Sticking Steinway dampers

[Douglas Hershberger]

Mike, list,
   As you probably know, Steinway purposely bears the damper wire to one
side of the bushing. I believe it is to keep the head from shaking on a
hard blow and possibly having the damper wire rattle on the string. You
use the bottom bend in the wire for this adjustment. Of course you have
to make the corresponding bend on the upper portion of the wire and
maybe even use the above the guide rail tool for the damper head. I
believe they call this process the "Circle of refinement". Why they just
don't use a better fit to the guide rail bushing I don't know. It seems
like that would solve alot of problems. If you don't have the wire
bearing a little bit on the bushing then it will be too loose. Using one
of those guide rail easing tools is not what I would check first.
   I have also found instances where there was a sluggish top lever
center and Steinway recommends using straight methanol letting it dry
completely before moving. Sometimes you have to remove the damper wire
from the flange to even detect the sluggishness.
Doug Hershberger, RPT

Mike Musial wrote:
> 
> In a message BobDavis writes:
> 
> >It may also be that the sostenuto needs adjusting. Check the Steinway service
> >manual for instructions. You can tell if this is the problem if when you push
> >it lightly back down, it "snaps" ever so slightly. On a hard blow the
> >sostenuto tab on the damper top flange shoots on by the sostenuto knife.
> 
> Right Bob, on occasion it is hanging on the sostenuto and proper adjustment
> solves that problem. In this case I should have mentioned that after
> removing the action, the offending dampers would still stick if I lifted
> them with my finger.
> 
> >You can test the damper for friction just by feel. With the action out, just
> >lift and release the underlever slowly with one finger. Also, the wire should
> >press ever so lightly on the bushing on the side closest to the unison being
> >damped. Push it gently away and let go. You can develop a feel for how much is
> >too much.
> 
> Probably the offending wires are coming out of the factory just pressing a
> bit too much. Not enough to cause any problems for the owner until I step in
> with a few judicious test blows that may change the alignment slightly, but
> just enough to cause this problem.  As I said, once I remove the damper and
> bend the wire to relieve this side pressure, the problem never comes back.
> 
> I do not believe my test blows are too forceful, or the wire would move
> again during the course of tuning and the problem return. Maybe the
> technician/s that might tune the piano before me use a kinder, gentler
> method of equalizing string tension. This problem might eventually show up
> after a few years of playing. My method must just hasten the inevitable.
> 
> Mike Musial RPT
> Reedsville Pa