<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=#000000 link=blue> <DIV dir=ltr align=left>Hi William,</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left>I think you would do well to read some back issues of the Journal. Specifically some articles by Bill Spurlock for an understanding of traditional touchweight and action weigh-off concepts. Then read the articles by David Stanwood on the New Touchweight Metrology for a more sophisticated approach to thinking about action weight. There are other articles as well. All of the conventions have classes on this topic that will help you come to a better understanding of action analysis. It'll take some digging on your part. Expect to spend a year or so devouring all that has been written and experimenting with actions. If you don't have back issues, you can buy the reprints and the journal on CD.</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left> </DIV> <DIV>There are some numbers that manufacturers throw out, but such numbers don't really have much meaning. It is usually downweight that they are talking about in my experience and downweight alone doesn't really shed much useful light on how an action might perform. So from my perspective, I just wouldn't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>IMHO,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Alan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> --Alan McCoy, RPT Inland Northwest Chapter Spokane, WA ahm@webband.com </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left> <HR tabIndex=-1> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of William Benjamin Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 12:37 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: [BULK] key weight Importance: Low </DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> List,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I was in a store in Orlando over the weekend and heard a Kawai rep helping with a sale.  This was a sales rep not a tec man.  His comment that raised my attention was that there pianos were at 60 grams touch weight, which is a standard on Steinway, Yamaha and all quality pianos.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Now that I have your atention let me tell you that I have gone to NAMM shows before and asked that very question, “what is the standard for touch weight” and no one would give me a strait answer.  I also know that most pianos that I see, good grand’s, are indeed around 60 grams.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Now can anyone give me a strait forward answer?  What is the touch weight that I should be looking for in medium to high quality grand pianos today.  I have heard people brag about 52 grams and such, but I just don’t see it.  I have run a gram weight scale on every key from 1 to 88 on a lot of pianos and on my new pianos I have brought the weight from 68 to 70 down to 62 and 60 on a lot of keys.  After that I have lubed, repinned and removed mass from the hammer heals, but, you guessed it, it never gets much below 60.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Any one want to give me some guidance?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> William<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> PIANO BOUTIQUE<o:p></o:p> William Benjamin<o:p></o:p> Piano Tuner Extraordinaire<o:p></o:p> <A href="http://www.pianoboutique.biz">www.pianoboutique.biz</A><o:p></o:p> The tuner alone,<o:p></o:p> preserves the tone.<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>