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<DIV><SPAN class=921172106-11012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2>I'm
learning all kinds of wonderful stuff here so feud on. Gently,
please.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=921172106-11012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=921172106-11012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2>--
Geoff Sykes</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=921172106-11012006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2>--
Assoc. Los Angeles</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=921172106-11012006></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr =
align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On =
Behalf Of
</B>Jurgen Goering<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:29
PM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Lovely Birdcage
Piano<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>At the risk of raising the ire of the upper =
partial
dissectors hard at work on this list, I'd like to add to and prolong =
the
overdamper thread :^)<BR><BR>[ Disclaimer: I hope I am not starting to =
look
like the Houdini of overdampers here, I simply have no fear of them =
and so I
see more than the average technician, and I am merely expressing my
opinion.]<BR><BR>Joe Garrett wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?color><?param 0705,0000,FDFB><?x-tad-smaller>The =
"after-ring"
is intentional!!!! Do NOT try to "improve" the damping of =
Over-Damper
Pianos....EVER! These instruments were made to sound like "ancient"
instruments, only louder and a larger compass. Please do not fall =
into that
pit. Attempting to "Improve" the damping will be a road of major
frustrations and failure. =
<?/x-tad-smaller><?/color><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I
don't think this is really the case. While it is true, of course, that =
tastes
and expectations of piano tone and performance have shifted over time, =
I would
speculate the better overdamper pianos (of the day) indeed tried to =
sound
contemporary - after all, they were competing against underdamper =
pianos
already (I am talking 1880s + )<BR><BR>When I encounter a 100 year old =
<B>underdamper</B> piano with leaky dampers and tubby bass strings, I =
always
assume the instrument didn't sound this way when it was new. (That is =
why we
rebuild them.) Similarly, on overdamper pianos the after-ring is =
surely
several times more than it originally was. <BR><BR>It is often fairly =
easy to
get rid of at least half of the after-ring, which probably gets the =
piano
sounding a lot closer to what it was supposed to sound like. An easy =
test for
the potential of damping improvement is to push the overdamper =
assembly in
toward the strings and compare the after-ring to the original state. =
Usually,
damping improves considerably. Often, the overdamper assembly can be =
brought
in a bit closer to the strings with the center support. If not, the =
action
"holders" (rarely are they brackets as we know them) can be shimmed to =
tilt
the action in a bit. Of course, this is more of a make-it-work measure =
than a
"proper" repair, but it works. (and I don't have the gall to sell a =
two
thousand dollar reconditioning job on a piano like that.) <BR>In many =
cases,
the damper felts (being end grain felt - see below) have compressed =
and the
damper wire lift buttons are resting on the wippen - essentially the =
same
effect as damper arms resting on the spoons of an underdamper action. =
A huge
improvement can be made in short order by adjusting the damper
wires.<BR><BR>So, yes - go for it - DO try to improve the damping! Do =
we have
a feud yet, Joe? :^)<BR><BR>Regarding the felt:<BR>Ed Sutton =
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>Please note that when replacing dampers on 19th century =
pianos
you must first ascertain the grain orientation of the original
dampers. You may need to cut new dampers from felt sheets to =
duplicate
the original dampers. Changing the grain orientation will =
change the
damping. Of course, you need to be sure the dampers on the =
piano are
original! To understand damper felt grain, tear apart old dampers in =
various
directions, noting that some ways tear in even sheets, others resist =
or tear
raggedly.<BR>Ed S.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>and Joe Garrett wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>I have no problem with replacing the damper felt, as long =
as it
is the CORRECT felt, with the CORRECT fiber orientation.<G>
<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Most often on overdamper actions, the damper felt =
is END
grain felt, i.e. cut ends of the wool fibers are contacting and =
damping the
strings. If anyone is looking for this kind of felt, I have some in =
stock. (I
have been told it is quite the job to install new felt and regulate =
the
dampers on these beasties. But, hey, there is always the excuse =
"That's what
they were MADE to sound like")<BR><BR>I think that is about all I know =
on this
subject, so I will go away now...<?smaller><BR><BR>Jurgen =
Goering<BR>Piano
Forte Supply<BR>(250)
=
754-2440<BR>info@pianofortesupply.com<BR>http://www.pianofortesupply.com<=
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