Regarding George Bartlett's customer's sluggish grand action: The
"touch" and "feel" of a piano can be very subjective and relative,
especially when comparing different instruments. Older, well-used
pianos can feel "looser", faster, and more responsive as compared to
a newer, less worn action.
Check the action centers and potential friction points carefully first.
All too often I find "technicians" addressing the symptoms, not the
problem itself.
What about the key touch weight? If the original hammers have been
replaced, there is a good chance the key weight is far out.
If all the action centers and friction points (including damper lift
arms and damper wire bushings) and the key bushings are okay, there
is still a fair bit to be gained through regulation. You could achieve
a lighter or faster touch by shortening the hammer blow distance and
reducing the key dip (and lowering the sharps), adjusting damper spoons
to lift dampers slightly later or reducing hammer drop off and reset-
ting the jack under the hammer shank knuckle to reduce the "trigger
pressure", etc.
In some cases, the "problem" may partly lie with the instrument's
owners, or with their inability to fully express what they perceive
and how they perceive it.
Juergen Goering
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