A "Rubber Band Sound"

[Ron Nossaman]

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>Yesterday, I spent some time with a Kawai Console, doing some voicing and
>tracking down rattles, buzzes, zings and, (to quote the client), "a rubber
>band sound". She even went and got a large rubber band to demonstrate!<G>
>The sound emits from F69, which is the first note w/o a damper. At first, I
>thought she was referring to the sustain, but on closer listening, sure
>enough, there is a sound that sounds like a rubber band, under tension,
>being plucked! Danged if'n I could isolate where it was coming from! Truly
>frustrating. Have any of y'all heard such a sound? It's a new one on me and
>I would really like to solve the problem, if possible. Feedback
>appreciated!<G>
>Best Regards,
>Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)


Not being able to hear it from here makes it just another unqualified SWAG, 
but the closest I've heard to a rubber band sound is a vibrating plate 
strut on a grand. The next closest, and in a vertical, was from a 
soundboard that was loose from the liner along the top edge. The third 
closest was from a heating duct in the wall behind the piano. I'd pull the 
piano out from the wall, check for Trolls between the soundboard and the 
back posts, and have the denizen (resident) of the house pound on the 
offending key while I pushed and pried on back parts (all and sundry), 
looking for the offender. If it's truly only that one note, I'd do the 
inspection, and poke and prod at the bridge too. If all that fails, I'd 
check the surrounding area. It might not even be in the piano. Sorry, what 
I'd do depends on what I hear where, so it's hard to outline a plan of 
attack without being there.

Did you check the casters?

Ron N

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