[pianotech] Baldwin grand repetition spings

[Douglas Gregg]

OK, Good information. I was at the shop so could not respond right
away. The DWs are now in the 60-65 range and the UW is 35-40. The
regulation is now very good and it pretty well makes up for the weight
in playablility. The suggestion of heavy hammers is probably correct.
This rebuild was mostly a bucket of parts. No thought or regulation
went into it. It may have been done in Mexico, don't know. I will find
out tomorrow when I deliver it. Long story short, with some
lubrication and some more fine regulation, the teacher was very
satisfied. There was no money in the budget for a full touch weight
work up anyway.

I am interested in trying the shifting of the fulcrum with veneer
strips behind the BP.. I did some regulation on a 70's S&S O a year or
so ago that was even heavier. It was not friction in that case.
Probably heavy hammers in that case too.  The piano was bought at a
S&S factory sale and was never played (or regulated properly). For 40
years. It was a living room ornament.  After being donated to a
church, at the first concert, the musician left cursing and in a sweat
and never returned. It is much better now with regulation but still
heavier than a D. It was built in the dark days when Birmingham Oil
Company owned S&S. Quality control must have gone out the window. My
brother-in-law who works for S&S thought it might have been a custom
special that was ordered with heavy hammers and  returned and later
sold in a factory sale.

Back to the issue of the repetition spring. I know that that does not
come into play with measuring down weight but it seems that it could
add to the heavy feel. Has anyone else thought about this design that
Baldwin uses. It seems to add a lot of pressure on the back of the
jack to keep the repetition lever loaded.

Thanks
Doug Gregg
Classic Piano Doc