Re: [CAUT] Young Chang & Weber Grands: Action Clicking/Knocking Upon Quick Key ReleasePaul-
Yes, tighten all wippen rail bracket screws, and leave the stack on the keybed if you want to be extra cautious. Then remove the hammer rail. I don't recall any problem with indexing the hammer rail location before removal.
The secret is that with the hammer rail out of the way, you can lift up the wippens, one at a time, and hold the button from the side with your favorite light duty pliers, and also have clear axccess to the jack regulating screw! Before you remove the hammer rail, take a look at the relation of the jack to the knuckle, and you can rough regulate the jack as you install the new buttons.
It sounds like you will soon be the nation's expert on this repair. Maybe you can take pictures and write an article for the Journal.
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Milesi
To: Ed Sutton , caut at ptg.org
Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 1:54 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Young Chang & Weber Grands: Action Clicking/Knocking Upon Quick Key Release
Thanks, Ed, for confirming my strongest, and first, suspicion. It certainly seemed to me to be the source of the knock when I first looked at the pianos a couple months back, but I hadn't ever heard of this being a problem, so I spent time investigating other possibilities. Looks like Pianotek has the buttons with felt for about $20/set of 100, so very reasonable parts cost.
I don't have the piano in front of me now, but wondering about your advice to "remove the hammer rail" and "grab the button with pliers." I guess the rail just screws off at each bracket? When replacing it, is there any possibility it won't go back to exactly the same position?
Also, how do you get pliers down between the wipps? Needle nose? Do you grab just one side, wood button and felt? How do you get the new buttons down between the wippens? Could you describe a little?
Many thanks!
--
Paul Milesi
Registered Piano Technician (RPT)
Piano Technicians Guild
(202) 667-3136
(202) 246-3136 Cell
E-mail: paul at pmpiano.com
Website: http://www.pmpiano.com
Address:
3000 7th Street NE, Apt. 204
Washington, DC 20017-1402
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From: Ed Sutton <ed440 at mindspring.com>
Reply-To: Ed Sutton <ed440 at mindspring.com>, <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 08:27:20 -0400
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Young Chang & Weber Grands: Action Clicking/Knocking Upon Quick Key Release
Paul-
Good diagnosis.
This is a problem found in Young Changs. The felt on the jack regulating button is too hard, and thumps on the spoon after the note is released. Young Chang used to pay for repairs, but 1997 pianos would be out of warranty, even if they would consider paying under their new management.
Pianotek sells a replacement button with a softer felt, ready to install. (They might discount if you buy a thousand or two!) Remove the hammer rail so that you have access to the wippens, grap the button with pliers and turn out the screw with a slotted regulation tool, then reverse the process to install the new button. If you have a combination tool adapter for yiour electric screwdriver, it can go very quickly. Reassemble stack and regulate.
You can do other things to stop the noise, but this is the right repair, gives excellent results that the players will notice, and isn't so expensive that the school can't afford it.
Ed Sutton
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Milesi <mailto:paul at pmpiano.com>
To: PTG CAUT List <mailto:caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 3:05 AM
Subject: [CAUT] Young Chang & Weber Grands: Action Clicking/Knocking Upon Quick Key Release
I am now responsible for servicing three 1997 Weber grands at Howard U, ranging in size from the 4'11" WG-50 to WG-57 (5'7") and WG-60 (6'1"). These three are now in pretty good shape overall, but need regulation. There are others on campus I haven't seen yet, but have heard they're in bad shape.
Tonight I went to a hotel which is a private client of mine and re-visited a 5'2" Young Chang G-157 for the first time in quite a long while. I was struck by the similarities -- same problems I'm having with the Webers, which my research had told me were made by Young Chang in Inchon, South Korea.
All these pianos have a "noisy" action! At first I thought it might be worn key bushings or loose wippen or hammer flange screws. But I've now taken the time to eliminate the key and the flanges. The noise appears to be either (1) the repetition or jack hitting the knuckle; or (2) the jack regulating button hitting the stop. The knocking/clicking occurs when any key is released quickly, but not even necessarily all the way up. I believe it happens when the key is released enough to let the jack return. I'm now wondering if a third possibility is the spring in the little hole of the jack? If so, what's the fix?
Please, this is driving me crazy! As a pianist and technician, I want to understand what's happening here, and this is frustrating me. I believe these pianos can be regulated to make them a lot better, satisfactory practice instruments, but before I waste a lot of time, I'm wondering if this problem is somehow endemic to these instruments? Can this noise on every key be alleviated? Does it have anything to do with aluminum rails? HELP!
Thanks,
Paul
--
Paul Milesi, RPT
Howard University Department of Music
Washington, DC
University: (202) 806-4565
Home: (202) 667-3136
Cell: (202) 246-3136
E-mail: paul at pmpiano.com
Website: http://www.pmpiano.com
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