softening crusty dampers

Jurgen Goering pianoforte at pianofortesupply.com
Wed Sep 20 22:19:17 MDT 2006


Thanks for telling us it's the bass dampers.  Now, we get a better 
picture.
One of the reasons this piano is not the greatest instrument, as you 
say, is because it was built with inferior materials.  Now is your 
chance to upgrade one part of that - the bass dampers.

Considering the instrument, I would bet any money the felt was poor 
quality - too dense felt to start out with and has just gone even 
firmer over the years.  Salt water or desert, it is inevitable.  
(besides, if it really was a salt crust, there wouldn't be much left of 
the string wire)  The crust is not the problem.  The dampers are the 
problem.  Pull a damper back with your finger and let it go.  Does it 
sound like a little hammer hitting the string?   Then it is like a 
little hammer hitting the string.

Replace them.  Bass dampers are no biggie.  Slice their felt blocks off 
the damper blocks and put in a whole new set of dampers with backing 
boards.

Jurgen Goering
Piano Forte Supply
(250) 754-2440
info at pianofortesupply.com
http://www.pianofortesupply.com


On Sep 20, 2006, at 8:04 PM, pianotech-request at ptg.org wrote:
> Thanks for all the great responses.  The main problem is with the 
> bicord and monocord dampers.  They should be replaced, I agree, but 
> the piano is not the greatest insturument ever built.  If I can't get 
> a satisfactory result early on in my attempts to soften the felt, I'll 
> suggest it to the owner.   
>   
> Dave Stahl
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