<!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 5.50.4134.600" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I just did a partial-day regulation on = a 60's Hardman console that felt horrible to play.Young student, limited = budget, etc.  I thought the damper timing had a lot to do with it (lifting = early) so that was what I corrected first. It was still horrible. I thought the = damper springs might have been a little too strong, this can affect the = heaviness of the feel and be unnecessary for good damping. The springs in this = instance were not too strong.  So I weighed off down/up on a few notes = and found it to be very heavy, like 70/45. By bending the return springs = back, I was able to reduce it to 40g down!!! Oops, too much. It surprised even me = how much effect they had. Usually I find smaller pianos a little light, and = strengthening the springs is a good way to improve the touch and, coincidentally, repetition as well. The springs in this Hardman = didn't even look like they were that strong (judging by the profile of the curve = when freed from the slot in the hammer butt), and about ten minutes of work bending = springs back did more to improve this piano than any other let-off, key level, = checking, etc. work I did that day.</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2> I bent = all the springs back and then worked the soft pedal vigorously to spot springs = that I had bent back too far, which seemed to work pretty well, I would adjust = them stronger and got all of them more or less even. On a piano with real = uneven friction in the hammer centers, this would not work, of = course.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm wondering if anyone out there has a = system to use a tension gauge with the spring rail removed to set the springs for very even touch on verticals. If I ever get any free time, = maybe I'll develop my very own Jankurawood Touchweight System for verticals :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ken Jankura RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fayetteville PA</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=ramsey@extremezone.com = href="mailto:ramsey@extremezone.com">Kevin E. Ramsey</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> Saturday, September 21, = 2002 12:30 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Upright = Touchweight</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><BR>If I feel them pick up = during key activation, that alerts me to <BR>something in the damper system = needing potential consideration for <BR>some type of adjustment.<BR><BR>Keith McGavern<BR>Registered Piano Technician<BR>Oklahoma Chapter = 731<BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Keith, I suspect = the main culprits would be (on uprights) damper timing (spoons) and damper = spring strengths? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Thanks.</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>