S & S 'A' parts

[Avery Todd]

List,

   I don't mean to get the "heavy touch" thread going again but I ran across
a new wrinkle on that subject yesterday. New to me, anyway.
   I tuned a Steinway A #83100 (prob. 1895 or '96) that has a very heavy
touch. It's a feeling that there is an extremely heavy hammer to move
immediately on depressing the keys. Light, quick playing would be extremely
difficult.
   The hammers look like ordinary Steinway hammers, although they could use
some more coving and tail shaping to get rid of some wood. The keys in the
low bass seem to have only 3 leads in them, as best I could tell.
   However, the wrinkle is this. About 15 yrs. ago someone rebuilt the
piano and installed new Steinway wippens, shanks & flanges, all with
teflon bushings. The knuckle set is app. 15.5 mm and the knuckles are the
old dark brown rough stuff.
   What I'm wondering is could the measurements, or even weight, be
different enough, compared to the original parts, to cause this heavy touch
on such an old piano?
   If so, which new parts now made would be appropriate for this action?
   Thanks again.

Avery

P.S. It also has the old multi-sided capstan talked about recently.