make it heavier

[Alan Crane]

Wim:

Raise the height of the sharps slightly....   or.....

You might try installing shank weights (quick & dirty... and sometimes makes
an amazing difference in tone as well as touch).

Yamaha used to sell some (maybe still do) but they were expensive.
Stanwood advocated using small binder clips (with handles removed) for the
same purpose.
They're readily available at any office supply store and are easily 
installed, adjusted, and removed.

The ones I've got here are Acco brand "small binder clips" (for 
paper).  These come 12 to the box so you need 8 boxes (unless you're like 
me; then you need 9).

Clip one to each shank at the mid-point (for starters) and remove the handles.
If I remember right, these clips (sans handles) weigh about 1 gram each 
and, sliding them fore & aft on the shank, you can make a fair amount of 
difference in static weight as well as inertia.

Of course, if you really want to do the job right, have Stanwood balance 
the action for you (part of his process involves actually adding lead to 
the hammer head to increase weight where needed).

Hope that helps.
Let us know what you try and how it works out.

At 03:31 PM 2/6/02 -0500, you wrote:
>I just got done regulating a Steinway O, (1930's vintage). It has new 
>h.s.f., keys rebushed, etc. But the down weight is less than 40 g. One 
>piano major has already complained
>
>I should probably know this, but how do I make the action heavier?
>
>Wim




Regards,

Alan Crane, RPT
School of Music
Wichita State University
alan.crane@wichita.edu