maddening dampers

[larudee@pacbell.net]

Two other factors are the length of felt in contact with the string and the
condition of the guide bushings.  A small length of felt in just the right
spot can be more effective than a longer length, even if it is in the same
spot.  This is because it spreads the weight of the damper over too wide an
area.

An optimally tight damper bushing will help to absorb string vibrations by
making the damper more rigid.  The string vibrations get absorbed into the
damper and then into the guide rail.  When the bushing is loose, the damper
vibrates along with the string for a longer period of time.

Paul Larudee

Newton Hunt wrote:

> Well, location does matter, considerably.
>
> In two ways.
>
> If you are talking about a damper at a break then likely the damper is
> not located, along the length of the string, to be effective.
>
> And the damper felt may not be sitting in an optimum location.
>
> Well, actually they are the same point.
>
> The whole idea of damping is that the damper is on or at or near as many
> anti-nodes as possible.  A part of the whole formula is weight, spring
> pressure and resilience.  There is a critical point of the mass of the
> damper lever, head, felt where it helps suppress vibration.  Springs
> help also, that is why they are found in grand damper levers and the
> resilience of the felt is paramount.  That may well be why you got
> better damping with new felt.
>
> But above all is location.
>
> Example.  A customer had a Knabe where the bass did not mute at all
> well.  After doing the action, new hammers, shanks and regulation, I
> started on the dampers, all the while trying to figure out why they were
> not working.  So, I played games.  I use a mute strip to mute out the
> entire bass except one in the middle of the section.  With that damper
> in I put some felt on the strings and moved it around until I got the
> best muting location.  In this case the felt wanted to be about 3/16"
> extended beyond the block.  So, I made a little jib and glued the whole
> set on that way.  I looked a little funky but real neat and those little
> puppies WORKED.  Very nice sounding piano.
>
> So, one or both segments of felt may be mislocated, you may well wish to
> use trichord felt there or you may wish to peel a thin layer of felt off
> a flat to get a horizontal and vertical component of suppression.
>
> Or you may wish to go from two pieces to one piece, or you may wish
> to...
>
> The possibilities are rather wide, the point is to experiment and
> something think inside and outside the envelope.
>
> Lots of luck.
>
>                 Newton