> Can anyone help me with a damper problem? > > The piano is a 1991 Schafer and Son 4'7" grand. The first two bi-chord > notes in the bass scale (C2 and C#2) continue to sustain after the > dampers have settled onto the strings. > > The dampers are in perfect alignment in all dimensions. There is plenty > of damper follow. There is nothing binding in the back action. The > damper wires move freely through the guide rail. The felt wedges are > rather wide at the point and settle very near the top of the bi-chord > strings; however, they look similar to all the other bi-chord wedges. > The sustaining sound is definitely coming from C2 and C#2 and is not a > sympathetic vibration from somewhere else. It seems like the dampers > are coming down at a node on the strings because the sustaining sound > appears to be a partial or harmonic of the fundamental. > > Do I need to needle the damper felt? Is this a job for damper pliers? > Do the dampers require some modification? Would more weight on the > underlever help? Is this a design flaw the customer must live with? > Any help is greatly appreciated!! > > John Piesik > San Diego Chapter PTG > JPIESIK@ARINC.COM Hi John, You might possibly have a situation where one string of the unison is ringing due to the damper heads not being centered over the strings. Pluck each string with the dampers at rest. If either side rings, move the damper head over in the direction of the offending string. Also check alignment front to back and check for any twist in the damper heads when they come up off the string. If that is not the case, perhaps the damper felt can be lightly squeezed so it will fit down deeper between the strings. Those dampers are very problematic on many pianos because of their close proximity to the plate struts. This means that they can't be put in the optimum spot for good damping. Good luck. Tom Seay t.seay@mail.utexas.edu The University of Texas at Austin
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