Soft pedal

[atonal@planet.eon.net]

> Date:          Sun, 15 Feb 1998 18:43:05 -0400
> To:            pianotech@ptg.org
> From:          dempsey@ramlink.net (Paul Dempsey)
> Subject:       Re: Soft pedal
> Reply-to:      pianotech@ptg.org

> 
> >As I was sitting in church this morning, listening to the prelude, the pianist
> >comes up to me and asks me to look at the piano after the service, because
> >there was something wrong with the soft pedal.
> >
> >She is a rather vigorous player and when she would depress the soft pedal, the
> >hammers would fly up, striking the strings with some force, instead of just
> >lessening the hammer strike distance.
> >
> >The piano is a Baldwin console, not sure of the age, in pretty good repair.
> >When I depressed the pedal, the hammers didn't fly up.  I had to push pretty
> >hard to get it to do that for me.  I tried tightening and then loosening the
> >wingnut down on the pedal assembly, with no discernible effect either way.
> >
> >Any ideas?

Check to see if 1) there is a block of felt on either end of the 
hammer rest rail that blocks against an action bracket and limits the 
rest-rail  travel about half-way. If the felt block is  missing, 
make two, one for either end of the rail, using either a block of 
hammer felt or several front rail punchings glued together.
 	2) Check the slack on the bridle straps. If there is lots of slack, 
the hammers will fly into the strings when the soft pedal is jammed 
down. Tighten up the slack, but leave enough there that the keys 
don't drop when you use the soft pedal normally. 
	3) Check to see if there is a block of rest felt under the soft 
pedal. If not, build and install one using the materials used in step 
1.
	4) Good Luck!

Regards,

Rob Kiddell, 
Registered Piano Technician, PTG
atonal@planet.eon.net