[CAUT] lighter touchweight

[reggaepass at aol.com]

Jeff,

You've gotten really good, thorough conventional responses to what may 
be a problem whose actual solution is elusive.  If you try everything 
suggested and you are still not there (and you are reasonably confident 
that this is not a "between the bench and the keyboard problem"), here 
is one other thing to consider.

I have a friend (unlike Terry Farell's alleged "friend", THIS friend is 
actually someone other than me).  More often than not, he drills holes 
in the wippen body to reduce its mass.  I know, I know...we've been 
around the block many times about how reducing weight in the wippen is 
far less productive than taking it off the hammer in terms of 
measurable static weigh-off.  He insists, however, that it makes a 
significant difference for the better.  He works for major concert 
venues, artists and recording studios, and he in not known for spending 
time repeatedly doing things that aren't truly in the plus column.

I am considering trying it on an action that I am about to rebuild for 
our piano studio.  Thinking about doing the rebuild w/o the Swiss 
cheese effect, let them play it for a while that way, then pull the 
wips, drill and replace, without notifying the users (piano faculty and 
piano majors).  We'll see if anyone notices an improvement without 
being steered towards it.

Alan Eder


-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Farris <Jfarris at mail.utexas.edu>
To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Wed, Oct 17  5:15 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] lighter touchweight

Ric,

Yeah, actually the bass mostly has three leads and not all in the
front. Just a few keys had four leads. It is clearly, IMO, a case of
just wanting something good to be better. I'm not familiar enough
with the Stanwood system to get all the measurements people have
mentioned.  I think I'll try the strip trick!

Thanks,
Jeff

>Hi Jeff
>
>The strip behind the balance rail pins is just a quick variant of
>the half punching trick.  Yes, alone it will raise the keys a very
>slight amount. Not enough to worry about in the first instance since
>it is just as quickly removed.  You can quickly assess whether a bit
>of added leverage will please your player this way.  If this does
>the trick for him/her... then you can adjust your leverage
>permanently in the way that you feel is best.
>
>Interesting case study you have posed so far I have to say.  You
>give us very acceptable UW / DW parameters, a piano response tonal
>wise the pianist likes, an action that is both finely regulated and
>well groomed with very low friction levels.... and the pianist wants
>it lighter.... I'm reallllly curious as to what a Stanwood SW ratio
>on this instrument would turn out to be,  and in particular how
>heavy the front weights and strike weights are.  You say four leads
>in the bass... ? big leads and all close to the front of the key
>?... or smaller and back towards the middle ?
>
>Course it could just be a case of a pianist who just plain likes a
>very light touch....  In which case you are going to have trouble
>keeping your UW's from dropping too low.  22 grams static is my
>absolute bottom line personally and really I go for a minimum of 24.
>
>Cheers
>RicB
>
>
>    Thanks. I am familiar with the touch/tone relationship. Once a 
little
>    juicing made a player feel like it was a little lighter.  This guy 
is
>    quite an accomplished jazz player. He loves the warm tone and 
doesn't
>    want any hammer work to change the tone. The hammers were filed not
>    too long ago. They are tapered nicely. Keypins and capstans have 
been
>    polished and lubed. Key bushings are in good shape.  I have never
>    heard of this technique mentioned by others of putting a thin strip
>    of paper or felt punching behind the balance rail pin. Wouldn't 
that
>    affect key height?  Or this is just as a test?
>
>    Thanks again to all,
>
>    Jeff


--
Jeff Farris
Piano Technician
School of Music
UT Austin
mailto; jfarris at mail.utexas.edu
512-471-0158



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