Ray, By all means measure the down/up weights, but even if they are NOT perfectly even, don't assume that this is the most productive place to start. I have found a surprising tolerance for unevenness in this area. I have a pianist friend whose sensitivity to the instrument I trust, and who is not only very verbal but also patient when I grill him on a the feel of a particular action. I have found that if there is an action which he experiences as particularly even or particularly uneven, it will not necessarily measure out so, either in friction or balance weight, and that with two pianos right next to each other, the "heavier" one may measure lighter than the "lighter" one. It's also instructive to tune concert instruments where a different person plays them each time, and each player will be annoyed by, or accepting of, different things. In all cases, though, they're looking for control/predictability, then variety. I'd guess that if your time is limited, evenness in voicing is the most important feedback component of feel, then things like resistance through letoff, repetition speed, and key bushing slop, THEN evenness in weight. Not to say that you shouldn't pay attention to weight and friction. Of course everything should be adjusted absolutely perfectly in the best of worlds, and you don't know which of the various parameters THIS pianist will respond most to. When we overhaul an action we pay particular attention to getting the balance weight evenly graduated, within very small tolerances, often smaller than you will find from the factory. Then we try to get the friction smoothed out. I'm just saying that balance weight, which is a dynamic, indirect measure of inertia under actual playing conditions, and becomes more evident the faster you play, is more important than static downweight measurements. Friction in the shank center is only one component of the resistance the player feels in actual playing. Under time pressure, I'd ask the player exactly what he is having trouble doing, and use that as an indicator as to what to look at first, of the list of useful things others have mentioned. Good luck, Bob Davis
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