<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good reply, Tom Sivak, you've = probably nailed it.  But just in case........</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ed, can the customer tell you when the = ringing started?  Change of weather, some small change in decorating?  I got a call back when a customer told me one of the = pedals didn't work after I tuned her piano.  I returned and found that she = had placed a rather thick area rug under the lyre (you know, to protect = the wall-to-wall carpeting) so the pedal didn't have quite enough = clearance.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Is it a true ringing or sort of a = ringing buzz?  Gosh, without being there to hear the actual sound it's sort = of hard to advise. There are a *multitude* of places to check. My = favorite was when I learned that CASTERS can take on a musical life of their own = (push down on the leg or back corner or wedge something under the caster to test).  Some other things to check in the piano are (help = welcomed here) :</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Case hardware</FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Loose rails in the = action</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pedal rods </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Action brackets might not be seated well.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Outside the piano is anybody's guess = and always a possibility.  Have the customer play while you touch every knick-knack, picture frame, light bulb, air duct cover, = etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Isn't hunting for ringing and buzzes = FUN?  It's my FAVORITE part of working on pianos!  (NOT)   = One time as I sat on the floor in front of a small vertical piano, playing = the offending note while putting pressure on the bass bridge with = my foot, I said to the customer, "See, if you sit down here and play like this, = there's no problem!"  :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I didn't check the archives, there = might have already been a good discussion of this type of problem.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good luck!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>somewhere near Peoria, IL</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS  I used to have a list, pages = long, of things that could ring, buzz or clunk in a piano.  Sorry, I = couldn't find the list, but I did have an interesting time reading through some other stuff!  :-)</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=edwithen@oregontrail.net = href="mailto:edwithen@oregontrail.net">Ed Carwithen</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 29, = 2003 4:08 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> ringing</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I need some input about a piano that = has a serious damping (actually a non-damping) problem.  Tones continue = to ring after the key is released.  It is particularly bad on F#4 which = rings at its own pitch, G#4 to a lesser extent, and C#3, D3, and D#3 which = rings at the double octave + 5th.  The piano is a Baldwin Acrosonic #386458.  The owner is a piano teacher which makes the problem a = bit more acute (It's driving her out of her mind).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So far I have adjusted the pedals to = be sure that they are damping well and they seem to be.  I tried muting the non-speaking parts of all strings, and blocked off all the bass = strings in their speaking lengths, as well as the treble strings above the dampers.  F#3 still singing like a canary.  I even blocked = the F#3 string itself, and it goes "Bonk" when the hammer strikes but = continues singing the tone the same as before.  I moved the piano out from = the wall and checked to make sure there was nothing contacting the sound = board.  I tapped the strings to the bridge to be sure that there wasn't some = residual vibration being made there.  There is a bit of a false beat in = the left string of F#3, but that shouldn't cause the excess ringing.  G4 = not ringing, F#4 and G#4 are.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are a lot of knick-knacks in = the room, and I wonder about suspecting some vibration in that = area. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If anyone has a suggestion as to what = I might try in order to eliminate this annoying problem I would be grateful for = your input.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ed Carwithen</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Associate PTG</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>John Day, OR</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial = size=2></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>