[CAUT] F..riction (rep spring)

[David Stanwood]

  David Stanwood wrote:

>  This could be another thread but here's my 2 cents...  We find
>  ourselves in situations sometimes when the rep spring lifts the
>  hammer in a nice controlled motion upon release from the back check
>  yet the jack still cannot be made to return under the knuckle...
>  even to the point were the repetition lever height adjustment button
>  is completely off it's rest pad to no avail.   Repinning the rep
>  lever can sometimes make this symptom disappear.  Is this what
>  you're referring to Fred?


>Yes, that is what I have experienced, and often it is isolated to one
>among neighbors that are fine, so I am very puzzled. Other times it is
>widespread, and I am particularly thinking of Baldwins with the
>Baldwin style spring. It just doesn't seem to want to support the
>hammer, though fortunately it seems to function fine (ie, I trip the
>jacks and many or most of the hammers fall and don't rise enough to
>let the jack back in, even if I re-pin both hammer and rep and
>increase spring strength to max, but I don't - knock on wood - have
>complaints or have problems when I play the instrument).
>Regards,
>Fred Sturm

Hi Fred,

I especially value your comments because you are also a serious pianist.
The issue of the effect of strong rep springs on the quality of aftertouch
and pianissimo control is relevant in respect to this conversation.  If
the pinning of the rep lever is increased to allow the spring to work
harder and more in it's range, we might see that we can more easily
regulate the rep lever under the jack but there may be a negative effect
on pianissimo control by the increase pressure that the pianists needs to
overcome while engaging the drop screw at the end of the stroke.   I think
I've been alluding to the possibility that a rep lever with very low friction
can be regulated just fine IF the hammer weight and the spring dimension
is well matched.

Regards,

David