Stretchy, It's a pleasure. Nothing quite like long-distance diagnostics. A few thoughts: > > I forgot to mention that it was the damper pedal. One can _always_ blame the damper pedal. They're never right anyway. >Keybedding is good. No knocks >Letoff very close, drop very good. >No kick in key from Rep spring. That last is just a burr under my own saddle. Some folks like it, I don't. Usually my pianos repeat pretty well. >There's enough aftertouch. This piano is in a very unstable hall and the >capstans/everything else must be cranked drastically from season to season. >I'm looking for the quick fix, as there is little money and not much more in >sight. > Ouch. I have some thoughts on things that _might_ help, if you're interested. >Very good pianists have played it: Claude Frank for one (he liked it). > Chick Corea, George Winston . John O'Connor, Dave Brubeck. > Claude Frank - a fine man and an underrated pianist. Saw him last doing Beethoven. Lovely sound and elegant style, reminiscent of Curzon. Chick Corea - a much more versatile musician than most, but, that's because he is a musician first, and a pianist second. George Winston - If George didn't complain about the repetition, go have a beer. He repeats as fast as Brendel ever thought of, and is rough on a piano to boot. Does he still wear his socks to play in? John O'Conor - (one "n") John, like Kempf was, is a very intellectual player. Here too, if he did not complain, you're doing OK. Ask him to play some middle Beethoven or Brahms (esp. Intermezzi) some time. Dave Brubeck is one of those wonderful folks who does everything well. I'll never forget the incredible sound he got out of a tubby, nasty Brand X piano... in the rain. >None of them has complained about the repetition, but IT BUGS ME! (am I >making something out of nothing??) No, but listen to your artists. Not necessarily to what comes out of their mouths, but what comes out of the piano as they play. Each of the above have very individual styles of performance (we're not talking about music). >Some have said it feels too heavy; others say it feels too light! > Yes, and? Newton's numbers are right on. I tend to make things on the light side, but then, nowdays, I am only seeing pianos over which I have at least some reasonable degree of control. If the numbers throw you, and they do all of us, from time to time, feel how the key moves under your finger. Does it follow closely, or lag behind? Hope this helps a little. So much of this work is simply not reducible. Best. Horace Horace Greeley hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu "Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much. - Oscar Wilde LiNCS voice: 725-4627 Stanford University fax: 725-9942
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