<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4134.100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think this is right. From the recent = discussion on how much the action parts flex, especially on a concert grand = because of the heavier hammers, the backcheck could brush the hammer tail on a FFF = blow but not be detected by using your hand to pressure the hammer and won't = happen unless you try to hit a very hard blow. That would decrease the volume = only on the hardest blows but not have an effect on soft or medium blows. = Lowering the backcheck (we are not talking about checking height here we are talking = about the height of the backcheck) would give the hammer a fraction of a = second longer to get out of the way.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Keith Roberts</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=davidlovepianos@earthlink.net href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">David Love</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> ; <A title=Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard Brekne</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 29, 2003 = 1:08 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Backchecking = Height and an incredible help</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>My guess is that if = the hammer is checking so high that the tail rubs on the backcheck on the way = up (just slightly) it will diminish hammer speed and the volume will be thus = diminished making it seem like it is the close checking that is the = cause.   Otherwise, I put this in Carl Sagan's "Demon Haunted = World".</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV><A = href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.n= et</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard Brekne</A> = </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 5/29/2003 12:34:58 AM = </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Backchecking = Height and an incredible help</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2>  <P>BobDavis88@aol.com wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE"><BR><FONT face=Arial><FONT = size=-1>Hafta say I ain't buying this. The excursion of the string is so slight that I = can't believe that an object 1/2" away could cause air to offer much = impedance. I'm willing to bet if I held my thumb 1/2" from the string right = above the strike point, no one could tell me when it was there and when it = wasn't, blindfolded.</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>Cant say I blame you. Does = sound a bit fantastic.... to put it mildly. But next time you run into a = grand that has obviously high checks you can try this out. <P>Take any old note...maybe say A4 :), get a sense for its volume = and compared with its neighbors. Run a few chromatics up and down. Then = lower its back check to exactly 2 mm under the tail at drop and listen = again. <P>See what you think. I dunno, maybe you wont buy it then too. = Maybe its like the proverbial green light at that last millisecond of sunset = at sea..... But I do know what I heard. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE"><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>Sorry I = don't have something more positive to offer as an explanation for optimal checking=louder tone. I'll be watching this space = anxiously.</FONT></FONT> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>Bob D</FONT></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE> RicB <P>-- <BR>Richard Brekne <BR>RPT, N.P.T.F. <BR>UiB, Bergen, Norway = <BR><A href="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> = <BR><A = href="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broad= park.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A> <BR><A = href="http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html">http://www.hf.uib= .no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html</A> <BR>  </FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>