Damper Configurations

[btrout@desupernet.net]

Hi Ron,

Just some random thoughts.

Dampers are kinda fun.

One thing I've seen on a number of pianos is very long damper felts.  Some I've
seen have damper felt covering most of the damper.  It's my contention that a
damper works better if the felt actually covers less area.  (Sounds wrong, but
that's been my experience.)

My usual 'procedure' if there is such a thing, is to use 3/4 inch felt blocks
on the bass, and after the break, I go to 1/2 inch blocks on wound strings (if
there are any), and then when I get to the plain wire I go to 1/2 in blocks in
the back and pads in the front for a dozen or so, then all pads to the top,
using the smallest ones of a tapered set (as opposed to starting with the
largest working my way up to the smallest and having the little ones left
over.)

That's the general gist of how they've worked out for me... nothing in
concrete, just sort of the 'default' setting.  I don't usually take the old
damper felt off until I'm almost ready for the new so I'll remember what was
there, so I do have the input from the old set in case there's anything
unusual.

I used to think that dampers were sort of a 'sacred' area, never to be
disturbed.  I'm finding out that none of it is really that hard... actually, I
kind of enjoy working on them from time to time.

Good luck.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, Pa.

Ron Nossaman wrote:

> Hi gang,
> Scraping damper heads in the shop this morning, and planning what damper
> configuration was going back in, something occurred to me that hasn't come
> up in List discussion. At least, if it has, I missed it, and I think it
> would be interesting and informative. So here's the question. When
> installing dampers, do you have a favorite configuration of wedges and pads
> that you adapt to individual pianos, or do you try to reproduce what was
> there? Since what was there sometimes didn't seem to work as well as it
> could (which, I know, could be from old hard dampers as easily as a less
> than optimal choice of pads), or the cut of the felt is peculiar to the
> brand and isn't available any more, what's your criteria of choice when you
> install the new felt? What's your damper schedule?
>
>  Ron