Spring fever (or feverish springs)

[Delwin D Fandrich]

A440A wrote:

>      Hmmm,   has anyone found that rep springs give faster repetition when
> they jump hard enough to be felt in the key, as opposed to those springs that
> are set only as fast as possible to not be felt?
>      I ask this because repetition speed has not, in my experience, been
> compromised by the softer setting.  It helps to remember that the spring does
> not lift the hammer during fast repetition.  It lifts the KEY!! ...........
>
> Regards to all,
> Ed Foote

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Ed, et al.,

The key here is the key. Because the tension (or force) of this spring is regulated based
on how fast the hammer rises from check it is commonly assumed that this is how it works
in practice. As Ed points out, this is not generally the way it works in the real world.
In the real world, except with very soft blows, the hammer stays where it is and the key
pops up. At least it does if there is not too much lead in it. I learned this during the
seventies while struggling to get acceptable repetition on certain Steinway actions. It
was very difficult to get with six, seven or eight leads in the keys. The strength of the
spring had to be very high. Once we straightened out the action geometry and got some of
the lead out, the spring could be set with somewhat less tension and it would still give
good repetition.

-- ddf