<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>   Nichols wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE> At 05:55 PM 3/27/2003 +0100, you wrote:     <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>. Three years old and needs new key bushings and easily could do with a new set of hammers... to give you an idea.</blockquote> Well .....   duh! Key bushings !?! And you wonder where the power went? <G>  BIG <G> No .... really, Richard..... I'm sorry. I just saw the above paragraph and had to chuckle. Breaking strings, too. Well......... duh!</blockquote> Er... perhaps I was not clear enough. I didnt mean to say there was anything like chronic string breaking.  The piano gets used a lot in a practice and teaching situation, so I expect to replace some strings from time to time. Nothing out of the ordinary tho. I have never equated worn key bushings with this kind of loss of power sensation either, so I dont really understand what you mean here. I have plenty other instruments at the school with equal or more key bushing wear that do not exhibit this, so I think we are not quite on the same page on this one.   <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Key bushing looseness can act just like center pin looseness in the hammer shank. Control and power..... down the tubes. Music is only as good as the silence it's compared too, and I bet there's no ppp on this instrument, either!</blockquote> Yes.. thats clear.. but its another kind of thing entirely from what this problem is. Oh it needs new bushings to be sure, but that wont solve this problem. <blockquote TYPE=CITE>  Time to sell the job. Cost out the chronic breaking strings for them and show them how they'll save money. Add in carpel-tunnel for the players, etc...... you get the idea. Very cost effective to hang hammers/shanks/ and bushings.</blockquote> Its on my maintance schedule for later this fall, tho that will be only for new key bushings and repinning shanks. Cheers, and thanks for zee inputz :) 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>  </html>