Relocating capstans

[HartmanCJ@aol.com]

Tom,

I may be presumptuous but  it sound like you have a friction problem. High up
weight and low down weight usually means excessive friction. Subtract the up
from the down and divide by 2. Friction should be lower than 18 in the bass
and gradually lessening to 12 in the high treble. The capstan is usually the
last thing to consider if you have a friction problem. Check the key easing
first. Some Steinways from the eighties have excessively tight balance holes.
Also do a quick check of the hammer flange centers; Teflon is not immune to
hydroscopic movement. By the way dont be overly concerned about the leads in
the keys. During this period Steinway still used the accelerated action with
the full spread of lead. The keys in the bass typically have little room for
additional lead.

John Hartman
NYC Chapter