Hi, all! Problem: Early 60's vintage Steinway 'L', with original teflon wippens and recently replaced (by someone else) shanks and flanges. Parts are from Steinway and are 15 mm knuckle execution. Downweight now in the high 60's, upweight in the high 20's, action weight in mid 40's and friction in high teens. Action spread ranges from 113 to 114 mm. I have no way of knowing what size the original hammers were but tried a sample from a recent rebuild. This admittedly well-worn Steinway hammer and shank was placed in its original location (A49) on my client's action and the touchweight came back to a more acceptable 52 (D) and 25 (U). The new hammers are noticeably larger than the old 'stand-in' and the tails are 3/16" longer (at drop position the bottom of the tails are about 3/16" below the tops of the backchecks). Am I correct in assuming I have excessive weight on the hammers? Any wisdom in shortening the tails to correct the relationship of tail to backcheck? The backchecks themselves appear to be new but it is difficult to know for sure. They are considerably larger than the backcheck Renner includes in its sample parts kit. Would an excessively large backcheck contribute appreciably to high action weight? Lots of questions here but the correct answers win a happy customer! Best regards, Stan Kroeker Registered Piano Technician www.pianoexperts.mb.ca
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