I recently tuned an Otto Altenburg (Samick made) short grand from 1992. Apart from many issues, trying to regulate a sample to a workable position, I found the let-off dowel running out of room to get escapement close enough. My next visit, if it happens, I will investigate the action stack height.
Also, the wippen rail was loose, so I tightened it as a best guess as to where to place it (centered over the capstans and measuring 112.5 mm action spread.) Still couldn’t regulate the jacks far enough toward the hammers. That should have been my clue that the action spread wasn’t right, but this piano was a first visit in a busy restaurant, and triage was the game at hand. Later I found out from Samick the action spread spec is 114 mm.
I had not considered expanding brackets until Peter’s query about Samicks so it also now makes me wonder. The let-off wasn’t blocking, nor hammers bobbling, but that could’ve been due to the 12mm dip and 12 mm let-off (didn’t detect broken jacks.)
The whole piano was so far out of regulation, it makes me question that either something happened, or the factory just let this one fly.
Joe Wiencek
Original Message------
Many Samick grands have the top action mounted too low for the string height/bore distance. Symptoms are unable to set escapement properly close.
I have fixed some that needed 3/8" blocks added to the action blocks on the keyframe.
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Edward McMorrow
Edmonds WA
425-299-3431
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