Re; Yamaha Silent Piano

[TunerJeff@aol.com]

Dear Charles,

       I hold before me a "Yamaha Silent Series Piano Maintenance Handbook".
The numbers are even more scary than you might imagine (...not for the
faint-hearted!).

1. Regular Acoustic Pianos
    Let-Off>   1.5mm to 3.0mm   (0.06" to 0.12" for the metric-challenged)

2. Silent Series Pianos
    Let-Off>    12.0mm to 13.0mm (1/4" or so)

        The manual notes that too much let-off (beyond 13mm) can cause
problems with pianissimo playing & too little can cause loss of control and
failure in repetition due to bobbling hammers (jack not clearing
hammer-butt).

Charles,
     I'd take a look at the keydip & let-off. You may find that you have
insufficient aftertouch, if you've adjusted to the specs you mention in your
post (6.0mm to 7.0mm) and it may not play properly with let-off that close to
the strings. You need a little bit of key movement AFTER let-off to have a
good feel in these pianos or they will seem shallow or (...as you note)
uncontrollable.The correct dip on Yo'mama pianos is 10.0mm.

     If all seems OK, then give the piano a 'smidge more dip on a few check
notes in the mid-range, and see if your customer feels more 'in control' with
the additional keystroke (...even 'though you haven't changed let-off or
hammerblow). The sensation of 'completion' in the keystroke as the jack
clears the butt may help your customer's satisfaction. OK?

      My own experience with these pianos is limited, but I've NOT noticed
that they have difficulty with soft-playing. There was a brief thread on
these pianos last year, in which techs debated the merits of the "Silent
Series" pianos, and the compromises made to achieve the 'shank-stopper'
action they require... but the upshot was that these pianos work tolerably
well.

Thanks for your time,
Jeffrey T. Hickey, RPT
Oregon Coast Piano Services
TunerJeff @ aol.com

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               IGNORANCE KILLED THE CAT.
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