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Topic: How many moving parts . . .  (Read 7586 times)

Offline alzado

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How many moving parts . . .
on: August 14, 2005, 12:52:48 PM
. . . are in the action of a grand piano?

Does anyone know?

Offline thalberg

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Re: How many moving parts . . .
Reply #1 on: August 14, 2005, 05:06:29 PM
It's a LOT.   The Renner company makes the actions for most of the world's finest pianos.  Go to Rennerusa.com and you can read about it.  At one point in the site, it says there's 5700 parts in a piano mechanism.  I don't know what that means.  At another point, it offers some sort of sample action for technicians with 41 parts. 

Go see for yourself.  And if you're interested, there's a download of a real Renner action in motion.

The only other company that makes actions that I know of is Steinway, who makes their own actions.

Offline jeremyjchilds

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Re: How many moving parts . . .
Reply #2 on: August 14, 2005, 08:42:59 PM
I've never taken the time to count...but for comparison, there are more moving parts in any piano action than an automobile...
"He who answers without listening...that is his folly and his shame"    (A very wise person)

Offline gfiore

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Re: How many moving parts . . .
Reply #3 on: August 14, 2005, 09:16:25 PM
 Yamaha, Kawai, and Baldwin make their own actions. Detoa, a Czech company manufactures actions used in some Eastern European and Chinese pianos. Hamburg Steinway uses Renner parts, utilizing the same action design as the New York Steinway, except for a few modifications. In all, most grand actions have between 5,700 and 6,000 stationary and moving parts.
George Fiore  aka "Curry"
 Piano Technician serving the central New Jersey Area.
My piano- A 2004 Bosendorfer Model 214 #47,299 214-358

Offline rich_galassini

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Re: How many moving parts . . .
Reply #4 on: August 17, 2005, 11:30:04 AM
Just to expand on this idea, there are over 12000 parts, moving and stationary, in any acoustic piano.

Rich Galassini
Cunningham Piano Co.
Philadelphia, Pa.
215 991-0834
rich@cunninghampiano.com
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