Capo Buzz

[Richard Brekne]

> Lance Lafargue wrote:
> 
> I am told that the main problem lies in the V bar, not in the hammer,
> and that smoothing the bar with sandpaper will clean up the
> termination and permanently fix the buzz.  This is one of the few
> things I did not do, since I was really originally only out for a
> warranty tuning  ;  )    Thoughts?
> 
> 

Thats about the size of it. A good peice of advice was tossed out by one
of us a bit back... find one of the worst offending buzzers. Loosen the
strings in the immediate vicinity and pull them out of the way so you
can dress up the capo for that note. Small file, 0.5 mm "V" profile is
what McMorrow recommends. I have found that to yeild a clean crisp
sound. Use a small vanity mirror and a good light and be carefull not to
file off the leading edge surface of the capo 

Give it a try on a couple notes and see what the result is. All these
other solutions with braiding or the like really amount to attempts to
muffle an unwanted noise, instead of relieving the cause.

MO

RicB

> 
> Lance Lafargue, RPT
> 
> LAFARGUE PIANOS
> 
> New Orleans Chapter, PTG
> 
> 985.72P.IANO
> 
> lancelafargue@bellsouth.net
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> Lance Lafargue
> Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 9:32 PM
> To: caut@ptg.org
> Subject: Capo Buzz
> 
> 
> 
> I have always struggled with the capo buzz in many pianos. Young
> Chang/Prambergers I’ve never succeeded with, Steinways, I usually can
> do it.   I have discussed this many times with many techs.  I am
> exhausted after a 14 hour day with three B’s one of which is still
> giving me fits.  It is a new Steinway B, prepped by a large reputable
> dealer.  The piano was/is nice.  But it was a little bright after some
> play and I went in, pitch raised it, stopped sympathetic aliquot
> ringing, leveled strings with my Mother Goose leveling tool, fit
> hammers to strings, worked on damper bleeding, etc.  There were
> several hammers, especially the first C at the V bar that had a
> buzzing quality.  I sugar coated/voiced, 3/8” needled the shoulders,
> evened everything out, got it acceptable, and the buzzing returned, a
> bit.  Enough to bug the customer.
> 
> 
> 
> After more sugar coating (shallow needling at crown) and more 3/8”
> inch needles just off of the string marks (both straight down and in
> at an angle), I am at the point where I am killing the bell quality
> and volume to extinguish the metallic buzzes.  I believe these hammers
> were hardened with lacquer, not key top solution.  Tapping strings
> onto bridges, done, seating strings at every termination point, done.
> This exists to some extent throughout the V bar area.  This is the
> buzzing that goes away when you put your finger on the front duplex
> section.  Just hoping I may hear something new (hoping not to hear a
> buzz).  I appreciate any new suggestions, I am so worn out!
> 
> 
> 
> Lance Lafargue, RPT
> 
> LAFARGUE PIANOS
> 
> New Orleans Chapter, PTG
> 
> 985.72P.IANO
> 
> lancelafargue@bellsouth.net
> 
> 

-- 
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html