[CAUT] Loose Soundboards

[Jeff Olson]

That was good, Jim -- definitely sounds more efficient than the 
usual having someone bang the note method (not always easy to 
find someone to do that, while you crawl about and under the 
piano!:)  I'm making one or two of those mallets post haste.

Thanks!

Jeff O.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Ellis" <claviers at nxs.net>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 7:33 AM
Subject: [CAUT] Loose Soundboards


> Several messages ago, someone talked about a piano lacking in 
> power and
> sustain, possibly due to a soundboard that was loose at the 
> rim.  Years
> ago, I made myself a little wooden mallet from a piece of 3/4 
> inch dowel
> loaded with key leads, padded on each end with felt and 
> leather, with a 3/8
> inch dowel for a handle.  The padding on one end is thin and 
> stiff, but
> that on the other end is thick and soft.  If I suspect that a 
> soundboard is
> loose at the rim, or has a loose rib, I crawl under the piano, 
> and thump on
> the board with the mallet, working my way around the edges and 
> along the
> ribs.  If there is a loose spot, it will rattle.  Sometimes the 
> end with
> the thin padding works best to find the rattle, but at other 
> times, the
> soft padded end works best.  This works so much better than 
> banging on a
> buzzing note, and trying to find the trouble spot.  If the 
> mallet thumping
> and presssing on the board at different places finds no 
> rattles, I look for
> something else that may be causing a buzzing note.  It's such a 
> simple
> test, and it works so well.  In fact, I made two of these 
> things.  The
> heavier one weighs about 1/4 pound.
>
> Jim Ellis
>
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