Una corda and double damper lift

[William R. Monroe]

As Barbara mentioned, Paul, it is not always necessary/desirable that pianos 
need to shift a full string with the una corda.  It is a very common set-up 
to have the hammers shift so that all three strings are still being struck, 
in a position that is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to a full string shift. 
This allows one to alter the tone color while playing with the una corda 
fully depressed, rather than simply having a reduction in volume on full 
shift (two strings being struck in the grooves, while the third is missed).

This being said, if you undertake to adjust the shift distance, it would be 
wise to first check the hammer to string spacing to make sure that is dead 
on.  If the hammer to string spacing is inconsistent, anything you do with 
the una corda is going to be inconsistent as well.  Of course, now you might 
be into a situation that requires shaping hammers, aligning the hammers to 
the strings, then adjusting the shift distance properly, THEN dealing with 
string leveling and voicing which will have changed............and so on. 
;-]

I think Owen and Don gave you some good info as well, depending upon your 
situation.  Your quickest might be examining the key end felts.  It wouldn't 
be uncommon to have the felts cut sloppily and consequently grabbing the 
neighboring underlever in shift position.

William R. Monroe



>A client has a Young Chang TG-150, mfg in 2000. When I press the shift
> pedal, it doesn't go down very far, and the action does not shift far
> enough to play only two strings. I adjusted it so that it would shift
> farther, but then the dampers of the wound bichords to the right of
> the break (there are about eight such notes) would lift in pairs...

> Any ideas?
> Thanks,
> Paul Bruesch
> Stillwater, MN