Richard, A GE-3 doesn't have a lock, so there is no lock plunger to make noise. The lock bar can sometimes buzz, so do tighten the screws that pass through the plate. It seems more likely that the treble soundboard button is loose. It's impossible to find unless you know it's there - directly underneath note 88 on the long bridge. There is, I believe, a rib in the way, and the soundboard is above the belly rail at that point, so you have to reach up under the rib with your fingers and tap on the button with your fingernails to see if it is loose. If so, it is possible to tighten the screw if you have just the right sized right-angle Phillips driver. If not, it can be wedged tight with a hammer shank whittled to a chisel point. Apply glue to the shank and drive it under the button and break it off. Or perhaps a better way is to put some thin C/A glue in a little plastic syringe and squeeze some glue into the crack. If it's not that, look around for other possibilities -loose screws, etc. You should also use a light and mirror to inspect the entire soundboard, under the plate and around the bridges. Blowing the piano out is often not effective in move a buzzing hinge screw that is caught at the edge of the soundboard. Please make a note of Kawai's information for future reference. You are always welcome to call one of us to talk about things like this. Toll free: 800-421-2177 Mark Wisner ext. 860, Direct: 310-761-6860 Don Mannino ext. 883, Direct: 310-761-6883 Marlena - Parts ext. 865, Direct: 310-761-6865 Don Mannino dmannino at kawaius.com _____ From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Richard Adkins Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 6:40 AM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] Kawai GE3 mystery buzz I'll bet one of your Kawai experts can help me with a myster buzz around C6. Well, it is ON C6, but also a few notes above and a few notes below. To me, is sounds like a buzz from a crack but it might be described as a kazoo sound....but not papery, exactly. I'm told it has done this for quite a while, but they never mentioned it to me until this week! I've never heard it when I tune. I spent about 1.5hrs trying to track it down. I have tightend all screws on the entire piano, including the lid, etc. Most were very tight, and only a few were slightly not tight. I air blew the board incase there might be a paperclip under the plate, etc. NOPE...not there. You can hear the buzz from under the piano, but it is loudest in the area around C6 above the piano. It is either around/near the capo, but sounds like the board. I tried the bridge pins....nope, the front and back "duplexes". NOPE.... The backs are muted by felt, anyhow. I tried: the strings near the tuning pins. Seating strings to bridge. Muting off duplexes. I tightened the damper guide rail screws...but also tried pressing said rail when playing the buzzing notes... NOPE.... Yes, I removed the music rack, tested the prop sticks, and hinges, prop stick cups, too... nope.... I tested the damper tray, the sustenuto lever and the lever jack. NOPE I tested the pedal lyre holding rods, nope....all the trap springs are muted with felt...nope.... As I said all the screws were tightened, including the action screws, the damper stop rail, the damper tray screws, the damper lever flange screws etc. Every screw I could find, I tested to be sure it was tight enough, including screws in the keybed. I tested the bridge pins, front and back....NOPE....seated strings front and back, too...NOPE.... I reshaped C6, did some shoulder voicing... NOPE.... Nothing I'm doing seems to work. Maybe it is coming from the capo bar? If there's bleed through, how come it doesn't go away if I mute it off? There are no cracks in the board, and the bridge seems to be securely glued. I did not feel any buzzing from under the board when pressing the ribs, they all seem to be glued properly. But it is hard to get in there all the way. I tried damping the board with my fingers, but that didn't do anything. I thought I might try lifting the strings on both sides of the capo bar. That's about the only thing I didn't do. De-tuning the unisons did not work to eliminate this buzz/fuzz either. Why does it sound like it's the board? or something under the plate near the front duplexes? I believe it is still under warranty. Ser# 2328919 (1998) but just barely! If you have some ideas, I'd appreciate your help, it is driving the profs nuts....and me, too, since I'm the one who has to find/fix it. I'd like to turn this nope to a yup! Thanks, Richard Adkins Coe College Music Dept. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut_ptg.org/attachments/20090225/cd030dae/attachment.html>
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