The Good kind of Heavy

[Richard Brekne]

Hi touchweight freaks. I wrote a few weeks ago about an August Forster
grand we have at the university that students just love to play on
because of its heavy touch.  I have heard time and time again that the
instrument feels heavy in "the good way". Anyways... I just got finished
changing the hammers so I have the weight and balance ratio data
available for you.

This action is origionally a whippen assist action, converted to my
magnetic leverage assist system. Before removing the origional hammers
the action had the following specs :

Without assists  DW was on average 75 grams, UW 33, and BW 54.
With magnet assists DW was 52, UW 26, BW 39. 
Friction varied a bit and was a good deal higher then in August when I
installed the magnets and smoothed the existing SW curve.
Strike Weight Curve was Top medium... graduating from 12.4 grams for
hammer number 1 to 5.6 grams for no. 88.
Front weights were roughly 6 grams under Stanwood maximums.
Key Ratio was 0.55
Whippen Radius Weight was on average 21.3 grams
Strike Weight, or Balance Ratio worked out to 6.3 - 6.4 

After replacing the hammers and shanks, friction was reduced a good
deal, the action regulated much easier and more evenly (worn knuckles on
the old shanks) and I dropped the Strike Weight curve down to a curve
just barely below a mid medium curve, 11.1 grams for hammer number 1
graduating to 5.1 grams for no. 88.

Balance weight was left the same after adjusting the strength of the
magnet leverag assists down appropriatly.

Today was the first day of school so I should be hearing comments pretty
soon from students and faculty as to the change. But my own assesment
was that it still felt very much like it did, despite the significantly
lower hammer mass. The ratio was left essentially unchanged, which would
suggest that the ratio has a larger role to play in the dynamic
"heavyness"  of the action then perhaps we give it credit for. I'll let
you all know what the pianists have to say

Cheers
RicB