<!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 Joe.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I first thought the purpose was to add inerty.  I'm quite convinced that some inerty is good for the = pianist's control : it smoothes out the discrepencies in force between the = pianist's fingers and greatly facilitate the legato playing.  But then, why = put lead exactly above the balance hole ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hehe.  I think I know = why.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This action, in fact, has been = upgraded.  It was at first, I suppose, a simple action (no repetition), and those = actions needed leed at the back to achieve quick enough key return to rest position.  At that time, the balance holes (and rail) were about 5 = cm more to the front (there are traces of those).  Also, in addition to the = lead at the back, there was lead somewhere in the middle to achieve fine tune of = downweight.  The piano went back to (I think) the factory (that was = common at Pleyel in those times) to get a new stack with repetition action (and = the case stained in black).  At that time, the balance rail was moved = back and new balance holes drilled.  Apparently, the guy who did this didn't = take the pain to remove the fine tune leads.  On the key on the picture, = it happened that the new balance hole was exactly at the place of the fine = tune lead.  So he drilled through the lead.  It was probably 24th = of december, in the afternoon, and his wife was maybe waiting at home with = a chestnuts turkey.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This explains why the lead at the = balance hole : the balance hole was not there in the beginning.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But then, I still don't understand why = there is lead at the front and at the back of the key.  Certainly as the = lead at the front was under the side ivory (which is reported as a 1860 original = feature) which lead to think it was there at the beginning.  But then, the = lead under the ivory has swollen so much, and the lead at the back, not at all.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So for me, for now, it remains a mystery.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best regards.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=joegarrett@earthlink.net = href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">Joe Garrett</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> Tuesday, February 01, = 2005 12:41 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: The Art of French Leading</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"<FONT face="Times New Roman" = size=3>Does anybody have a clue for what is the theory behind this creative =<BR>leading = ?"</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" = size=3>After looking at the picture....I'd say, because the key ration is essentially 1:1, = there was a need to keep the key the key for rising up on the balance pin. = Hence the front/back/center...to add mass to a very light action & key. = That's my supposition.<G></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" = size=3>Best Regards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR><BR></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, Tool Police<BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>