Let off

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Hazen writes: 
>,the easist way to get consistent let-off 
>close,is to set till it blocks,and back off a half turn.

       That half a turn can mean many different things when the buttons are 
not perfectly level, or the felt has been worn in one or two places.   I 
prefer to set it to the lightest blocking, then turn down till it doesn't  
allow the hammer to contact the moving string when the sostenuto holds the 
damper up and the note is struck twice, very rapidly before the hammer is 
then brought up to let-off. This sets let-off right below the maximum 
excursion zone of the string.  
   In the top treble, this doesn't work, since the zone is so small.  In 
those areas, i set it by feel,with a very steady and slow depression of the 
key. Begin by letting it ghost the string, and then while trying to continue 
that feeling, turn it down until the let-off becomes "transparent".  
Regards, 
Ed Foote