John, I kind of doubt that your particular problem is related to the fact the action is a Schwander. >I'm not too familiar with the Schwander actions and I have a bit of a >problem. This is a strange circumstance. The customer told me she bought >it new in 1985. But it looks older. I sold pianos for 10 years, so I'm >usually off by only a year or two when guessing the age. (it's a game I >play with myself.) I can't seem to find a serial number on this thing any >where! Any ideas? I've been over, under and in this piano, and I doubt >this piano was new in 85. The serial number she claims to have found once >before is a six digit # that doesn't jive with the Piano Atlas. The only other places I can think of to look are on the top of the legs, pedal lyre and other case parts. It sounds like you've covered the other places pretty well. >The piano tuned well and sounds great now; despite the fact she hadn't had >it tuned since she got it. Here's the real problem, the action plays like >your beating rocks. That is to say it's very, very hard. I play >professionally and I've never played one this hard. The let-off feels >amplified in the key. It feels heavy, but not necessarily slow. She hates >the action and I told her I would see what I could do. I brought the action >home. This problem sounds like it's probably knuckle related. Are the knuckles worn very flat? Maybe "lubed" with grease graphite and now gummy? Is the buckskin loose around the core? If it is older, as you suspect, are the knuckles that brown, rough type of buckskin they used to use? Are the jacks positioned correctly in relation to the knuckles, both re: height and front to back position? All, or a combination, of these things could cause the problem I "think" you're talking about. As I heard George Defebaugh describe it one time at a convention, "with a good set of knuckles, you can get the action to let-off, not jerk-off". Does that pretty well describe what's happening? >I lowered the capstans and that has seem to make the action play >better. I don't quite see how lowering the capstans could help with the let-off problem. I think lowering would tend to make a heavier feel and, as Keith said, decrease the aftertouch. If you do lower them, make sure they aren't so low that they rest on top of any of the backchecks. >But the back checks needed to be pushed back too. I noticed that >many of the back checks were causing friction even before I lowered the >capstans. The adjustments I made seem to work fine, but I am concerned I >did the right adjustment. Any one else come across this? I would >appreciate any advice either on the list or to my email. Qualski@apk.net >Thanks >John J. Kowalski The back check regulation is, of course, affected by key dip. Is that in the ball park, at least? What you did was probably correct but also, the backcheck height at let-off should have the hammer tail app. 1/16" above the top of the backcheck. If the tails are below that point, perhaps the backchecks were installed too high. But the main thing is that they check well without the hammers rubbing them on their way to the string. It's always so much easier to try and figure out things like this when the action is right in front of you, but I hope this at least gives you some things to check out. If you have any more questions, let us know. We'll try and help. Good luck. Avery ___________________________ Avery Todd, RPT Moores School of Music University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4893 713-743-3226 atodd@uh.edu http://www.music.uh.edu/
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