Lost Motion and Touchweight

[David Ilvedson]

Yep, definitely the capstan regulation...usually when I do this regulation I show the customer what has happened with the linkage, i.e. materials have compacted and consequently there is a gap...I show the give with key before it contacts the butt.  I show him/her that the key only goes so far (keydip) and a portion of that dip/movement/stroke is doing nothing, i.e. loss of power, control, etc.  I'd go back and slip a shim under the hammer rail and see if she thinks it feels better and then show her what is going on.  If she still insists give each capstan the same amount of turn, maybe a quarter turn and get the heck out of there. This is a pain in the butt, it happens.  Make sure the jack is getting back under the butt!

Good Luck,

David I.

P.S.  Show her your emails!


----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Patrick C Poulson <pcpoulso@pacbell.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 17:03:38 -0700
Subject: Lost Motion and Touchweight

>Hello all: I got a call today from a customer whose Knabe console I serviced
>at the end of July. She complained that something I did has made the piano
>have a very heavy touch, not only to her but to her husband, and she wants
>it put back to its former condition. I looked up my record on the piano and
>saw that aside from tuning it I adjusted the lost motion.  I have never had
>anyone complain about the piano having a heavy touch after having the lost
>motion adjusted. My experience has been that the piano plays better, and
>previous tuners may have been ignoring the need for the lost motion to be
>taken up.  She says that she has had it maintained by well respected
>technicians where ever she has lived, the last one being the technician for
>a Steinway dealer. She has moved out of his service area, which is why she
>called me.  I am at loss to figure out how taking up the lost motion could
>make a piano have an uncomfortable heavy touch.  My guess is that she had
>grown accustomed to playing an out of adjustment action, and that a properly
>adjusted action with a firm touch feels "heavy" to her.  I have an
>appointment tomorrow morning to check the piano over and do what is
>appropriate to satisfy her, but I'm scratching my head as to how to put the
>piano back out of adjustment in order to satisfy her. Has anyone run into a
>similiar situation?  My notes do not mention any sluggishness or tightness
>in the flanges, and she says she noticed this change in the touch
>immediately.
>Thanks, Patrick Poulson, RPT