Lost Motion and Touchweight

[Keith Roberts]

I've gotten in trouble adjusting the lost motion without checking other
things. Always set the blow distance first or you're wasting your time.
Measure from the back of the hammer so the depth of the string grooves are
accounted for. (The Yamaha team way) The problem happens if there is too
much key dip. Then damper spring and jack spring are compressed way too
much. Aftertouch! Too much let off and key dip make the aftertouch take up
too much of the key stroke. Plus setting hammers forward and taking up the
lost motion, dampers will lift too soon. This is the adjustment on an
upright most techs don't like to do. Maybe why the other tech left the lost
motion there.
Keith R
----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick C Poulson" <pcpoulso@pacbell.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2002 5:03 PM
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
>
>
>