Loss of Volume

[Rory Fader]

>Someone (whose identity I do not know) on the list referred a customer to
>me, and I am grateful.  The customer inherited a 1948 vintage Conover Cable
>console from her mother.  It was unplayable since the plastic parts were
>crumbling.  Otherwise, the piano is in as good a shape as a piano of this
>quality can be.  This piano also has aluminum rails (at least metal of some
>kind).
>
>I took on the job of replacing the plastic parts:  complete wippen
>assemblies, hammer butt flanges, and damper levers with flanges.  I fully
>regulated the action throughout.  All went well except that when I was
>done, A-61 produced very little volume, and the key felt as though it had
>no resistance.
>
>Usually I can solve regulation problems fairly quickly, but this one has me
>baffled.  The key dip is normal.  The wippen, hammer, etc. look consistent
>with their neighbors (I wondered if a part was abnormal, but I could not
>identify such).  I traded wippen assemblies, and the problem remained.
>
>When the jack was regulated to escape 1/8 inch from the strings (as all the
>others), it did not escape from under the hammer butt.  If I regulated it
>to kick out as far as the others did (which required about 4 complete turns
>on the regulating button), then the hammer hardly contacted the string at
>all, and the top of the jack (when kicked out) seemed to be lower than its
>neighbors.
>
>I worked on this "little" problem for 2 hours and finally left.  If anyone
>can give me a new suggestion (probably some little thing I overlooked), I
>would appreciate it, and I will go back and fix the suffering A-61.
>
>Arlie D. Rauch
>Glendive, MT
>
>
>
>
Hi, Arlie.  I had a similar problem and as I recall (although the little
grey cells are not
absolutely certain), the problem lay in a loose regulation rail.  Try
checking that the jack tender is centered on the regulating button.  You may
find the screw holding the rail to the bracket is loose.  Hope that helps.

Rory Fader, RPT