Fred, I find the most complaints from pianists is that the touch is as I put it, " equally inconsistant"!  If I only have an hour or so, I find the best note and quicly match that let-off, drop, after-touch ect. to get something close as long as it's equal.  This usually pleases the guests.  then after that, I go in the next day or whatever and fix what was really the problem.  Most of the time, it is something simple.  Although, sometimes,  it has awakened the beast! PW <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td width=40%>Fred Sturm <fssturm@unm.edu> Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org 06/26/2008 01:50 PM <table border> <tr valign=top> <td bgcolor=white> <div align=center>Please respond to College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></div></table> <td width=59%> <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>To</div> <td>College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>cc</div> <td> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>Subject</div> <td>Re: [CAUT] Which S&S replacement action parts?</table> <table> <tr valign=top> <td> <td></table> </table> <tt>On Jun 26, 2008, at 8:37 AM, Porritt, David wrote: > Fred: > > I don't have an answer to the firmness-low-friction-no-wobble thing   > but > there is an advantage to even friction in even touch weight.  The > highest compliment I feel I can get is when a pianist says "it's so > even!"  If all the shanks are firm, sound good, no wobble etc. but the > friction is uneven you miss that compliment (and I like that one!) > > dave > > David M. Porritt, RPT > dporritt@smu.edu Hi Dave,                 Yes, I agree, evenness is king, whatever the parameter. I had that   thoroughly hammered home for me a couple days ago while doing a   recording session (ie, me playing the piano, which I had,   unfortunately, prepared - I hate wearing both hats for a specific   gig). I had a section of about two minutes where there is a constant   pianissimo trill done by the index finger and thumb of the right hand,   while other fingers and hand do other things. I couldn't get the trill   to sound or feel even, though I had been quite successful at it in   rehearsal/practice at other instruments.                 I pulled the action and looked at the two notes. Sure looked pretty   darned even to me. I looked closer. I ended up changing letoff, drop,   and jack position relative to knuckle less than 1 mm each, changed dip   of one note by .010", and did a wee bit of needling on one hammer   (most of the problem seemed to be the relative feel of the jack   rubbing the knuckle during letoff). And I was successful in pleasing   myself. But it sure did reinforce the idea that you  can't be too   obsessive in pursuit of evenness.                 BTW, this kind of trill really accentuates things, because the keys   are moved the tiniest amount possible - allowed to rise only enough to   re-engage. Check doesn't enter into the equation, as the key is   released before there is a chance for the tail to hit the check - at   least I think this is true, I'd have to see high speed videography to   be sure. I think absolute evenness of aftertouch is the biggest factor. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm@unm.edu </tt>