Lowest Note on Mk1 Stage 73 Clanky - Hammer Strike to Hard?

[free333]

Lowest Note on Mk1 Stage 73 Clanky - Hammer Strike to Hard?

Hi everyone!  Im new and i have a simple question.

The lowest Note on Mk1 Stage 73 (1973) is Clanky and have tried everything but shortening the rubber hammer tip.

I already tested changing tines, tone bars from my '74 and the sound remains.
I made sure everything is secure, adjusted tone bar height and angle of tine, also the pickup distance (always stayed the same)
Its not the pickup, the tines, the tone bar or any fasteners for sure.

Looking at the action closely as it hits the tine, i have come to the conclusion the key just creates a harder strike than the other bass keys.

I had replaced a missing rubber hammer tip on this note, and the tip length is the same as all the others

Im suspecting the fix is i should just shorten the rubber tip to reduce this one clanky note and compensate for the some what faster / harder action of this one key.

Before i shorten the tip, i wanted to confirm this sounds correct.  (i exhausted the other possibilities)
If this isnt correct then what else is possible (i tried all the ideas i read when searching this forum)

thank you!

[Tim Hodges]

The options I use are:

1) Check escapement, tonebar needs to be a tine block width distance away from the harp.
2) Hammer tip distance on the lower key when pressed how far is the tip away from the time? 3/8" is about right, if it's too little then you can shim the bass end of the harp up.
3) Check that the pickup isn't too nearly the time, the magnet can affect the sway.
4) Is the tine hitting the damper felt and creating the weird sound.
5) Dodgy tine?
6) Intertwine two yellow springs together to make them stiffer and try those to see if that improves it.

From reading your post you've done 1-5 so try the spring technique, that's what they did at the factory.

[free333]

Okay, ive added an extra spring to the tine like you mentioned in #6 but the slightly clanky sound is still there.

Ive found the problem as outlined in my next post!

[free333]

I figured it out !

i read on another thread here to check the hammer tip hardness. 

Ive found this tip is rock hard and i need the softest rubber tip

30 Shore rubber softness (the black non color coded tips)

Now i understand graduated hammer tip relation to tine sound.