<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Michelle,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">I second this from Paul R-J:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>My bet, really, is that the trap spring is what is causing the noise; it is either broken and grinding into the wood, or so worn into the bushing leather that has been lubrication abused and become hard that a groan or grind is coming from it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Forgive me if I'm writing things you already know here, but, if you follow up from the pedal, the rod extends up, through the guide, then pushes up on the trap lever which has a spring above it.  Very common that the spring makes lots of groans where it rests in the leather on top of the trap lever.  I fully recommend replacing the leather in this case, but if you don't have replacement leather (which you will, of course, knowing that this is a likely culprit), you can slobber some VJ lube or Prolube on the leather until you come back to replace the leather.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Best,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">William R. Monroe</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>