Steinway D hammers won't check

[A440A@aol.com]

Greetings list,  been out for a week or so,  but I have seen this checking
problem before. It was one of those times that one change erased a problem I
had been trying to deal with through many previous steps.
 Forgive me if I am repeating the same old advice,

Joe Ross writes;
>I am having trouble getting proper hammer checking on a Steinway D. On a
>light to medium blow, some of the hammers bounce and double strike. I have
>good key dip, aftertouch and 1/16 let-off.

     On the very lightest of blows, excessive friction  in the grub will
cause enough "stiction"  so that the rep. spring doesn't slide, but rather,
 flexes as more of a longitudinal torsion bar.      Balanciers,  (and other
action parts),  seem to have softer maple than before, and often a  small
dent is formed by the top of the spring, causing excessive friction by
greatly increasing contact area.

          A blow strong enough to override this static friction will check
and perform properly,  but a very soft note bounces as though there were a
lot of spring while failing to check.

    Try a very small dot of graphite grease on the spring contact point,
 re-regulate it's tension, and see if that is the problem.

     Also,  1/16" let-off may be appropriate in the bass,  but the Steinway D
can be set much closer than that for the rest of the scale.

good Luck
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn.