<HTML><HTML>List I tune a Tokai grand at a local banquet/convention center, although rarely.&= nbsp; This piano has been neglected since it was bought, probably some time= in the late 80s/early 90s.  As I was tuning  it,  I found= that the damper on B5 didn't lift, making it difficult to tune, so I depres= sed the damper pedal and indeed the damper did lift with the pedal.  S= o, now being able to sustain the note, I struck it again, preparing to tune = the note. WOW. It seemed as if every note on the piano vibrated in sympathy.  I mean,= it sounded exactly like someone took their fingernail and with the dampers = lifted, scraped all the strings allowing them all to vibrate.  Now, I = know you get some sympathetic vibrating strings when you strike a single not= e with the damper pedal down, but THIS WAS DIFFERENT.  This wasn't jus= t a few strings in the overtone series vibrating along.  This was the = sound of EVERY STRING ON THE PIANO.  Or at least all the steel strings= in the middle section, because when I struck it again, I took the palm of m= y hand and muted as many strings as I could in the middle section (that's al= l I could reach) and the sound went away.  All those strings were somehow set into vibration by the striking of this on= e key.  And it wasn't just that key, it was any key in that section.&n= bsp; I was in a rush so I didn't do any further experimenting, such as seei= ng if the same thing happened when I struck a note in the bass, for instance= .  I didn't plan on the extra time to repair the dampers (I found two = others that didn't lift) and it was one of those days that I HAD to stay on = schedule. I wonder if any of you have a theory as to what's going on here?  I do= n't think it's an acoustical phenomenon.  I think it is mechanical.&nb= sp; I think somehow the bridge is transferring energy/vibrations to the oth= er strings.  Or maybe the soundboard somehow activates the other strin= gs to vibrate.  I don't know...I'm talking nonsense here...but what th= e heck could be happening? Tom Sivak Chicago PTG Associate</HTML>