soft pedal on new Kawaii

[Farrell]

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I believe it has more to do with marketing that with performance. If one =
wanted to make an upright with a una-corda pedal - one would make just =
that - I believe it has been done before on an upright. But obviously =
that costs more and the reason that most folks buy a vertical piano is =
cost savings. Hence the poor-man's una-corda.

So why bother with a pedal at all? Because, as we all know in America, =
all pianos have three pedals - even if two are connected to the same =
mechanism and even if the mechanism doesn't really do anything.

I think the soft pedal on an upright moves the hammers closer to the =
strings and potentially allows the pianist to play softer more easily. I =
should think it would work to some degree, but I also think that it =
would require a good quality, well designed and manufactured upright =
(not a console) that is in good playing condition and is well regulated =
(and I mean friction, et. al.).

However, my observations have been similar to yours - the soft pedal on =
a vertical doesn't do much.

Do the keys go down when the soft pedal is depressed?

Get the hammer blow back to spec (1-3/4" to 1-7/8"). Check to see that =
the soft pedal has as much travel as is possible - sometimes there will =
be a very thick felt on the bottom board that limits pedal travel. See =
that the piano is well regulated - this may be an opportunity to sell a =
complete regulation - or have the dealer pay for it (don't hold your =
breath). This sounds like a new piano - what model?

Or, tell your client to get a good quality grand with a genuine =
una-corda pedal and mechanism.

Hope some of this helps.

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Alpha88x@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2004 4:13 PM
  Subject: soft pedal on new Kawaii


  Greetings,=20

                Why wouldn't a soft pedal on a brand new Kawaii studio =
upright not make the piano play any softer when depressed?  I checked =
the distance of the hammers and the pedal, caused the hammers, sure =
enough, to get closer to the strings, but the tone of playing did not =
get softer as it should; I mean alomost NO tonal difference.

                 So...I adjusted the soft pedal screw, down at the pedal =
until my ear was satified as to the softness. Adjusting this made the =
hammers distance about 1/2" closer to the strings than it was set at. =
Then, when I looked at the hammer rest rail, it was up off it's resting =
position on the action bracket. In other words, there was about 1/4" =
space between the hammer rest rail's bottom and the felt on the action =
brackets. When I measured the resting position distance of the hammers =
to the strings it was 38mm!!  I know this is too close, but now the =
pedal causes the hammers to play softer....

                 The girl needed to practice for a college entrance or =
something, so I lightly glued small pieces of felt in the space in =
between the rail and the action brackets, as a temporary measure,  as to =
allow the pedal to do what it is suppose to do, so she could practice. =
Howevwer, I told them I would investigate the specs and visit as a =
follow up. What could the true problem be here? My guess that it has to =
do with voicing. (38mm and up off the action bracket, doesn't seem right =
and scares me.) Thanks for expertise in advance.=20

              (By the way, this was a call from the piano dealer, for =
their first free tuning and to look art this pedal's problem under =
warranty.)=20

  rookie,
  Julia Gottchall,=20
  Reading, PA 
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