Bubble-gum-feel keyboard

[hmazura]

Hi everyone,

I have new rhodes that I am just about to restore. Main thing that bothers me is feeling of keys. When I press one, I can't really say when it hit the bottom (the bushing). It's like there is a bubble gum under the key. The touch is soft (accurate), but it feels like I am striking something very soft with a hammer. Not something hard.

The touch is not concerte.  I get a feeling of some cheap, wobbling keyboard. I don't really know how to describe it... On my other rhodes (restored) I can feel exactly when the key hit the bottom/front rail. It's a feeling like on a real grand. The sound might be horrible, but you get a feeling of well-working action.

Hope anyone gets what I am trying to describe...

Might this be because of worn out key shims?

Thank you.

[sean]

Dunno for sure, but one horrible thing that could cause this feeling is loose or broken hammer flanges.  If the keys are struck, and the hammer flange gives way, then it will feel wrong.   

If this were the case, you should be able to look down through the tonebars and tines with a flashlight, and focus on the hammer flanges... if they seem to move, then you need to go grab the tissues to wipe the tears from your eyes.  Well, you can't very well see the flange itself, but you should be able to tell if the fulcrum of the hammer is moving around a solid steady point, or if the hammer seems to rise with the after-touch or over-pressure of the key stroke.
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When the key hits the bottom of the stroke, it is supposed to be stopped by being jammed against the flat stop-lock area of the hammer cam.  It is not supposed to bottom out on the front rail bushings (like on a real piano).  If the previous owner added extra felt to the front rail bushings, you might get a mushy feel.
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Sometimes the bushings on the balance rail or the bushings on the front rail are really tight, and they hamper your keystroke, but they usually would also affect the key return (which you did not compain about).


Check those three things first... before we blame the dampers, or the pedestal lube, or the action rail being loose or out of place.

sean

[hmazura]

Thank you very much for great answer, Sean.

Seems like it might be one of those things. i'll check my piano over the weekend...