set letoff to get acceptable aftertouch?

[Dean May]

How are you defining after touch? It is the movement of the key (or jack)
after the jack clears the knuckle. Look at the top of the jack. Is it
clearing and then pulling away from the knuckle? If so, then you have
aftertouch. You don't need much, but you do need some. 

>>also the dip is about 12 mm. is it a sin to go deeper to get acceptable
aftertouch?

Yes. If you are having to get that much dip to get any aftertouch then your
blow distance is too great or you have too much lost motion. 

When you decrease the blow distance to reduce required dip you'll have to
readjust the lost motion. 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Megan Carlton Photography
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 1:03 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: set letoff to get acceptable aftertouch?

hi all

would any of you ever set letoff far away enough from
the strings to get acceptable aftertouch, if nothing
else seems to be working? it's a crappy piano, a
bradbury console. i'm need to get an acceptable
regulation, but nothing more.

i've tried playing with strike distance and dip and
can't seem to get good enough aftertough in a small
section of the bass (perhaps two and a half octaves)
to avoid bobbling. also the dip is about 12 mm. is it
a sin to go deeper to get acceptable aftertouch? i
don't remember hearing anyone mentioning keydip that
deep.

oh, and another thing. some of the sharps and naturals
in lower half of the bass section feel heavy.  the
only thing i can compare it to in my imagination is
having a 3 inch sharp key, with the balance pin being
1 inch away from the player end of the key, and having
a 10 pound weight sitting on the other end of the key.
now can you imagine how that would feel? and it seems
like the higher i have tried setting the key height to
get a little more dip, the heavier it feels.

?!?!

daniel carlton