[pianotech] Bass Key Slap

[Arlie Rauch]

I was tuning a customer's Steinway today, and she wanted me to look also at her Schimmel grand.  She heard noises, in the key she thought, in the lowest notes.  I couldn't hear it at first, but then I did when thumping the lowest 8 or so notes--it sounded like a slap when the bottom of the key contacted the front rail felt.  First I thought maybe the front rail felt is too hard, but on my hour-drive home, I thought maybe the cause is elsewhere.  Why can you hear that on the lowest bass notes, but when you play up higher the sound is gone?  Maybe something is loose at the bass end in the action or the keybed.  Any suggestions?  I hope to remedy this sometime when I go back.

Arlie Rauch
Glendive, MT