baldwin buzz

[D.L.Bullock]

In the seventies when these pianos were new, I opened the new Baldwin store
in Dallas.  The bane of my existence was that buzzzzzz in most of the
pianos.  It took me days to determine that the noise was a small chip of
wood lodged between the string and the cutaway part of the bridge.  These
pieces of sawdust came from the factory and required that I open every
single piano up and blow them all out as soon as they arrived out of the
truck and before I could tune any of them.  Abra Cadabra no more buzzes.  I
made sure the factory got an earful from me about this oversight.  The
problem stopped sometime in the early 80's.  I noticed the problem appeared
once again when the soap lady took over the CEO position of  Baldwin.  She,
of course is the one who lost her job when she ran the company into the
ground enough for Gibson to be required to buy Baldwin just to keep it in
business.  I hope they have raised the standards back to what they should
be, now.

D.L. Bullock  St. Louis
www.thepianoworld.com <http://www.thepianoworld.com>



-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Nereson [mailto:davner@kaosol.net]
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 2:47 AM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: baldwin buzz



----- Original Message -----
From: <richard.ucci@att.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 6:09 PM
Subject: baldwin buzz
> Hi People,
> Tuned a Baldwin spinet ca. 70's today. Nasty buzzzz and rattle at e,f and
f#
> 3. Checked soundboard -no cracks; tightened soundboard buttons in back;
> nothing interfering with strings; bridge pins tight and not out of place;
> ribs good; nothing stuck in back by soundboard; pushing on bridge and
> soundboard didn't do anything.
> I could use some help on this one.
> Thanks,
> Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano

    There are just so many things it could be.  Check the recent archives
(earlier this week and perhaps last) under "Rubber band sound".   Loose
hardware is notorious, fallboard hardware, hinges, hinge pins, etc.,
casters, loose legs, music rack, loose action bolt nuts, loose anything --
peeling veneer, dried glue squeeze-out, loose bridge pins, strings
contacting edge of notching on the bridge, bottom panel clip, pedal rod pins
buzzing in damper lifter rod hole (no bushings), ad infinitum -- ya just
gotta be a detective and check even the unlikely things.  --David Nereson,
RPT