[pianotech] Hammer Line Issue

[Farrell]

BINGO!

Alastair, not a piano tuner, got it! But the several experienced piano techs previously responding didn't? Paul McCloud is on the right track also.

Todd originally wrote: "Kawai Console, year 1986. The very first thing I noticed was the hammer line was totally screwed up."

When was the last time you went to a 23-year old good quality piano and found that the "hammer line was totally screwed up" - and there wasn't some other underlying cause - other than capstan adjustment? A 100-year-old upright - sure, but a not-terribly-old Kawai? I don't think so. Unless some child got in there and purposely turned capstans up and down willy-nilly, there is most likely some other underlying reason the hammer line is out of whack.

Sticky keys? Felt under keys chewed up by rodents/bugs? Wippen/capstan felt falling off? Squirrels depositing acorns under keys? Gee, I don't know - pinblock separation? Heck, growing action brackets? I'd sure recommend to Tom to spend a few minutes checking the entire piano out before simply turning some capstans. It may turn out that turning capstans is all it needs, but IMHO, the unusual circumstances justify spending a little time looking for other causes.

Tom, IMHO you showed insight beyond what some possibly more experienced piano techs have shown by posing the question in the first place. Good call. Let us know how this one shakes out.

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  I'm not a tuner. I work in a piano shop and the owner goes tuning on the days I'm in the shop. I have been taught some basic maintenance, including refelting, key leveling etc. and taking up lost motion, on 2nd hand pianos we get in the shop. 
  What intrigued me about Todd's problem, and this may even have been what Todd was asking, is how does a piano get into that condition? Is there some other issue that would cause the problem? On pianos I've taken up lost motion in, it seems to be a uniform amount for each section.

  Regards,
  Alastair McLean
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Tom Driscoll 
    In the time it took to point out the problem to the client you could have adjusted the capstans . Didn't we go over this last month ?  Capstans too low = lost motion. Capstans too high = hammer shanks off the rail. How is blow? Letoff?.
    key dip ? A 23 year old piano with capstans all over the place is unlikely to have every other adjustment correct. 
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