A metallic sound from bridge pin/string?

[David Andersen]

On Sep 29, 2006, at 6:37 AM, piannaman at aol.com wrote:

>
> D#4, however, has a metallic after ring that I couldn't dispose of  
> for any length of time.  I was able to make it go away for brief  
> periods by seating the string at the front bridge pin (pushing  
> down, not whacking!).  After about ten hammer blows, the sound  
> would return.  It seems that the string wants to return to the  
> position from whence it came, the spot of the annoying noise.  I  
> tried to lightly tap the pin with a dowel, but to no avail.

Hey, Dave, I had the same thing yesterday; a 40-year-old Rudolph  
Wurlitzer console in a 5 million dollar house on the beach in Malibu.  
With the client, a sweet lady who is a professional singer (a cantor)  
whose husband is a movie director, I took the bottom board off, put a  
screwdriver with pressure against the back bridge pin:  noise is down  
half; put the pressure on the front bridge pin:  noise goes away.

I told her what we needed to do---bring a tilter, take the action  
out, CA the bridge pins, yada yada....and then I said
"what you really need, my dear, is a better piano; you're a  
professional; you want to record in here; you have accompanists  
coming in all the time---it's time to treat yourself with the respect  
you deserve."

She looked at me sheepishly and said "You're right, I know---but I've  
had this ever since my Mom paid $15 a month for it in the '60's--- 
it's a familiar old thing."

I said "I know, I know....but the reality is it was a C- piano to  
start with."

She looked at me, with a slow smile, and said, "OK.  A nice little  
shiny black one, that feels nice and sounds nice and bright."

I said "Yup, a small Yamaha or Kawai studio upright would be perfect."

She said, "OK, let's do it; Oh, thank you, David---" all lit up now....

So I just need to find the right pianner, and we'll all be happy.....

P.S. the dogs were nice, too.

Nothing's new under the sun, my friends.....it's the human contact  
that is the payoff in this business.

Peace.

David Andersen