buzz

[Diane Hofstetter]

When I worked for the Yamaha store in Portland, I soon became known as the 
buzz finder.  It is one of the harder parts of our job--for anybody.   The 
main thing a person needs to find a buzz is persistence.

I even remember once, about 25 years ago, Murray and I were on a tour of the 
US and Canada in our motorhome.  We were in a library in Columbus, OH, when 
I suddenly thought I heard a piano being tuned.  I was at a stage in my 
learning when I thought I heard pianos being tuned all the time!  But this 
time it didn't stop, so I went to find the source.

Sure enough there was a piano being tuned.  I met Ellen Sewell who was 
busily tuning the piano for a community concert in the library.  She greeted 
me enthusiastically and said, "I have this buzz, maybe you can help find 
it!"  Together we searched, and searched and searched.  Eventually we found 
out it was in the lock--which she had already checked before I got there.

Then there was the Steinway upright in our shop.  My father, Bob Hofstetter, 
RPT, couldn't find it, I couldn't find it, Murray couldn't find it.  The 
California  State Convention was put on by our chapter.  Afterward about two 
dozen techs came to our place for dinner.  After dinner, I challenged the 
group to find the buzz.    They were climbing all over that piano.  No one 
could find it.

Only one man stood back, so I asked him, "Jim aren't you going to try to 
find our buzz for us?"  So he simply said,  "NO, I already know where it 
is."  He pulled a thin, steel 6" rule out of his pocket, walked around 
behind the piano and showed me where the Steinway upright soundboards 
traditionally come unglued from the rim.

So, unless you are Jim Coleman, and the piano is a Steinway upright, you 
have to reconcile yourself to the fact that it might just take a long 
time---and on the other hand, you might just be lucky and find it right off.

Can you give us any more info about the piano?





Diane Hofstetter




----Original Message Follows----
From: "J Patrick Draine" <jpdraine at gmail.com>
Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
To: l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net, "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: buzz
Date: Sat, 26 May 2007 14:33:59 -0400

Les,
I seem to remember that you may use hearing aids (I think I recall
you're pretty happy with your audiologist). Given that this noise just
might be in a difficult range for you, this might be a great time to
employ a younger assistant for this or a followup diagnostic visit.
Sometimes it is *so* hard to isolate a buzz, and an extra pair of
hands is invaluable. The extra ears could help too!
When you isolate what keys (at what key force) produce the buzz,
assign the assistant the task of repeating that note while you push on
the soundboard in suspect areas, check casters and other case parts to
see if they are causing the buzz etc. Of course the buzz could be from
loose screws on the key upstop rail or hammer rail (probably my first
area to focus on) so you should pull the action and address this
first.
Pictures on the walls, stuff behind the piano if it's an upright, are
also likely culprits. Screws, marbles, shards of glass under the
plate.
Time to voice super hard (or worn) hammers? Tighten all action (and
case) screws? Twist a bass string? Replace a bass string? The list
goes on and on.
Invite the young Associate who lives nearby, or some other young pair
of hands and ears to join you on your detective mission.
Patrick Draine (who does not have an assistant but realizes sometimes I 
should)

On 5/26/07, Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>I have a new client next week with a "buzz".  I'm not good at finding such
>things, but assuming it is a wound string, how do I make SURE that is the
>culprit?  Is there a way to force the buzz to be louder, or to eliminate 
>the
>buzz in that string?
>
>thanks
>les  bartlett