[pianotech] Hammer Line Issue

Israel Stein custos3 at comcast.net
Sun May 10 18:37:16 MDT 2009


On
Date:
Sat, 9 May 2009 16:45:53 -0700 (PDT) Matthew Todd 
<toddpianoworks at att.net> wrote:

 >Thank you Ryan.  I have heard several others here say weakening the 
damper return springs may help with the
 >dynamics.  I am assuming the process for weakening/strengthening the 
damper return springs is similar to the
 > process for repetition springs on grands?  Is this correct?

For all you sorceres' apprentices out there who are now rushing with 
tools in hand to weaken vertical piano springs I say STOP!

That is the very very last thing you want to try  - if nothing else 
works. Those springs are there for a reason - so that the damper felt 
exerts sufficient pressure on the string to stop it from vibrating when 
it isn't supposed to. They do the job that gravity does in grand pianos. 
Weakening them always runs the risk of allowing some of the more 
troublesome dampers to "sing" or "leak" - that is, allow unwanted sounds 
to be heard.

Only when one is sure that the action is in perfect regulation, and 
there are no other underlying issues  - and those hammers are still 
bobbling - should one try this. And do it very, very carefully.

And, by the way,  I didn't see anyone here write anything about weaker 
damper springs helping with "dynamics". We are discussing remedies for 
"bobbling" hammers, aren't we?

Israel Stein


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