Foote Rattlers

[Don Mannino]

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Ed,

I have never heard a small, almost invisible or hidden crack make a 
sound all through the bass that sounds like a rattle. A crack or small 
separation will buzz, but not rattle.

A large separation will rattle, but it would be obvious.

The way you described it, this almost has to be something hidden on 
the board, like a coin or marble or something heavy like that.

Use a strong light and a dentist's mirror and look at the ENTIRE 
soundboard. Don't stop looking until you are sure you have inspected 
every square millimeter of the board. You will find something. Be sure 
to look under the bridge loop (between bass and treble bridge section) 
and under the bridge cutouts (if any - I haven't seen a B in a while) 
for a coin. They are very hard to see.

Don Mannino RPT

----------
From: 	A440A@aol.com
Sent: 	Thursday, September 11, 1997 8:58 AM
To: 	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: 	Foote Rattlers

Greetings all,
     Ummm ,   HELP!!
    I have run into a soundboard rattle that I cannot squelch.  It is 
a
Steinway B, (Hamburg).  and there is a buzz on all the bass notes.  It 
is
presently in a very high-dollar recording studio, so it absolutely has 
to be
fixed.  Here is what I know about it;
    Light pressure on the board, under the cut-outs around the bend 
between
bass and treble areas will stop it, but wedging a small wedge between 
the
board and bridge here will not.
     From under the piano, I can lightly tug on the lowest three ribs 
and
hear a scrunch,scrunch sound which sounds like splintered wood.  When 
doing
this, the sound seems to come directly from the bridge.
There are not visible cracks or repairs on the board or bridge in this 
area,
and the buzz seems to be somewhat humidity dependant.
   So,  shall I drill small holes from underneath, into the bottom of 
the
bridge assembly, then fill with glue and hammer in shoe-plugs hoping 
to force
glue into any opening inside this area?  This is what I may try, 
assuming
that there is a separation in the board, under the bridge.  The edges 
of the
board are tight, and there is no discernible separation between ribs 
and
boards.  The dowels all appear to be tight.
    Ideas, anyone?
Thanks,
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn.




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