Key weights and lightening the action

[southpaw]

Would a piano technician please help me understand keyboard weight measurement? 

My new grand piano has a very stiff, sluggish action. The piano is brand new and sounds wonderful, but I get fatigued very quickly, even playing easier pieces.  The action feels like molasses. I'm trying to understand what the technician is telling me about weights and lightening the action.

The downweight is between 55 and 60 grams. Slightly heavy but not terrible.  But that amount of weight drops the key only a third of the way, to the point where it just begins to raise the damper.  To drop the key farther, lifting the damper, requires a lot more -- 80 to 85 grams.  And the additional weight only takes it down another third of the way, to where it starts lifting the jack.  At that point it meets even more resistance, too much to measure with my stack of nickels. 

The upweight is about 25 to 30 grams. 

The technician wants to make two adjustments. First, adjust the dampers so they don't  engage until farther down in the keystroke.  Second, shorten the throw of the hammers, if I'm saying that correctly. 

My questions --

Is the downweight supposed to measure only the balance and friction in the key, and not the effort needed to engage the damper and jack?  If so, does it really quantify how much effort it takes to play the instrument?

Does the suggested remediation plan seem right?

Thanks for any information you can give me.

[ajspiano]

I'm not a technician so I may be slightly off here..

Is the downweight supposed to measure only the balance and friction in the key, and not the effort needed to engage the damper and jack? -

Yes I believe so, when we talk about downweight of 50g say, that should be sufficient to fully engage the entire mechanism. - but there are quite a few variables and reasons that the figure can change.

If so, does it really quantify how much effort it takes to play the instrument?

No. At least not in a way any more relevant than "higher downweight = a bit more effort" - unless you're a horowitz (who demanded a downweight of 46g) developing a better technique is more meaningful to reducing your effort.

[pianolive]

Your tech's suggestions are good. The hammer blow distance should not be less than 45 mm though.
To measure the down weight, the dampers must be lifted off the strings with the right pedal.