Bechstein Actions

[Newton Hunt]

Hi Dennis,
      Your touch weight is still a little too high unless the piano is for
a real bear of a heavy handed man player.
      David Stanwood is now doing:
            Friction control screws at shank center pin.
            Weight adjustment of all hammers
            Weight adjustment of each key pivot to front
            Installing and adjusting springs at wippen flange
            Relocating capstans to adjust mechanical leverage.

      This is an emense amout of work but the results are amazingly smooth
and consistant action.
      What I would like to try is not putting springs on the wippens but
put them somewhere so they bear on the key directly as an easy install.  You
do not need much tension, just enough to bring the AVERAGE of up and down for
each key to somewhere between 35 grams for a light action and 38 grams for a
heavy action.
      If the wippens have an accommodation for a spring the rest is easy.
If not the install can be difficult although David has worked out methods for
most types of wippens.
      David can be reached at 508-693-1583 or you can call me at
908-545-9084 at home or 908-932-6686 during reasonable work hours.
            Newton
            nhunt@gandalf.rutgers.edu