Letter to PTG Technical Editor (fwd)

S. Brady sbrady@u.washington.edu
Fri Jul 24 10:13 MDT 1998


Dear list, 
	Here's a letter I received recently from a technician seeking
help on a Steinway noise. Any ideas?

Thanks,
	Steve

Steve Brady, RPT		 
University of Washington
Seattle, WA		 	  
				 
			

Steinway Grand "Fuzzy Buzz"

I regularly service a Steinway B grand, approximately twenty years old. 
For many years it has had a problem with a number of notes in the mid
treble.   Despite my best attempts to locate the source, I have been
unable to locate a faint, "fuzzy buzz" in this region 1-1/2  octaves
above middle C.   The instrument has spent its life in an "easy",
moderate climate.  

Although it sounds like a soundboard related noise, I have set the
strings on the bridges, experimented with the string/ capo d astro bar
relationship, tried muting duplex string segments, checked action parts
for loose joints and pinning, reshaped hammers, voiced, and listened
under the piano and inside it while it was being played.  I have cleaned
underneath the plate, blown out the whole soundboard area with my vacuum,
and checked for obvious soundboard and rib  problems, even for dried glue
remnants on the edges.  I have always been able to find a remedy for
other Steinway  treble problems, but not this one.  

Has anyone out there had this experience and solved the problem?  Are
there any methods for "getting a fix" on the source of elusive soundboard
noises?  My customer is frustrated and so am I!  Thanks for your help!

-Tom Armstrong, RPT
Monterey Bay Chapter, California  
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]



This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC