[CAUT] F..riction

[Ed Foote]

l
  David writeS.

<snip< pianists don't play the
piano at the very end of the keys where these measurements are taken from
but rather from anywhere from the tip of the key to the fallboard where the
action ratio will change, and very dramatically, it makes one wonder just
exactly what pianists are feeling when they say the piano feels very "even".

 I believe evenness to the pianist means equal inertia, equal voicing, and equal ease of escapement.  The last is 
hardest to judge, but jack position, knuckle condition, friction of the drop screw and jack tail on their pads, spring 
strength, height of balancier, and aftertouch all play a part. Pianists, when playing a ppp levels, will be very mindful 
of what the escapement is like under soft play, even if they can't describe it.  
     A few drops of lacquer solution on the top of a hammer will make that key feel a lot lighter, a key with 10% more 
FW than its neighbors will also stand out to some, but if there are a couple of notes that have a "notch" or other hang-up
right at escapement, the pianist will mistrust all of the keyboard, and complain that the action is uneven. 
I have, numerous times, made a huge difference in the feel of "evenness" by simply moving all the jacks to the 
proper place when they were far distal of where they should be.  Jack/knuckle friction is another big influence and 
the quick rubbing of some Teflon powder across the knuckles also can do wonders in this regard. 
Ed Foote
Regards,  
Ed Foote RPT
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.htm
 
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