Posted by Steve Dedman on November 11, 2001 at 18:57:12:
In Reply to: Valve Action on Piggy posted by Scotty on November 11, 2001 at 18:32:16:
One of the things about piggys seems to be that they have a longer spatula throw than Miraphones. It does make it a little more difficult in technical passages, but I don't think that they are "slower" per se, just that they have to go further.
IMO, the problem is that the spatula bridge is too low. If that is raised, then you gain a mechanical advantage by having the "down" rod a little longer. That means that the spatula doesn't have to travel as far to move the linkage (and therefore the rotor) the same distance.
There are a couple of problems with this solution, though. 1) you probably can't do it yourself, 2) the valves might become harder to push because while you gain the advantage of moving more distance with the longer down rod, you create a situation where you are moving a longer lever with a short one. 3) The thumb ring on piggys is in (for me) an awkward position as it is. Raise the bridge, and you'll probably run into some ergonomic considerations. FWIW , I don't use the ring; I place my thumb behind the 2nd valve slide, but that is even more of a problem if the bridge is raised.
The one thing that you can do, though is to give the springs an extra wrap. I did it to my piggy, and it made a difference. Just know that your fingers (and even forearm) will tire easier if you do extended technical exercises.
My $0.02.
SD