FAT FINGERS

[Brian Henselman]

Bending front rail pins to expand the gaps is problematic.  I imagine that
it increases friction and bushing wear, and don't forget that keys have back
ends that tend to rub too once the fronts are flared out.

I have occasionally respaced a single sharp or two because my moderately fat
fingers detected an unusually tight gap here and there.  However, I still
caution re-engineering the keyboard by flaring all of the sharps outward.
Just make sure that the sharps aren't too tall, and the gaps will feel
wider.

Just my $.02 worth.

Brian Henselman, RPT
Austin, TX
musicmasters@att.net


-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Trout <btrout@desupernet.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Thursday, November 04, 1999 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: FAT FINGERS


>Sounds a lot like trying to kill a fly with a sledge hammer. <grin>
>
>Would it be poor workmanship to just bend the front rail pins in a slight
>fanning position so as to move them apart slightly, similar to what gets
>done when spacing the white keys?  On the groups of two, they can be nudged
>a tad towards the outer keys.  On the groups of three, the center sharp can
>be centered in it's slot, and the outer two nudged toward the outer sides
of
>their slots.
>
>It doesn't take much of a move to make a big difference in the way it feels
>to 'fat fingers'.
>
>I don't know if it's "right", but it has worked for me in the past.
Perhaps
>there's an " _official_" way to do it.?  Rebushing differently perhaps...
>
>Any flames? <g>  Comments?
>
>Brian Trout
>Quarryville, PA
>btrout@desupernet.net
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Tom Robinson <tomnjan@bellsouth.net>
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 12:02 PM
>Subject: FAT FINGERS
>
>
>> Has anyone ever heard of slimming down the sharp keys to better
>> accomodate pianists with "fat" fingers?  An amateur pianist I know
>> (...OK...it's me) has trouble with sounding too many notes when certain
>> passages require placing the fingers between the sharps.  I've had no
>> success altering technique.
>>
>> Tom Robinson
>> amateur pianist/tuner and faithful pianotech reader for 2 years
>>
>>
>