METHOD

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 6/30/00 9:03:17 PM Central Daylight Time, 
btrout@desupernet.net (Brian Trout) writes:

<< I don't know if that helps or not.  Perhaps others will care to comment.
  >>

Brian spoke like a Master Technician of decades of experience on this.  This 
is obviously a procedure only useful on the finest instruments where the 
clients are willing to pay for custom quality regulation that may need to be 
changed later on.
The usual practice is to set the dip as evenly as possible, as you would all 
other regulating adjustments with the result being an acceptably even 
Aftertouch.

It is only after all the other adjustments are satisfactory and stable that 
fine adjustment of the Aftertouch should be undertaken.  Even then, it will 
mean subsequently changes in the Backchecking and possibly the Repetition 
Springs.  There is always a side effect type of consequence for every 
compromise made.

If this is the goal from the beginning of a regulation set up, to have 
individually evened out or "custom" Aftertouch, then the following will save 
some time and effort.  When it comes time to set your Keydip, make it 
slightly deep by using a thicker gauged dip block or setting whichever gauge 
you are using just slightly deep, say the thickness of a thin piece of 
cardboard.  Use only card and thick paper to set your Keydip, no fine paper 
at this point.  Don't spend any time getting the Keydip exact at this point.

When you have all of you other regulating adjustments done and stable and 
leaving only the Backchecking a little far and not necessarily perfectly 
even, do the custom Aftertouch adjustment.  You should only have to fill in a 
thin card or paper to make the adjustment exact. 

If you run into an odd key where your aftertouch is unexpectedly off from all 
the others, check all of the other aspects of what affects aftertouch and see 
if you can make a compromise that will avoid making the Keydip for that note 
very much different from its neighbors.  A quarter turn of the Capstan screw 
or of the Let-Off Button will do as much to the Aftertouch as thick paper 
will.  Don't forget to check the key level if this problem shows up.  If you 
detect a slightly high or low key, even of an amount correctable by thin 
paper, this will mean a significant difference in this custom Aftertouch 
adjustment.

When you have finished custom adjusting the aftertouch, you will still need 
to even out the backchecking and check the repetition levers speed for 
evenness.

It's really a thrill to play a piano that is regulated with that kind of 
precision. When you add to it other kinds of highly developed, customized 
skills in tuning and voicing, you have a truly superb instrument.

Regards,

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin