Mystery #4

[Jim]

Dear Ron:

You are not going to solve this one short of putting on new Damper felts.
I would recommend Yamaha felts.  For awhile, Steinway was using denser
damper felts, especially the flats which made this problem worse.  Do
you have damper follow-through?  The rocking of the dampers forward or
backward may solve the Bass after-ring.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Wed, 11 Dec 1996, Ronald R Shiflet wrote:

> Liszt,
> 	I've tried to get into a local college for 5 years now and today
> I got a call.  Actually, I'm about the 3rd person that they've called to
> try and fix this problem and even I am not totally sure what's wrong.
> I'm trying hard to look good but so far I haven't pulled through.
> 	The problem is this:  Steinway L, dampers go down with a loud
> *thump*.  Most grands have a very quiet thump when you let off the
> pedal.  This piano has a very loud thump, as if the felt is too hard and
> the dampers are coming down crashing into the strings.
> 	Here's the rest of the information:
>
> 1.  Steinway L, built with teflon bushings about 1965, probably nothing
> done to it since (except tunings).  Now in a college choir room getting
> heavy use (no aftertouch, grooved hammers and knuckles...You know the
> type...Needs a regulation desperately.)
> 2.  Dampers (especially in the bass) have a slight ring (2 to 3 seconds)
> to them when you let off the pedal.  Since this piano accompanies a 150
> piece choir, this problem goes relatively unnoticed.
> 3.  No apparent  loose aprons or splits in the bridge or soundboard.
> Nothing seems to be rattling on the soundboard.
> 4.  My instinct tells me to change the dampers but I'm not totally sure
> that this is the problem.  Choir director says this problem didn't
> happen overnight but has been slowly getting worse.
> 5.  Pedals are stiff to push.  The up-stop rail is not in the way.  I
> checked a 9ft Baldwin nearby for comparison.  The pedals on the Baldwin
> are easier to push and have about twice the downtravel in the pedal.
> 6.  The noise is still present when the action is out and the pedals are
> off.  I thought the problem might be the lifter tray coming down but the
> felt seems to be good, although when the tray comes down, the dampers hit
> and thump.  There is a slight distance between the dampers hitting and
> then the tray coming on down to rest on the felts.  I feel there needs
> to be a little more distance here because it seems like the tray doesn't
> drop quite enough to silence the dampers.  There also doesn't seem to be any way to adjust this... is there?
> 	Any suggestions would be appreciated.  If I can figure this one out, the complete regulation will probably follow.
>
> Ron Shiflet, RPT
>