Steinway L anomaly

Mary Smith marysmith@mail.utexas.edu
Thu, 01 Apr 2004 22:24:23 -0600


Hi Jim,

Oh yeah, I've encountered that before on an older (#200287), semi-rebuilt 
(don't ask) Steinway O belonging to a friend/client. I first diagnosed it 
in 1992. When I returned to tune it in 1993, the groan was gone, board not 
touching nose bolt. I think board movement has something to do with it, 
don't you? To me, that is the only explanation how the sound could come and 
go. And, yes, I would think a 9-cent pitch raise would exert enough extra 
pressure on the board to cause rubbing where none existed before. 
Interesting problem....I like Ed Foote's ideas on removing material from 
the board, Why mess with the nose bolt, other than to satisfy an inner need 
for symmetry? As for higher frequencies causing the noise, maybe that has 
to do with the way the board conducts the sound. This is a very interesting 
problem - let us know how you solve it.

Mary



>Questions like:
>(1) has it always been that way?
>(2) why is it leaning (factory expedient via sledge hammer?)
>(3) could the results of a 9 cent pitch raise cause -just- enough
>board movement to hit the "magic" spot between board and bolt?
>(4) how does one "fix" something like this without excessive
>trauma/expense?
>(5) is the easy way out (get several bass strings out of the way;
>file/rasp) a fix or a Band-Aid? Instinct tells me the bolt should be
>straight and centered.
>(6) why is the noise generated by higher frequencies? (this one is
>more or less rhetorical)
>
>I reluctantly admitted to the client that I was out of ammunition
>at the time, but am scheduled for another call soon. Since I've heard
>nothing more from the client, I'd like to think that whatever caused
>the problem has gone away as mysteriously as it appeared! Either way,
>I need to be prepared to do... something.
>
>--
>Regards,
>  Jim                          mailto:harvey@greenwood.net
>
>_______________________________________________
>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives



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