Key Lead Replacement

[David Love]

The acceptable minimal approach is to replace with the leads the same size.
Weigh a couple to see if they are in the same ballpark weight and then just
wholesale it: 2-4 hours depending on how easily they come out and how many
split keys you have to repair plus cost of leads, pick up and delivery,
etc..    Yamaha leads are usually bigger (not your standard 1/2" leads) but
if it's not a grey market you can get replacement leads from Yamaha.  The
next least cost approach would be to duplicate the front weights.  Next
would be to weigh off the action (up and down weights) and calculate the
change in front weight per key to bring in a uniform balance weight then
change the leads accordingly.  After that would be create a smooth strike
weight and then do the weigh off.  

In this case I would get replacement leads from Yamaha and simply duplicate
what's there. Since it's for the Elk's, tell them it might cost a few bucks.


David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com  

-----Original Message-----
From: Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 1:08 pm
Subject: Key Lead Replacement
Looked at a 30 yo (guess) Yamaha G2 grand today with keys sticking. It has
growing key leads. Never seen that on a Yamaha before. Grinding marks on
many of the keys indicate that the leads were ground down previously. I'm
recommending that they replace all key leads.
 
I've leaded keys as part of setting up an action. But I've never just
blindly replaced the leads, trying to duplicate the original setup. I know
that the owners definitely want to go minimal cost with this one (Elk's
Lodge).
 
Seems to me leads are often of slightly different sizes, lengths, etc. If
you are not carefully measuring Front Weights, etc., what the heck do you
do? Seems to me the fastest way would be to pop the old lead out, weigh it,
grab a lead of the same diameter, trim it to the original weight and
install. Or is that just too trashy an approach? Do I tell them that we need
to do a traditional weigh-off (but we can't because action center friction
hasn't been addressed, etc.)? Evaluate the original FW curve and duplicate
it (but that will mean some plugging, etc., i.e. more cost)? What is an
acceptable, minimal approach?
 
Thanks.
 
Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano
 
www.farrellpiano.com
terry at farrellpiano.com

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