lead wire/downweight, etc.

[RicB]

I suggest you familiarize yourself with David Stanwoods methodology.  
Thats just for your own technical understanding and abilities.  Running 
into a teacher who states something as vague as <<a piano is not firm 
enough>> or the like is something that comes along from time to time.  
In effect they are saying they dont like the response or something about 
the feel of the action.  Identification of exactly what a pianist is 
actually reacting to in such cases can be quite interesting... downright 
entertaining from time to time.  Dont get me wrong... I always take such 
comments from pianists serious and try and get to what it is they are on 
about... but sometimes it works out the person has a hair up the 
proverbial.... no doubt about it.  In anycase.... stating outright that 
a Seiler is inadequate for a young student is ... well... absurd.... 
unless something is quite wrong with the regulation.  Seilers are very 
nice quality instruments... not my favorite sound... but they are well 
made.  Dealer prep is what it is and thats another subject.

If this turns out to be your job... and the teacher insists on having 
his nose right in the middle of it... then sit down with the guy and 
attempt to figure out what the firmness thing is all about. Is it weight 
?  Is it keys that have been overly eased ? Is it a sensation of the 
keys bottoming out too soon... power issue ?...  I like to put the have 
the customer sitting close by and do all this very diplomatically.  Any 
unreasonablness from a teacher is always easy to expose.  But then you 
have to know your P's and Q's pretty good.  If not... then the authority 
figure a teacher of reputation has will eat you alive :)

Cheers
RicB





    I'm glad this subject came up now.   It allows my inexperience in
    these matters to come to the surface...
     
    I got a call from a store that has a customer with a Seiler 186
    grand, brand new, with all Renner action and Abel hammers.  Her
    teacher is well-known, and seems to want to add his stamp to the
    purchase.  He is saying that the action is not firm enough.  This
    has caused some customer concern.
     
    I have not seen this particular piano, but I am quite familiar with
    the model.  Most of my clients who own these pianos are happy with a
    downweight of 50 -55 grams, which is how they usually arrive.  I've
    actually had several complain that the action is too heavy feeling,
    but never "not firm enough."
     
    I suspect this client wouldn't have complained about anything but
    for the teacher saying that it is inadquate for her son.
     
    A few thoughts:
     
    I've seen the rep springs get weak after a very short period of time
    to the point of failure--that is, inability to hold the hammer up. 
    This is a distinct possibility.
     
    Excess friction could be affecting upweight as well as downweight,
    thereby making it feel far less responsive.
     
    I have never used wire to increase hammer weight.  Is there a thread
    in the archives about it, or can someone describe the procedure?  
     
    Thanks,