My Williams Allegro 88 keyboard sustain pedal is doing the opposite of sustaining. I lost the manual so I also don't know how to reset it and if this will fix the problem.

My Williams Allegro sustain pedal is terribly difficult to work with. Sometimes it sustains when pressed, and sometimes it just plain doesn't! Is it me, or is this pedal just a piece of junk?? I do love this piano; no problems there, it's just that the sustain pedal that came with the keyboard isn't functioning the way a sustain pedal should. Does anyone know if there is another manufacturer's pedal that will fit this particular Williams piano model? After having read up on it, I don't think it's me. The pedal is plugged in properly, and I've been playing piano for almost 50 years (electric pianos for about 20 years) so I know how it SHOULD work. The piano was a gift, but if I had gone out shopping for a digital 88-key myself I probably wouldn't have bought this one based on the complaints about this dang pedal. Any ideas or recommendations??? Thanks! My Williams Allegro sustain pedal is terribly difficult to work with. Sometimes it sustains when pressed, and sometimes it just plain doesn't! Is it me, or is this pedal just a piece of junk?? I do love this piano; no problems there, it's just that the sustain pedal that came with the keyboard isn't functioning the way a sustain pedal should. Does anyone know if there is another manufacturer's pedal that will fit this particular Williams piano model? After having read up on it, I don't think it's me. The pedal is plugged in properly, and I've been playing piano for almost 50 years (electric pianos for about 20 years) so I know how it SHOULD work. The piano was a gift, but if I had gone out shopping for a digital 88-key myself I probably wouldn't have bought this one based on the complaints about this dang pedal. Any ideas or recommendations??? Thanks!

I found an easy solution, with just a wrench and pliers: I took the pedal apart (it's held together with just one nut and a bolt which acts as the axle). The circuit is caveman simple - the pedal simply pushes one piece of bare wire into contact with another piece of wire. I bent the top wire (the one with a free end - you'll see it) so that it lies a little bit closer to the other wire when the pedal isn't being pressed (without actually touching). That way when you do press it the wire is more likely to make contact. I put it all back together (there were some little washers that were awkward, and the spring isn't held in with anything which is also awkward. This thing was certainly built on the cheap). Now it works way better - it always sustains when I push it.

Note: I actually bent the wire twice - I bent it downwards near the middle of the wire to bring it closer to the other wire, and I bent it upwards near the free end to bring it closer to the pedal. A bit of a zig-zag. The upward bend ensures that it will come into contact with the pedal when you push with your foot. I found an easy solution, with just a wrench and pliers: I took the pedal apart (it's held together with just one nut and a bolt which acts as the axle). The circuit is caveman simple - the pedal simply pushes one piece of bare wire into contact with another piece of wire. I bent the top wire (the one with a free end - you'll see it) so that it lies a little bit closer to the other wire when the pedal isn't being pressed (without actually touching). That way when you do press it the wire is more likely to make contact. I put it all back together (there were some little washers that were awkward, and the spring isn't held in with anything which is also awkward. This thing was certainly built on the cheap). Now it works way better - it always sustains when I push it. Note: I actually bent the wire twice - I bent it downwards near the middle of the wire to bring it closer to the other wire, and I bent it upwards near the free end to bring it closer to the pedal. A bit of a zig-zag. The upward bend ensures that it will come into contact with the pedal when you push with your foot.