advice on a Steck baby grand

[loopsngeorge]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. I'm seriously considering buying a Steck baby grand piano which I went to view today. It is all in good condition and I have spoken to the tuner who has been tuning it for years. However, I did find it very difficult to play softly - the keys just wouldn't depress fully to produce the right level of p or pp. Overall it felt very 'loud' to play -sorry I don't know the proper word to use to describe it - although I was happy with the feel of it when playing mf and f. I know that every piano is different and will require some getting used to but I wondered if the problem I described is anything that could be rectified by work on the action? The tuner did say that he felt at some point in the future the action might need reconditioning. The sale price of the piano is at a level where I would be happy to invest more money in work on it.
Thanks in advance for any help!

[Colin Nicholson]

Probably needs regulating/ adjusting/ servicing.... and hammers re-voiced.
Your tuner should be able to do that.

[vernon]

If your tuner can't do that ask him to refer you to someone who can
Stecks are good middle of the road English pianos and, as Colin says, it sounds like a regulation issue.
If all else sounds ok it's down to that.
Remember, tuning is a trade on it's own-- regulating, construction is a different department..
In the olden days every trade was unique but now ,of course, they tend to overlap, but with varying degrees of success.
Unfortunately, you've got to refer to decaying old blokes like me to get a holistic overview-- if that's not a tautololgy already

[loopsngeorge]

Thanks very much for the helpful replies! It's good to know that it's something that could be fixed.
Colin, I have just read one of your other replies on here and I think this Steck piano has a spring and loop action as the tuner referred to having to replace a nylon loop recently. I see you have advised against pianos with this kind of action - again is this a problem that can be fixed by replacing the whole action with a more modern system??
thanks again, Louise

[Colin Nicholson]

Hi Louise,

Spring & loop grands are ok when everything is working, but just take a bit longer to repair if a loop or spring breaks. It may be worth having them all replaced. Also, if the keys feel 'notchy' to the touch, and dont respond fully, the hammer leather should be replaced aswell & jack tips re-graphited. This is known as the "Simplex" action (as opposed to the modern 'roller' action) - and I dont think you can replace the simplex for a roller. The simplex mechanism became obsolete around the mid 1960's - so I doubt if there replacement parts, and in any case, the hammer notch area is a different shape (its 'L' shaped on the simplex). If someone 'could' design a roller action for it - it would be very expensive to replace - its not like just changing an engine in a car! ...... however, eg Steinway actions can be replaced 'like for like' - but not simplex swapped for roller -

Also the lever & jack assembly is different on a simplex - the spring just controls the jack to return, whereas on a roller action, there is another lever (repetition lever) that is controlled by a 'wishbone' shaped spring that controls 2 jobs..... so I think you are stuck with this action I'm afraid. "Double repetition" therefore doesnt exist on a simplex action meaning repetition (trills etc) is not quite as good as a roller & rep spring mechanism.... a bit complicated to explain here!

However, it can all be serviced & repaired - but the long 'costa' springs in your mechanism may be out of stock depending on who your tuner orders from.... and they may have to be hand-made/ reprofiled from damper wires or lengths of brass wire. Loops are also fiddly to replace, but nylon cord is easy to get hold of as its also used on upright pianos.

There is no mercy with a simplex action.... if a loop or spring snaps (or both), the jack collapses and the note will stop working altogether.... no warning either! - and has to be replaced to get it working again. For a decent refurbishment, and making the action working well & serviceable (as many components may be seized aswell, which have to be unseized to regulate it) .... will cost several hundred pounds - so although it seems ''in good condition'' - it probably wont be internally - so have a serious think about that, and get some prices first. Labour costs will soar up & up if those springs have to be hand-made.

Hope that helps

Colin

[loopsngeorge]

Thanks very much Colin, that is a great help, I think I understand more what I am looking at now.