<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2715.400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <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.net</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.broadpark.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></BODY></HTML>