Stanwood TouchDesign - lighter touch, better performance

[faulty_damper]

I need the touch of my piano lightened (Yamaha small grand).  Has anyone tried the Stanwood TouchDesign service?  I need to do something about the touch as it is preventing me doing what I want.

[Axtremus]

How old is that piano? What model?
It could be just a matter of action regulation (I imagine this to be cheaper than a full Stanwood job).
Did you talk to your technician (or tuner) about this?
What does the tuner/technician say?

[Bob]

What is Stanwood?

[CJ Quinn]

How old is that piano? What model?
It could be just a matter of action regulation (I imagine this to be cheaper than a full Stanwood job).
Did you talk to your technician (or tuner) about this?
What does the tuner/technician say?

YES!

A few years ago I was very much investigating the Stanwood approach to my then piano a Baldwin M with very heavy action.   I even talk to Stanwood himself on the phone.  Ultimately though I found a new tech who did a wonderful regulation on the piano and it made a world of difference.  I got three more years out of that piano, and I'm sure the new owner is still enjoying it.

The wise thing to do IMO is to have a very capable tech go through the action before you go with the radical Stanwood approach.  Ideally this tech will be familiar with the Stanwood techniques and can make the assessment as to whether a good regualtion will fix the problem or you need some degree of Stanwoodization.

[Floristan]

My piano is being Stanwood-ized.  The action was a mess and needed a total rebuild anyway, and I played several pianos with Stanwood-ized actions at the rebuilder's shop, and I thought they were amazing.  Stanwood gives an instrument a totally even feel throughout, and it can be given as much or as little downweight as you like.  The ones I played were 35 grams of downweight, a little on the light side.  They felt very light at first, and then I discovered I could access a complete range of dynamics with considerably less effort than on any piano I had played previously.  Pianissimo and fortissimo were both easier to achieve. and everything in between.  I was really amazed, as I hadn't expected such a radical difference.

I interviewed some people who had it done, and they all raved about it.  One woman said it cured her tendonitis.  (I hear it can cure warts as well.   )  My advice, play some pianos that have had it done to them.  Your rebuilder should have one or two in his/her shop, and he/she will give you a list of satisfied customers.  Some of them may well invite you over to play their pianos.

[keith d kerman]

Florestan,

35 grams of downweight is way too little.    I am sure you are mistaken on this.  Check with your tech again.

[Floristan]

Florestan,

35 grams of downweight is way too little. I am sure you are mistaken on this. Check with your tech again.

Sorry, I mispoke.  35 grams of touchweight, which I'm probably misremembering.   It was probably 25 grams touchweight.  If I remember right, touchweight is downweight minus upweight.  In Steinways, the downweight is regulated from 47 in the bass to 50 in the treble and the upweight has to be a minimum of 20 (if I'm remembering Steinway regulating spec correctly), which would yield a touchweight of 27-30 with a consistent upweight of 20, right?

[iumonito]

The other way around.  It takes more grams to get a key to send the hammer to the string in the bass than in the treble.  Bigger hammers.  I think Steinways come out of the factory with a higher spread.

And while we are at this business of light or heavy, do consider that a piano with a more immediate sound response will feel lighter even if the keyboard is in fact heavier.

Anybody know what Horowitz kept his at?  Very light, but what precisely?

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

What is Stanwood?

In case you haven't already found it:  https://www.stanwoodpiano.com

[Floristan]

The other way around. It takes more grams to get a key to send the hammer to the string in the bass than in the treble. Bigger hammers. I think Steinways come out of the factory with a higher spread.

And while we are at this business of light or heavy, do consider that a piano with a more immediate sound response will feel lighter even if the keyboard is in fact heavier.

Anybody know what Horowitz kept his at? Very light, but what precisely?

This post at the PTG site might answer some questions:

https://www.ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech/1996-August/008929.html

[iumonito]

Florestan, excellent article.  Thank you.  All should read.

[faulty_damper]

How old is that piano? What model?
It could be just a matter of action regulation (I imagine this to be cheaper than a full Stanwood job).
Did you talk to your technician (or tuner) about this?
What does the tuner/technician say?

It's a Yamaha small grand model GH1 and is a little more than 10 years old purchased new.  I have regulated the piano to a certain degree (jack and repetition lever adjusted as well as key depth adjusted) and it lightened the touch just a bit but not enough to get great results as the touch is stil dreadfully heavy.  (The knuckles may need replacing.)  I know that Yamaha's are notorious for their heavy touch.  I actually prefer to practice on the uprights at school because it's so much lighter even if it is not as responsive.

How much would this procedure cost?

[keith d kerman]

Yamahas usually have very playable actions, slightly on the light side.  It would cost thousands to do a Stanwood touch design on your GH1, and I think you would be better off trying to find a nicer piano.

I am very surprised to hear that a 10 year old GH1 feels too heavy, and I wonder if there is something else going on.