the stack and add the weights to the back like you mentioned. I’ll do the tip and cut method if I’m adjusting just a few in someone’s home, but for a full regulation I’ll pull the stack.
@@MrPianoTech Thank you so much! Also, do you happen to have a video out there of you making your let off rack? (It's awesome!) If not, do you have suggestions that could help me in making my own?
What type of wax do you use in the wood bedding in order to the glide the una corda pedal? Some un cordas stop functioning because of friction between the wood bed and the piano wood. Is there a special wax?
I don't recommend using wax as it will collect dust and other debris over time. I prefer to use Teflon powder. In a pinch you can use a graphite pencil to draw on the keybed underneath the bedding screws to keep things moving.
That would be done with Voicing. I have a video on it but I don’t go into too much detail about making the tone brighter. Mostly because I don’t get much request to do it, however there are some needling techniques that help, as well as using a hammer iron. For people who want a really bright tone they usually end up lacquering the hammers, something I prefer not to do as it’s not reversible.
@@MrPianoTech Thank you for your response. Finally (And what I suspected) were the bedding pins at the bottom. I had dead octaves (less bright) than other and after a lot of regulation of those pins I got the brilliance back to those notes. Still work to do but it's a good thing to pay attention to. Thanks again.
A lot of times it depends on the brand, some companies do more than others before they ship out. Typically they should be ok, but regulation can be pretty subjective so I'd say if it feels good to you then it should be fine.
Question: I have a Grand Piano with a Schwander type action, I noticed that in the middle C area, when I play repeated notes, sometimes the jack doesn't reset quick enough and the note doesn't play and I just hear the wood parts rubbing, what adjustment should help make this better? Thank you!
First I would try moving the jack with your finger and see if it snaps back quickly or not. If it doesn't you'll probably need to repin the jack. The other possibility is that the spring that keeps tension on it is either bent or stuck, has a lot of gunk on it, or something is broken. Check for free movement of the jack by hand first and let me know what it does.
So it'll be in "checked" position after a solid blow and the hammer tail "checks" itself onto the "backcheck". After which if you slowly let up on the key the hammer will swing up to the "drop" position. In this "drop" position the hammer should be approximately 4mm from the strings, this will keep the hammer from pinning itself against the strings. The drop is adjusted by the screw on the top of the hammer shank.
I use a few different ones depending on the size of the blade tip of the screw. You can either use a "drop screw regulating driver" or a "regulating screwdriver". The end will have an oval or slotted opening that fits over the blade head of the screw. Schaff has both, you may want to have a few of different sizes because they vary.
@@MrPianoTech Thank you! I was looking on Schaff, but their product pictures aren't very good. I couldn't see the tips to determine exactly which tool I needed.
@@studentjohn35 Sorry to hear that. I appreciate that an experienced technician like yourself watches these. There's a 1982 Bechstein that I visit on a regular basis 😉
Two recommendations: 1. Adjust the letoff the best you can, around 2mm away from the strings. 2. Voice the hammers. Those two things will get you the quickest results to make your piano play softer.
@@TimurdeRuiter The closer your letoff, the lighter the pressure it takes to play the note. Although all of the regulation steps work together, the letoff adjustment will typically give you the most dramatic result. All the letoff does is tell the jack when to quit pushing on the hammer butt or knuckle so that the hammer will then continue on its own enertia and strike the string yet not hold itself against it. The closer you can get that cutoff distance the better. The space left between the hammer and strings after the note is played is related to drop and backcheck. To get the best result you'll want to do a full regulation but typically adjusting just the letoff can get you quick results.
A Poor presentation. You talk informally to yourself which doesn't help us. U need to instruct formally and to explain things more thoroughly. Things still unclear are (1) The repetition lever adjustment (2) drop (3) back check (4) After touch (5) dampers
