<!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 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Jason,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#008080 size=2>You wrote: How DO you = regulate hammer height and letoff in the grand piano?  <snip>  In some situations I have had to do an on-site regulation where there is no = good, flat surface for the action, so I've tried to do it in the piano. <snip></FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" color=#008080 size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I often have to do stuff without the = proper equipment, because it's just not worth it to me (as an amateur) to = invest in elaborate tooling.  I just did a fairly good preliminary regulation = job (preliminary because I have other work ahead of me) without a good bench = using the following method (which does not require a flat = surface):</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>(1) Raise the letoff buttons on = the end notes of each section, until the hammer blocks against the = string.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>(2) Adjust the capstans on these = notes, so that the hammers *just* reach the strings when the key bottoms = out.  Of course the force on the key *does* matter, so find a way to be = consistent.  The hammer bumping against the string, ringing it, and then damping it, = is an excellent aural indicator of having achieved the desired hammer height.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN = class=622313517-01022005>(3) Remove the action and put it on the best surface = available.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN = class=622313517-01022005>(4) Section at a time, position a straight edge so that the hammers on the section ends = *just* meet it when the keys are bottomed.  Lower the straight edge by 1/16".</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN = class=622313517-01022005>(5) For each note, raise the letoff button until the hammer blocks.  Depress a = the key, and lower the letoff button until the jack kicks out and releases the hammer.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN = class=622313517-01022005>(6) Adjust hammer height and drop in a similar manner.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN = class=622313517-01022005>This is a very quick and easy way to set up for regulation, and I found it to be quite accurate, even on less than optimal surfaces.  To do my regulation, = I just set the action on top of a piano lid, with a blanket to cushion = it.  :-)</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005>Peace,</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005>Sarah</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT = size=2><SPAN class=622313517-01022005> </DIV></SPAN></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML= >