<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>   Delwin D Fandrich wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>  Higher hammer mass = more hammershank and key bending = earlier action saturation and lower hammer velocity. Always. With or without wippen assist springs. Unless, of course, you want to go to some exotic material for the hammershank and really tall keys. Del   <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"></a> </blockquote> Compliance yes... but will the higher ratio yield higher hammer velocity for same hammer weight ? At what hammer weight (given action parts materials) will compliance become such an issue that it defeats any increase in action ratio ? And doesnt the stored energy in compliance flex have to be released some how regardless... doesnt some of this end up coming out on the hammer / string impact end of the <<equation>> ? Then... action saturation.... when is too early ?? or is there such a thing as too early  or too late saturation ?... RicB -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. UiB, Bergen, Norway <A HREF="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> <A HREF="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A> <A HREF="http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html">http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html</A>  </html>