lead free actions

[Dennis Johnson]

At 12:38 AM 1/23/96 -0700, Yardbird47@aol.com wrote:
 What I think we need now, and I toss
>this out as a challenge to the people working in music dept's, is to have a
>pianist try this sort of action for an extended period of time, not just a
>"drop-by to try that no-lead action."
>Would any of you be willing to enlist a pianist in a study whereby his studio
>piano would have its keyboard unleaded, so that he would be spending a few
>weeks (or even months) with such an action, as his main axe.

________________________


Of course this sounds very interesting, and no doubt it has been done.
However, I suggest that unfortunately (as you know) there are so many
variables that  such an experiment would not necessiarly prove anything.
Lead free actions can feel evey bit as varied as leaded actions depending
on strike ratio and strike weight.

My personal preferrence has come to a low leverage, low strike weight
action with just enough lead positioned from the center to help break that
first inertia and facilitate soft playing. This should easily require less
than half of the original leads.

Having said that, I have no argument with those who feel the lower Strike
ratio, high strike weight actions are better suited for the stage, even
though the current performance piano of choice here is of the opposite
variety. What about the vast majority of your fine instruments which are
sistuated in studios or homes and that are used for something other than
grand piano concertos?

Dennis Johnson
St. Olaf College
johnsond@stolaf.edu
djohn@skypoint.com