Jonno Clarke wrote: > I wonder if anyone can help me with the question of what to do about > older Steinway grand actions, the type that have the sloping back > capstans. I always find that when fitting new (Abel) hammers to these > pianos that the touch becomes rather on the heavy side - would it help > to remove the capstans fill the keys and re-tap and then fit the > capstans like on newer pianos ?. The client doesnt want to fit new > whippens and the be fair there is really nothing wrong with the old > ones. The problem is that the hammers are worn out and need replacing. > Help please ! Jonno, While moving and changing the lilt of the capstans can improve performance in a few cases it may be best to look for the cause of your problem elsewhere. Successful hammer Replacement requires considering the weight of the hammers in relation to the action's overall leverage. A mismatch here can lead to the kind of problems you are having. Steinway grands usually have actions that work best with hammers that are lighter than most of the replacement hammers available. When you put on a set of hammers that are a little heavier you will have a heavier touch. If you are replacing the hammers without changing the shanks you could check the original hammers and try to find replacements that are in the same weight range. If you are replacing the shanks as well you could use shanks with knuckles further out on the shanks. This changes the action's leverage and will allow you to use a hammer that is a little heavier. You should check the touch by dry fitting a few hammers to see if the action works well before you glue them on permanently. If you have already installed the hammers you could remove felt and wood from them to make them lighter (let me know if this is the case, I could make some suggestions on how to do this). Try a few samples before you commit to this. You can't judge the weight of hammers by comparing their size to the original. You need to weigh them on a gram scale. If you go to the link below you will find my hammer set weight chart. Steinway hammers are usually between the middle of the lower band to the middle of the middle band. Check the weight of the hammers you are planning to install and see haw they compare. [link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015] -- John Hartman RPT John Hartman Pianos [link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015] Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin Grand Pianos Since 1979 Piano Technicians Journal Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor [link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]
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