Let-off in piano

[A440A@aol.com]

Jason writes:

<< Does Bill Spurlock's description sound like what any of you do? "hunching

over the stretcher, peering past the dampers and through the strings to

judge let-off distance, then looking under the pinblock to place the tool on

the adjusting screw, then leaning forward again to watch as you make the

adjustment. All the while you must "squeeze" the key gradually to slow

hammer movement enough that you can accurately see the let-off point." >>

No,  I set let-off in the piano by holding the damper up with the sostenuto, 
striking the note strongly staccato, and immediately bringing the hammer back 
up and through escapement.  Using a Mason and Hamlin screw stringer tool, I 
turn the let-off button down until the hammer will not reach the vibrating 
string, no matter how I carefully I move it through let-off.  If the piano is iffy, 
slightly lower.  
     In the upper sections, I do it by feel.  There is a moment right before 
it begins to block that you can feel the hammer touch the string as the jack 
escapes.  Slightly increasing the let-off distance from here will create a 
sudden "transparent" feeling.  The jack is escaping before the hammer touches 
anything.  This is usually too close for maximum dependability, and an additional 
fraction of a mm isn't going to significantly change the pianists ability to 
control the note.  If the let-off pads are unevenly worn, or crooked, this may 
be too fine an adjustment to trust. 
     Our sense of touch is capable of a lot.  You can train your playing hand 
to judge the let-off on each key quite accurately when you are changing the 
let-off from just slightly too high to just right.  In fact, our hands are 
usually quite a bit more sensitive than the pianists. It is possible to set 
aftertouch extremely close by how it feels, (though I set mine by watching let-off 
with around a .030" washer over the front punching). 
Regards, 
 
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html