Capo Buzz

[Lance Lafargue]

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As I say, "I plan to call Steinway first before I do anything further. "
I really appreciate all of the help and experience.  I plan to call
Steinway again (hoping for a call back since Thursday) and find out what
I should do.  I will be near the piano later this week and may drop in
to try the yarn and a few other "tests".  After this smoke clears I have
a 70's Baldwin R that is hopeless, maybe I can try some drastic
techniques on it.  It is currently unplayable it is so bad.  Thanks
again to all of you.  
 
Lance Lafargue, RPT
LAFARGUE PIANOS
New Orleans Chapter, PTG
985.72P.IANO
lancelafargue@bellsouth.net
 
-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Richard West
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 11:06 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: Capo Buzz
 
One suggestion that I haven't seen mentioned yet is to check the hammer
line.  Sometimes moving the hammer closer to the player (in effect,
shortening the shank length) produces dramatic results.  It seems that
having hammers hit the strings at just the right strike point is more
important in Steinways in the "killer octave" region (not so much in the
other parts of the piano).  It's easy to test because you can simply
slide the action out 1/16" or so and see what happens.  If the buzz goes
away, move the hammer line.

I also agree with Charles Ball on checking with Steinway before doing
anything drastic or otherwise.  They have to be dealing with the same
problem on other instruments around the country.

Richard West, University of Nebraska

Lance Lafargue wrote:


So I guess my narrowed question is, given all of these excellent posts,
is:  With a new B, should I increase the angle and slightly narrow the
bar on the speaking length side, given everything else I have tried?  Is
there some consensus, given the problems with the design?  And how do I
determine if I have a "soft" V-bar?  Voicing did nothing permanent but
continue to weaken the piano.  I plan to call Steinway first before I do
anything further.  This owner of a new B is currently, officially,
depressed  ;  ) 
 
I may first experiment with yarn in the duplex and PVCE glue on that
segment, before shaping the bar.  
 
Lance Lafargue, RPT
LAFARGUE PIANOS
New Orleans Chapter, PTG
985.72P.IANO
lancelafargue@bellsouth.net
 
-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Horace Greeley
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 11:02 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: Capo Buzz
 

Ron,

At 09:47 PM 10/18/2003 +1100, you wrote:


At 7:22 PM -0400 18/10/03, Ed Sutton wrote:


 
. . . Within the constraints of the S & S design, there are 3 causes of
buzz: poorly shaped capo, capo bruised by rough stringing, capo too soft
due to failure to case harden in casting.

Plus the fallacious practice of attempting to set the font duplex length
to a harmonic of the speaking length.

I totally agree with your assessment; and think that this practice has
to do with a basic misunderstanding of what the front duplex is supposed
to do.  

The patent drawings help support this assumption.  I do not remember the
patent descriptions sufficiently well to know if they confirm or refute
what might be construed from the pictures as being a reinforcing system.
This is further complicated, I think, by the presence of the movable
cast front duplexes still seen on so many older S&S pianos.

I'm sure that there are others on the list who are much more current
with this stuff than myself...maybe they'll speak up.

Best.

Horace

P.S. - Almost forgot, I've heard some very good compliments about an
instrument of yours that a friend of mine heard in Syndey...Opera House,
maybe?  Good Show!!!

hg


 

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